The challenge
More and more Dutch young people vape, while knowledge of the harmful effects lags behind. Informing alone is not enough.
The brief
Within the national campaign ‘Zeg nee tegen vapen’ (Say no to vaping), the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) asked HAGENS in 2025 for a PR strategy that not only informs parents, but also activates them to start the conversation. Supporting the government’s ATL campaign, with a bigger goal: a smoke- and nicotine-free generation by 2040.
The strategy
Twelve is too young
While society still tolerates a sixteen-year-old who vapes, a twelve-year-old with a vape is acceptable to no one. So we deliberately focused on the most newsworthy insight, or rather: on an age. One in ten twelve-year-olds has vaped at some point.
The creation
A Malieveld full of twelve-year-olds
To reach young people in their own world, HAGENS developed an in-game activation in Minecraft. On a virtual Malieveld, the field in The Hague known for national demonstrations, we placed some 20,000 twelve-year-olds: the number of children that age who have already vaped. One image that makes an abstract percentage tangible, and that also worked as a powerful visual for the national media.
The approach
The approach was layered, with two audiences at once: young people via Minecraft and the Jeugdjournaal (children’s news), parents via the national media. With targeted one-on-one pitches to key media, we increased the impact. Thousands of young people visited the location in the game.
The impact
A national debate
Vaping first-years caused outrage among parents and the Netherlands as a whole, which forced a national debate. The campaign generated more than 440 publications, including the Jeugdjournaal and a satirical item by Lubach inspired by our work, with a potential cumulative reach of 50 million and a PR value of €5.3 million. The core message came back consistently in 93 percent of the publications. Nobody could ignore the warning.
440+
Publications
including Lubach and the Jeugdjournaal
€5.3 MLN
PR value
50 MLN
Cumulative reach
plus shared reach via Minecraft
