Purpose In 2016, Santé publique France launched for the first time “Moi (s) Sans Tabac,” a positive social marketing campaign inspired by Public Health England’s “Stoptober” campaign, the aim being to trigger mass quit attempts among smokers. Both programs include a mass-media campaign, national and local cessation help interventions, and the diffusion of various tools to help smokers quit. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the two programs’, specific national contexts and to describe resulting similarities and differences regarding campaign development. Design/methodology/approach A contextual analysis was performed to determine differences between the two countries regarding smoking prevalence, health services and culture. Findings Smoking prevalence is about twice as high in France as in the UK, leading to a lower degree of de-normalization of smoking. Moreover, cessation support services are much more structured in the UK than in France: all health professionals are involved and services are located near smokers’ residences. Practical implications Campaign progress and cessation tools provided during both campaigns are quite similar. However, Santé publique France needed to adjust the British model by favouring a regional smoking prevention network and by building an innovative partnership strategy to reach the target