Sklar Brothers Aim to Help Smokers Quit As Part of New Show: The Tweekly News

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Comedians Randy and Jason Sklar are teaming up with the national public health non-profit Legacy® to help their fans quit smoking as part of a new original comedy series, The Tweekly News. Viewers will be driven to EX® (BecomeAnEX.org) which is a free online quit smoking program that arms smokers with a comprehensive plan - along with a heavy dose of humor -- to go smoke-free.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101101/DC86294LOGO)

The new show, premieres on Friday, June 8, 2012 at www.MyDamnChannel.com/TheTweeklyNews, and will take a weekly look at all things trending in pop culture through the lens of Twitter. As part of the series, the Sklar Brothers will host a weekly "Time to Re-Learn" segment where they will offer humorous advice to stars on Twitter. The segment will show celebrities that it's possible to re-learn parts of their life, in much the same way that EX helps people re-learn the triggers that make them want to smoke.

"We are very excited to join the Sklar Brothers and bring the EX 're-learn life without cigarettes' method to life on MyDamnChannel.com," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, President and CEO of Legacy. "It takes an average of 8-11 quit attempts before most smokers can quit for good and the decision to quit is by no means easy. Through this partnership, we intend to reach in an unconventional way a new audience of smokers who may be thinking about quitting and help them navigate the difficult process by providing real help and real tools from BecomeAnEX.org."

Quitting smoking is ultimately one of the most important lifestyle changes people can make to improve and extend their lives. Nearly 70 percent of Americans who smoke want to quit, but only about six percent of smokers are successful in quitting long-term. Like many Americans, Randy and Jason's lives have been impacted by tobacco.  They watched their grandmother pass away after years of suffering with smoking-related emphysema. 

"EX is all about helping smokers re-learn their lives without cigarettes. One step in their process is separating the cigarette from the trigger– like if a smoker always lights up while drinking coffee, if they practice waiting five minutes after having coffee before they light up they can start to break the connection between coffee and the cigarette. And we hope that if we can provide a distraction from smoking by making fun of the mindless drivel that celebrities tweet for five minutes, we can actually do something good," said Jason. 

In addition to their grandmother's death, Randy added: "My wife quit smoking a few years back, and her mother is now battling lung cancer after smoking for many years.  We love nothing more than being able to show people that quitting smoking is possible by promoting BecomeAnEX.org and encouraging our fans to get help to quit." 

The EX website provides smokers with a free three-step quit plan to help them re-learn life without cigarettes by 1) "Re-learning" their thinking on the behavioral aspects of smoking and how different smoking triggers can be overcome with practice and preparation; 2) "Re-learning" their knowledge of addiction and how medications can increase their chances for quitting success; and 3) "Re-learning" their ideas of how support from friends and family members can play a critical role in quitting.

In addition to the "Re-Learn" segments, each Tweekly News episode will begin by notifying viewers that it is being "brought to you by EX," and end with a call-to-action for viewers to visit BecomeAnEX.org/Sklar for exclusive content and outtakes. Quitters can follow EX on Twitter @TheEXTeam. Following each Friday premiere, all ten episodes of the series will be available on BecomeAnEX.org/Sklar as well as on demand at www.MyDamnChannel.com/TheTweeklyNews. Viewers can follow the series on Twitter @TheTweeklyNews for updates and @TheEXTeam for information about the EX plan. 

Texas-based GSD&M, the agency of record for Legacy's advertising on smoking cessation, developed the strategy for the Sklar Brothers partnership, conceptualized and implemented the media planning and buying, and created and produced the creative messaging for EX sponsorship of The Tweekly News. The series is executive produced Corey Moss for Principato-Young Entertainment and Rob Barnett, Warren Chao and Jesse Cowell for My Damn Channel.

About Legacy
Legacy helps people live longer, healthier lives by building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Legacy's proven-effective and nationally recognized public education programs include truth®, the national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as contributing to significant declines in youth smoking; EX®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about Legacy's life-saving programs, visit www.LegacyForHealth.org.

Follow us on Twitter @legacyforhealth and Facebook www.Facebook.com/Legacy.

About EX
EX® is the national quit smoking campaign directed and funded by Legacy. The campaign helps smokers quit by providing free resources, including personalized quit plans and a robust virtual community where smokers can share stories and strategies about quitting. EX is the culmination of several years of research and testing, combining an understanding of the power of nicotine addiction with messages that resonate with and motivate smokers toward behavior change. The EX approach is peer-to-peer and focuses on "re-learning life without cigarettes" by encouraging smokers to think differently about the process of quitting.To learn more, visit the campaign's website, www.BecomeAnEX.org. Located in Washington, D.C., the foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about Legacy's life-saving programs, visit www.LegacyForHealth.org.

About GSD&M
GSD&M is an advertising agency headquartered in Austin, Texas. With a restless culture and purpose as a guiding force, GSD&M builds brands with an integrated creative and media approach. GSD&M is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC). For more information go to GSDM.com.

About PYE
Principato-Young Entertainment is a leading management and production company founded in 2000. PYE represents actors, directors, writers, sketch comedy troupes and many multi-hyphenates, and has produced multiple projects in film, television and digital.

About My Damn Channel
My Damn Channel is a leading entertainment studio and distributor of premium content. Since launching in 2007, it has produced thousands of original videos featuring major stars and emerging artists from TV, film and the Internet. It has created some of the most successful comedy online, including Wainy Days, Horrible People, You Suck at Photoshop and videos by Harry Shearer, with more than 30 new series premiering in 2012. The company also creates premium, branded entertainment and targeted distribution campaigns for major advertisers.  In addition to www.MyDamnChannel.com – one of TIME Magazine's Best 50 Websites of 2011 – the company operates Blog, Vlog and Talent Networks plus a music channel run by Don Was.

New episodes of My Damn Channel original series premiere inside My Damn Channel LIVE, a daily, live, comedy show hosted by Beth Hoyt.  The first original comedy programming – and first live entertainment series – to launch as part of YouTube's original content initiative, My Damn Channel LIVE airs weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on www.YouTube.com/MyDamnChannel and www.MyDamnChannel.com/LIVE, and is available on demand.  

SOURCE Legacy