CT: “Moving onto new projects”. This didn’t raise any alarm bells to me… which it probably should have.

NV: Can you recall when you first heard PMI was involved? I’ve been told that people weren’t told until after filming but before signing anything.

CT: I wasn’t told ANYTHING about PMI. I finally watched the insta advert on Saturday with friends (more about that as we go through this BS) and then I discovered the YouTube. I was pretty mad. I googled around after seeing the video and read about PMI and this £5million etc

Then I discovered your site.

NV: Jesus, they never mentioned PMI?

CT: Not that I recall.

It’s worth noting — I’m a vulnerable person with mental health issues which means I need what’s called in the UK an “appropriate adult” to be in the room with me when I talk to the police etc

But I’d thought these were creative types making an artsy documentary which I was happy to do for FREE. My one request was that I’m credited as CRAIG TEMPLATE.

My reason being — anyone who sees it and likes me can google me and find my art… I might get a few followers. They didn’t credit me as Craig Template of course and when I saw that I was pissed — this is before I even realised its a marketing campaign!

NV: Right, the presumption if you’re an artist and their an artist there is something mutually beneficial happening

CT: I get filmed smoking 2 cigarettes and they took a few photos of me. Then they interviewed me for 30–45mins. The interview was really light hearted and jovial. There was an audio guy and Emily McDonald interviewing me in the room while the rest of production listened out of the room.

This video is CLIPPED to make me sound so depressed and down… 30+mins reduced to 3mins. The “cigarette butts out of ashtrays” line blows me mind — I was talking about MY cigarette butts IN MY HOUSE. I don’t go to pubs or bars… they make it sound like I’m picking up other people’s DISGUSTING.

Oh — and I’m furious that I’m talking about my boyfriend on this ADVERTISEMENT. That’s a line too far! After that interview I went home none the wiser.

Do you want to know how I discovered this was an advertisement?

NV: How?

CT: Ok so… about 7 days ago people on insta start sending me screenshots of an advert that was popping up with me on it. I’m kinda surprised by this — thinking this was gonna be a little documentary that no one was gonna see. Then more and more people start sending me these screenshots the more concerned I got cos I’m like WHOS PAYING FOR THIS?

I’m not credited how I asked — which was my one request and my reason for doing this “documentary”.

Craig in sponsored Instagram post.

NV: The only thing that actually works as anti-smoking is visceral disgust (like the images on packaging, but most get numbed to the repeating images)

CT: Yeah they are advertising cigarettes under the guise of selling VAPES if you ask me. Like when you find out the people funding one side of the war is also funding the other side. I’m just collateral damage to these hateful fucks.

NV: Yep, it’s so crazy that they are getting away with this.

CT: Some friends came over on Friday night and I’m telling them how weird it is that this advert keeps coming up. We watch it and my friends all fell about laughing at how I sound so depressed and like a victim so DESPERATELY wanting cigarettes I pick up other people’s fag ends.

JUST THEN this other friend calls and says “I was just working on something and suddenly I heard your voice and thought I’d accidentally called you”. He goes on to explain that he’d had YouTube on in the background and THIS ADVERT started playing.

I start really panicking. I’m like — it’s being promoted EVERYWHERE?! This friend doesn’t even have any social media accounts and he’s heard it? FUCK ME.

I watch the longer version on YouTube and that’s when I google who PMI are and find out it’s Big Tobacco.

And then I find your article. I was completely shocked that they’ve taken my image and made me the front person of their campaign. I’d been told the “documentary” was neither pro or anti smoking… yet at the end of my ADVERT it has a hashtag #quitcigarettes

NV: The goal is to convince people that PMI wants to change while not actually changing.

CT: YES!

NV: You were told it was neither pro or anti smoking? Is that written anywhere?

CT: By cutting my requested credit — and not paying me — they’ve done as much good for me as the cigarettes ever did. They’re crafty fuckers — my pre-casting interview with Henrietta was over Skype. So no written records.