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Fresh Empire

FDA tobacco prevention campaign launched October 2015 for multicultural 12-17-year-olds who identify with hip-hop culture, a peer crowd at higher smoking risk. Rather than warnings alone, it associates a tobacco-free life with hip-hop values and success, using artists, influencers, music and events.

Years
2015
Country
United States
Budget
$128 million, funded by tobacco user fees (trade press)
Topic
Tobacco
Asks people to
Never startStop
Strategy
Social norms
Channel
EventsInfluencerOutdoorSocial (paid)TV
Audience
Youth
Black, Hispanic and multiracial youth 12-17 identifying with the hip-hop peer crowd; ~36 markets.

Evidence

ExperimentalUnknown

Treatment-control design with 15 campaign and 15 control markets: brand awareness rose more in treatment markets (aOR 3.26, 1.90-5.58); ads rated 3.66-4.11 on 1-5 perceived effectiveness. By final wave 71% brand and 66% video ad awareness; higher broadcast TV exposure associated with agreement with 5 targeted beliefs (ORs 1.16-1.27), but 'associated with a limited number of targeted beliefs'. No behavioral outcome published in sources seen.

Sponsor (who paid)

Credits (who made it)

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Guillory J et al. Awareness of and Receptivity to the Fresh Empire Tobacco Public Education Campaign Among Hip Hop Youth. J Adolesc Health 2020;66(3):301-307 evaluation · 2019 · DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.09.005 · PMID 31704108
  2. Guillory J et al. Reach, Receptivity, and Beliefs Associated With the Fresh Empire Campaign. Am J Health Promot 2022;36(5):789-800 evaluation · 2022 · DOI 10.1177/08901171211069991 · PMID 35081751
  3. Henes A et al. Generating Campaign Awareness With Digital Media: Fresh Empire. Nicotine Tob Res 2025;27(5):864-872 evaluation · 2024 · DOI 10.1093/ntr/ntae269 · PMID 39565279
  4. Moran MB et al. Why Peer Crowds Matter: Incorporating Youth Subcultures and Values in Health Education Campaigns. Am J Public Health 2017;107(3):389-395 reference · 2017 · DOI 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303595 · PMID 28103067
  5. Fresh Empire case study (Rescue Agency) reference
  6. Using Hip-Hop To Grab Teens' Attention: FDA Launches New Anti-Smoking Campaign (KFF Health News) news · 2015

Research notes

Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Rescue (agency case study: FDA 'worked with Rescue to develop' the campaign), RTI International (PubMed record of Guillory et al., awareness and receptivity among Hip Hop youth, RTI authors). Corrected 2026-10-22: RTI source moved from the DOI link (publisher blocks fetching) to PubMed. Evidence level 'experimental' reflects the treatment/control market design described as randomized in Guillory 2019; outcomes are awareness and beliefs, so behavioral outcome is unknown. Taxonomy gap: 'peer-crowd targeting' is not a strategy value; social-norms used. End year not confirmed. Meta Ad Library / Google Ads Transparency Center: search advertiser 'U.S. Food and Drug Administration' and campaign accounts '@FreshEmpire'. Shorty Awards entries document social executions. Corrected 2026-10-22: RTI end year extended to 2023 per USAspending FDA orders HHSF22301002T and HHSF22301003T 'Campaign evaluation services - Fresh Empire' (Sept 2016-Apr 2023, https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_HHSF22301002T_7524_HHSF223201610032I_7524). The public-health-pr queue proposed 2016-2023 from the contract; the 2015 start is kept because the Guillory 2019 evaluation covers the 2015 launch. Reuse terms checked 2026-10-23 by an AI research pass for #47; not yet reviewed by a person.

Record cases/fda-fresh-empire.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign