Naperville Native Stars as 'Air Collector' in American Lung Association Videos

A native is starting in a series of “edgy” videos, part of a new campaign from the American Lung Association. 

In the videos, which can be found on YouTube, Max Ganet a Naperville native who attended and now lives in Chicago, portrays the character Alvin Grimes, who is an "air collector". 

The public service announcements, which launched last week, feature Grimes who is such a lover of air, and anything air-related, he is doing his best to collect air using glass jars. To quote Grimes in one of the videos: "I choose to see the glass half-full ... of air."

“Our new PSAs are meant to be comical to capture the viewer’s attention and convey the underlying message that it is important to be aware of your air,” Carrie Martin Munk, vice president of communications and marketing for the American Lung Association said in a news release.  “We hope Alvin gets people to laugh, stop and think about what they’re breathing, and then download the app so they can monitor local air quality on a daily basis.”

Alvin Grimes can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. And, the public service announcements will be distributed on television and cable channels across the country, according to the news release. 

With its videos and social media efforts the American Lung Association is trying to generate more interest among a younger demographic age 18 to 40, but it has created a “State of the Air” smartphone application that will be of interest to any age group.

“The American Lung Association’s new campaign represents a unique shift in thinking for social issue communications,” said Jeff Boal with Plowshare Group in the news release. “Humor is a great way to reach all audiences and it’s sometimes tough to be funny when it comes to health charity messages.”