A new ad, which can be viewed on YouTube, targets celebrity smokers. Flashing up a series of celebrities including Rihanna, Orlando Bloom, Kristen Stewart, Keifer Sutherland, and others, the video labels each of them an “Unpaid Tobacco Spokesperson.” The ad asserts that each of these photos gives big tobacco companies major publicity and free advertising.

The video was put out by the Truth Campaign. According to their website, the campaign is about informed choices and helping empower people to make a change. The organization hopes to build up the power of the public against the power of the big tobacco companies. One of the major issues is teen smoking, which is now at nine percent. The Truth Campaign hopes to help this number continue to decrease.

According to USA Today, this ad aired during the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25. The placement was targeting the young demographic that watches the awards show, hoping to support their smoke-free lifestyle. Legacy is the anti-tobacco group sponsoring the ads. The group is financed with money from a $206 billion settlement that tobacco companies made with Iowa and 45 other states in 1998.

In general, public health surveys have shown sharp declines in smoking, including among young people. Fighting against big tobacco is a huge challenge, since they have deep pockets for marketing. In contrast, most anti-tobacco groups are reliant on federal and state dollars, as well as donations.