When we were asked to create a campaign to raise awareness about smoking in Italy, we discovered that the danger was not just for smokers, but also for the people around them. One particular statistic caught our attention: 52% of children under the age of two are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke.

For this reason, on May 31, for World No Tobacco Day, we launched the prevention campaign “Ector the Protector Bear” and created Ector, the first plush toy designed to protect children from smoke. Thanks to an internal sensor connected to a sound device, Ector coughs every time it is exposed to smoke. By doing so, it discourages smokers, alerts parents, and teaches children to stay away from the dangers of smoking.

We announced the launch of the product along with the possibility to order one for free on the website ectortheprotector.com, which was enriched with informative sections aimed at raising awareness about the issue of smoking.

The results were impressive: 1,000 Ector bears were pre-ordered in less than 72 hours, a petition was created, #ectortheprotectorbear became a trending topic on Twitter, major national media covered the project, and Ector was even presented at the European Parliament in Brussels.