March 25, 2015
Social Influencers Frankie J. Grande, Megan Nicole, Chris Collins, Brittani Louise Taylor, Jason Chen, and Charity Vance Challenge YouTubers To “Left Swipe Dat” Lip Sync Competition
Washington, DC – By “Lip Syncing Dat” truth gives teens the opportunity to become a YouTube star. To emphasize the unattractiveness of smoking truth is challenging teens to join in the “Left Swipe Dat” movement by creating their own lip sync video. Riffing off the creativity of popular YouTube icons, truth encourages teens nationwide to put their own imagination to work. The best lip syncs will be included as part of a supercut video released by truth in April.
“It was so cool to see all of the cameos in the original ‘Left Swipe Dat’ music video. It’s a funny video and also gets the point across that smoking is not good for you and our generation has the power to end smoking” said Megan Nicole. “It was great to work with Chris Collins on the song and put my own spin on ‘Left Swipe Dat’!”
“Left Swipe Dat” calls attention to the negative impact smoking images have on teen behavior. Tobacco use is not only deadly, with half of those who smoke long-term dying prematurely from smoking, it’s also unattractive. Since the video’s release, #leftswipedat has been a number one trending topic across social platforms worldwide. More than 28 million video views have propelled left swiping smoking into popular culture: “Left Swipe That” now appears in the Urban Dictionary.
“’Left Swipe Dat’ has been amazingly successful,” said Cas Marburger, the social media manager for truth. “And now we get to see what other hilarious and talented YouTubers and YouTube stars can do with it. We hope more people put their spin on it by Lip Syncing Dat. It’s like karaoke for a cause, without the pressure of hitting any notes.”
truth is sparking conversations about tobacco through the Finish It campaign launched in August 2014. Finish It empowers this generation to be the one that ends tobacco for good. “Left Swipe Dat,” offers another way for teens to creatively join, support, and make an impact on the tobacco issue – whether that be by left swiping a smoking selfie, erasing smoking photos from the web, or putting an X through their social profile.
To join the Finish It campaign or create an original “Lip Sync Dat” video, visit thetruth.com/take-action/lip-sync-dat/. How? Pick a favorite part of the song, record a lip sync, then post it to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or Vine using #LeftSwipeDat AND #PickMe. Using the hashtag makes the video eligible for inclusion in the “Lip Sync Dat” supercut video that will debut on truth social media in April.
View the original “Left Swipe Dat” in its entirety at: YouTube.com/truthorange or visit thetruth.com to learn more about how teens are using their creativity and social power to end tobacco use for good.
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ABOUT truth
truth® is the most successful and one of the largest national youth smoking prevention campaign. The campaign exposes the tactics of the tobacco industry, the truth about addiction, and the health effects and social consequences of smoking. truth gives teens facts and information about the tobacco industry and its products, allowing them to make their own informed choices about tobacco use. Research-proven as an effective public health intervention, the campaign is credited with keeping hundreds of thousands of teens from starting to smoke. To learn more, visit www.thetruth.com. truth is directed and funded by Legacy, a national public health foundation located in Washington, D.C. Legacy 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.
Media Contacts:
Sarah Shank, Legacy
202-454-5561
sshank@legacyforhealth.org
Mickey Chagnon, Legacy
202-454-5902
mchagnon@legacyforhealth.org