«CheckstDu?!»: Snus Prevention Campaign on Social Media

The influencer marketing agency House of Influence, in collaboration with Akzent Prevention and Addiction Therapy Lucerne, has once again launched a cross-cantonal snus prevention campaign—this time, for the first time, under the new name «CheckstDu?!» The campaign focused on a topic that is increasingly on young people’s minds: snus and nicotine pouches. The campaign was commissioned by 14 cantons in German-speaking Switzerland.

Snus in Everyday School Life: An Underestimated Danger

While the campaign had focused primarily on vapes in recent years, the 2026 prevention campaign targeted nicotine pouches, which are often downplayed. Snus and nicotine pouches are increasingly viewed by young people as an inconspicuous trend drug: Since they produce neither smoke nor vapor, they can be used almost anywhere—often unnoticed during the school day or in leisure time. Despite a ban on sales to minors, these products remain easily accessible. Particularly problematic are the often high nicotine levels, which can quickly lead to addiction, especially among young people.

However, the press release states that traditional prevention messaging is often insufficient to raise awareness among young people about these risks. The biggest challenge lies in how the message is delivered: Young people are sensitive to lecturing content—especially on social media.

Humorous sketches instead of moralizing lectures

This is exactly where House of Influence and Akzent Prevention and Addiction Therapy Lucerne came in. Seven creators from the worlds of comedy, lifestyle, and sports educated their communities about the risks of snus—in an authentic, humorous way, without lecturing. Instead of producing traditional educational videos, they created humorous sketches with high recognition value.

For example, influencer @medojx_ posted a sketch titled «People Who Use Snus,» in which a conversation is repeatedly interrupted because one person constantly has to take new snus. The message is conveyed in an accessible way: Snus isn’t cool—it quickly becomes compulsive and unpleasant. In her sketch «That One Snus-Addicted Person,» @alitschiiiii used exaggerated everyday scenes to illustrate how an addiction can manifest itself. @abiilash, on the other hand, staged a schoolyard scenario to highlight the often-underestimated risk of addiction.

«We didn’t want to run a campaign that tells young people what to do or not to do. Our goal was to create content that fits organically into their social media world: humorous, relevant, and shareable. That’s exactly what sparks discussions and raises awareness for an issue that is otherwise often downplayed,» explains Elvira Diez, project manager at House of Influence.

Snus Prevention Campaign Receives Strong Response

To date, the campaign has generated more than 810,000 organic video views across TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat combined. According to the press release, the average watch time is particularly telling: at 18 seconds, it is said to have broken all previous records. This metric is especially relevant when it comes to prevention topics, as socially important messages require attention and time to have an impact.

«That’s exactly why this is the third time the campaign has been carried out: because we feel that it truly reaches children and teens—in their own world and in their own language,» explains Michaela Christ, project manager at Akzent Prevention and Addiction Therapy Lucerne.

Selected posts from the campaign are available on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYkMYFWsVFE/, https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYwLXeUI2Eg/, https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYkQHAmq87R/ and https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYmxjTXo9lg/.

The «CheckstDu?!» campaign demonstrates how modern prevention efforts can work today: not through bans or deterrence, but through content that is relevant to young people’s lives. Influencer marketing thus becomes not only an advertising tool, but also an effective channel for addressing socially relevant issues.

For more information about House of Influence, visit: https://www.houseofinfluence.ch

Responsible at House of Influence: Elvira Diez (Overall Responsibility), Tanja Herrmann (Strategy) Person in charge at Akzent Prevention and Addiction Therapy Lucerne: Michaela Christ (Project Manager)