British American Tobacco commissioned Speakeasy to produce an animation marking World No Tobacco Day, created by the member states of the World Health Organization in 1987.

The film focuses on the booming trade in illegal tobacco, challenging the assumption that this is a victimless low-level crime. Our animation combines high impact on-screen captions and simple motifs with a photo montage style that allows us to characterise the protagonists in this illicit trade. The network extends from seemingly innocuous market stall holder ‘Dave’ to distributor ‘Luke’, international transporter ‘Dimitri’, general manager ‘Khalid’ and chief executive ‘Mr X’, who heads up a growing and highly structured organisation.

This approach increases the viewer’s engagement with the film, and the impact of its key messages. Tense music and a gritty voiceover add to the drama of the animation, which urges viewers:  Arm yourselves with the facts about illegal tobacco.