Whoopi Goldberg Wants You to Help Smokers Quit With Nobituary.com This Valentine's Day

New Website Serves as an Intervention Tool to Help Spark Change for the People You Love


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Feb 11, 2015) - Nobituary.com, a resource for frustrated family and friends who have struggled to convince a smoker to quit, is launching just in time to get the attention of loved ones this Valentine's Day. Although it looks like an obituary, it reads exactly the opposite. It's called a Nobituary, created by Ian Wishingrad in partnership with Whoopi Goldberg and her producing partner Tom Leonardis.

Friends, family and loved ones can create a customized Nobituary by simply filling out a few fields and uploading a picture of the smoker. Nobituary.com will generate a personalized message of hope and re-birth that their loved one will receive. Unlike an obituary that lists the people and passions one leaves behind, a Nobituary celebrates all the things a smoker will continue enjoy when they quit.

Goldberg, a former smoker herself, loved the idea the moment it was pitched to her on a NYC street by Wishingrad.

"If you love a smoker, forget the flowers and chocolates this Valentine's Day -- send them a Nobituary. It's a beautiful way to say listen I care about you and I don't ever want to have to write your obituary," said Whoopi Goldberg.

Nobituary is the brainchild of Ian Wishingrad, the founder and creative director of BigEyedWish, a marketing and branding agency located in New York City.

"I'm thrilled to have Whoopi as my partner and collaborator on Nobituary.com because we share the same end goal -- helping people quit smoking for good," said creator Ian Wishingrad. "With her support, we have been able to secure numerous partnerships with leading organizations that support quitters including Legacy and the BecomeAnEx.org quit smoking programs."

Truly a labor of love, Wishingrad attracted some of today's leading technology companies to bring Nobituary.com to life, including Media Temple, which donated the server space, production company Pet Gorilla, which created the site pro bono and Suspect, the visual effects company who helped co-produce the video.

"Even when there are compelling reasons to quit for someone's own personal health, sometimes it takes the encouragement and support of a loved one to get smokers to think seriously about quitting. We are glad to have Nobituary.com connect smokers to our BecomeAnEX.org quit smoking program. BecomeAnEX is built around the latest scientific evidence about quitting and has a large community of current and former smokers that can be a huge help. It's available day and night, and the program is free," said Dr. Amanda Graham, Director, Research Development at The Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at Legacy.

Ms. Goldberg appears in the first PSA for Nobituary.com, which will be live on February 10, 2015.

If you love a smoker, visit Nobituary.com today to create your personalized wish for a smoke-free 2015.

Contact Information:

CONTACT:
Amy Prenner
310-709-1101