Department for Health and Social Care he Power To Quit Is In Your Hands AMV BBDO

The Department for Health and Social Care Supports Quitting Smoking

'The Power To Quit Is In Your Hands' by AMV BBDO promotes that help to quit is never far away

By Creative Salon

16 February 2026

A MV BBDO and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) have today launched a new national campaign, The Power To Quit Is In Your Hands, to promote the NHS Quit Smoking app and Personal Quit Plan, highlighting that help to quit is never far away.

Built on the insight that smokers are three times more likely to quit successfully when using proven tools and support, the campaign aims to give smokers a sense of hope, empowering them to quit successfully.

Moving away from a traditional focus on the harms of smoking, the creative uses humour and hyperbole to bring the power of support to life, positioning the NHS digital quitting tools as catalysts for change.

The hero film follows a man eating lunch in his work canteen who is invited out for a cigarette by colleagues. Tempted, he appears ready to join them, when his phone suddenly springs to life in his pocket. A powerful light beam bursts out of the phone, drawing him up and onto the table. He looks on in awe as he realises it’s his NHS Quit Smoking app, reminding him he is on day 11 of his quit journey — just enough to help him say no.

The campaign will run across TV, online video, social media, radio, digital audio and out-of-home nationwide.

It will direct to digital tools such as the NHS Quit Smoking app offering smokers a free 28-day programme with practical support, encouragement, and tailored advice to boost success rates.These are significantly higher for those who make it through the first four weeks smoke-free.

Rachel Carr, Director of Communications at DHSC, said: “Half of smokers say they want to quit so this campaign will take a fresh and bold approach, focusing on the support that’s at hand to help them to do so successfully, via our proven NHS digital tools.”

Emily Whiteaway, Managing Partner at AMV BBDO, added:“Quitting is hard. Despondency grows with every failed attempt, and when you try to quit alone, the challenge can feel insurmountable. The Power to Quit Is in Your Hands delivers much-needed tangible support and an injection of optimism. We hope that presenting these supportive tools as a smart, powerful way to turbocharge a quitting attempt will give people the confidence and resources they need to quit for good.”

Credits:

Agency: AMV BBDO

Creative President: Owen Lee

Head of Strategy: Laura Pirkis

Creative Director: Kris Wheater

Creative: Simon Mannion/Clint Harding

Managing Partner: Emily Whiteaway

Business Director: Kirsten Barnes

Senior Account Director: Marianne Roberts

Senior Account Manager: Hugh O'Sullivan

Senior Producer: Vanessa Hunt

Production Assistant: Josh Oyediwura