The Don’t Be a Guinea Pig campaign, created by Manifesto and Creative Day for the Cancer Society of Finland to prevent e-cigarette use among young people, has won in two categories at the international Digital Communication Awards 2025 competition. Guinea Pigs was recognized as the best work in both the Gen Z Communications and Small Budget Campaign categories.

”It is rewarding to see that our creative approach to promoting young people’s health has resonated with the international jury as well. The continued success of Guinea Pigs shows that a meaningful, bold, and engaging communication campaign truly makes an impact”, says Mikko Koistinen, partner at Manifesto.

The ”Don’t Be a Guinea Pig” campaign targets 13–17-year-olds, a group particularly affected by vaping. At its core is a message that speaks to the target group and a distinctive visual identity. The campaign’s key message is that a young person who vapes becomes a guinea pig for the tobacco industry, as there is still very little research available on the harms of e-cigarettes.

The campaign’s main message and visual identity were tested with a youth panel already during the design phase, ensuring that young people’s voices are genuinely reflected in the final outcome. The results have been impressive – the campaign reached over one-third of the target group, and a large majority (84%) of those who saw it reported gaining new knowledge about the harms of e-cigarettes. Originally intended for social media, the campaign materials was also spread to health centers and schools.

The Digital Communication Awards is one of Europe’s most prestigious competitions for digital communication. The winners were announced in Berlin on September 26, during a live broadcast.

Read more about the campaign here.