Key takeaways
- "Flip The Vape" reimagined health messaging for First Nations youth by replacing fear-based tactics with empowering, culturally relevant storytelling featuring First Nations ambassadors.
- The campaign embraced bold, rebellious, and pride-driven language and used a wide-reaching media rollout across social platforms, billboards, street posters, and PR kits to engage more than 1 million people.
- The campaign's success has sparked national interest, with peak health bodies in Australia planning similar initiatives, proving that behaviour change happens through authentic voices and community-led design.
"Back in 2024, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) approached us, tasking us with creating a culturally relevant, impactful anti-vaping campaign that would resonate with First Nations young people.
Armed with the knowledge that 37% of all First Nations deaths are caused by smoking, we knew it was time to turn outdated health messaging on its head. Rather than using scare tactics or lectures, we created FLIP THE VAPE, a campaign that put First Nations ambassadors front and centre, and used bold, empowering, and cheeky language.
With a message of rebellion, strength, and cultural pride, the campaign flips the script on the popularisation of vaping and instead empowers young people to take back control.
From early co-design workshops with the First Nations ambassadors to the rollout of powerful social media content and street posters, our team helped guide the campaign ideation, conceptualisation, production, and entire journey. We executed billboards, posters, and videos in 25 shopping centres and 23 suburbs across Victoria, dominating street furniture placements along Melbourne’s busy 86 line.
We also launched a targeted PR box campaign supported by personalised email outreach, delivered directly to leaders across the community, government and public health, and engaging more than 40 leaders to open the door for broader collaboration, recognition, and future rollouts across Australia.
The FLIP THE VAPE message reached more than a million First Nations people, and the campaign was featured in 10+ leading publications, including Mumbrella, Mi3, Campaign Brief, and National Indigenous Times. Significantly, national health bodies and peak councils in NSW, QLD and SA are now planning similar rollouts, allowing this impactful message to reach even more people.
Summary
It’s time to rethink how we communicate behaviour change, starting with fresh thinking, credible research, and a deep understanding of the audience we’re speaking to. The data shows that fear-based messaging doesn’t cut through with young people, yet many anti-vaping campaigns are still stuck in the past, preaching rather than empowering. That’s why Flip The Vape is flipping the script: no scare tactics, no outdated narratives. Just real voices, real communities, and real change."
About Mo Works
Mo Works is a full-service digital creative agency based in Melbourne which specialises in marketing, branding, and digital products. We deliver strategies for sustained growth with account-based marketing (ABM), SEO, ads, and social media. If you're looking for a Melbourne digital marketing agency for your B2B business, get in touch today.
Content Specialist · Lizzie Lavan is a Content Specialist and copywriter at Mo Works, specialising in crafting SEO and AIO-enhanced copy for websites, marketing campaigns, and digital channels. With over 10 years of experience working with brands across various industries in Australia and the UK, including tech, finance, energy, construction, travel, and e-commerce, Lizzie is passionate about creating content that is useful, thoughtful, and impactful, and excels at turning complex topics into clear, engaging stories.
