Anything but passive

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Creative agency Fischer + Fala wanted a way to demonstrate the dangers involved in smoking, not just for your own health, but the health of others as well. To coincide with the anti-smoking laws coming into effect in Sao Paulo on the 7^th August, it decided to put passive smoking to the test – the sunflower test.

The decision to ban smoking in all enclosed spaces in Sao Paulo provoked ferocious debate in the Brazilian city. Many refused to believe that such a thing as passive smoking even existed, believing it just another way of clamping down on their civil liberties. Although there is plenty of research out about the dangers of passive smoking, most won’t read it. Knowing this, Fischer + Fala came up with a highly visual representation of the dangers of smoking for one’s health.

Two sunflowers were placed next to each other in glass cubicles. Both were kept in identical conditions: receiving an equal amount of light, ventilation and water. The difference, however, was that one sunflower was forced to passively smoke a cigarette each day for a week. A dedicated website was set up with live webcams so that users could follow the progress of the two plants, with a twitter feed also set up to encourage debate.

The results proved beyond doubt that passive smoking did indeed exist. Even the hardiest tar-lover could see that one sunflower was still in its element whilst the other had withered away to a crumpled heap; Fischer and Fala showing that there is never a need to be passive.

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