Methods: Hawaii's YTS data indicate KOOL is the most heavily smoked brand by local youth, which is inconsistent with US mainland data. Believing connections existed between local advertising and brand of choice, teens conducted Operation Storefront: a statewide survey of in-store tobacco advertising, documenting number, size, placement, and brand. Further youth action included: Operation UNKOOL, exposing KOOL's ad campaign involving exploitation of hip-hop culture; and BeTrue, featuring street-art booths and print media campaigns to counter KOOL's use of popular youth-orientated art and methods of self-expression.

Results: Results from Operation Storefront showed KOOL was the most heavily advertised brand in Hawaii. Press releases raised public awareness about the relationship between tobacco advertising and brand loyalty. Results of Project UNKOOL's youth poll about recognizing KOOL's advertising strategies revealed a majority of youth believed ads were aimed specifically at teens (88%). Conducting the poll also served to initiate peer-to-peer dialogue about industry tactics. REAL's BeTrue street-art booths are popular attractions at community events and are successful for recruiting REAL members.

Conclusions: Interactive counter-marketing is an effective way of increasing negative attitudes toward big tobacco. Youth are best able to reach their peers with anti-industry messaging when using the most current examples of tactics employed by the industry. Such projects as UNKOOL and BeTrue should be conducted annually to increase awareness of KOOL marketing strategies, to impact local advertising policies, and create social norms change.