Tribal DDB San Francisco Tapped for New Initiative with The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribal DDB Worldwide announced today that the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), which represents the leading makers of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and The Partnership at Drugfree.org, a nonprofit organization that helps parents prevent, intervene and find treatment for drug and alcohol abuse by their children, has named Tribal DDB San Francisco as the agency for a new initiative in their ongoing campaign to curb the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine by U.S. teens.

Using OTC cough medicine to get high is a relatively infrequent, yet persistent, behavior among teens. Approximately 5% of teens 12–17 self-report having abused OTC cough medicine to get high in the past year. The ingredient the teens are abusing in OTC cough medicines is dextromethorphan, also known as DXM, which, when taken in very large doses, can cause nausea, vomiting and blackouts. When used according to label directions, DXM is a safe and effective ingredient approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

"From our social media listening activities and other research, we identified a number of different subgroups within the broader target audience," said Mike Parker, President, Tribal DDB US. "We look forward to connecting with these groups individually while simultaneously protecting against educating or intriguing teens that aren't aware of cough medicine abuse."

Tribal DDB San Francisco has been tasked to work with Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) and The Partnership at Drugfree.org to develop a strategic platform with a socially creative campaign approach to persuade likely users to avoid experimenting with OTC cough medicine. The agency will provide a suite of services, including a communications strategy, media strategy, message testing and production of highly targeted creative executions using digital, social media vehicles.

"We take our obligation to educate and raise awareness about the dangers of cough medicine abuse very seriously," said CHPA Vice President of Communications and Alliance Development Emily Skor.

"We first joined forces with the Partnership in 2003 and this is our latest collaborative effort to stop this type of abuse. We know that we need to be where teens are, in their social space where they are seeking information and sharing experiences. We believe that Tribal DDB will bring a unique approach to the challenge of engaging teens constructively on this important issue."

"We want to communicate that OTC cough medicine abuse is not a high they want to try, because it's both risky and socially undesirable," said Caryn Pace, Deputy Director of Creative Development. "We were impressed with Tribal DDB's response to the brief and are looking forward to working together to prevent initiation of the behavior among teens."

The agency's first work for the initiative is expected to launch in early 2012. To view the materials or to learn more about all of CHPA's activities to help curb OTC cough medicine abuse, visit StopMedicineAbuse.org or www.dxmstories.com.

About Tribal DDB Worldwide
Tribal DDB Worldwide (www.tribalddb.com), an Advertising Age A-List Agency, is headquartered in New York with 60 offices spanning 42 countries around the globe.  Since it was founded in 2000, Tribal DDB has expanded and been recognized well beyond its digital roots.  By 2005, Tribal DDB was named Interactive Agency of the Year by Adweek and at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, where it took home the most Lions and the Cyber Grand Prix. This was followed in 2007 by Tribal DDB being the first "digital" agency to win Global Agency Network of the Year from Advertising Age, and then, in 2009, being the first to win the Grand Prix in Film at the International Advertising Festival at Cannes.  Tribal DDB continues to draw on its expertise in digital innovation and its heritage of creativity and insights to bring clients the most effective and differentiating marketing solutions for today's world.  Tribal DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group's DDB Worldwide.

About The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Ninety percent of addictions get their start in the teenage years.  The Partnership at Drugfree.org is dedicated to helping families solve the problem of teen substance abuse. Bringing together renowned scientists, parent experts and communications professionals, this public health nonprofit translates research on teen behavior, parenting, addiction and treatment into useful and effective resources at drugfree.org. Its You Are Not Alone campaign is dedicated to supporting families of the 11 million teens and young adults who need addiction treatment, while the organization's community education programs reach families at the grassroots level. The Partnership at Drugfree.org mission to help parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector.  We are thankful to SAG/AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.

About the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA)
CHPA, founded in 1881, is a member-based association representing the leading manufacturers and distributors of nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and dietary supplements. Many CHPA member products provide millions of Americans with safe, effective and convenient therapies for the treatment and prevention of many common ailments and diseases. To learn more about CHPA, visit chpa-info.org.

SOURCE Tribal DDB Worldwide