Artist H.R. Giger’s design of the Xenomorph in Ridley Scott’s Alien may be the best movie monster ever conceived, but as magnificent a creature as it is, Giger was, in the end, tasked with creating only one principal monster for the film. So let’s have a round of applause for the visual effects wizards at MassMarket.

For a new anti-smoking PSA — 7000 — they’ve created, if not as many monsters as its title suggests (one for every chemical lurking in a tobacco cigarette), a helluva lot more than we can count. Their PSA is part of “The Real Cost” anti-smoking campaign. Produced with FCB Garfinkel and directed by renowned Swedish music video director Adam Berg (of Smuggler fame), it depicts a teenage boy stepping outside to light a cigarette, and inadvertently summoning a metaphorical army of creatures from a flaming forest, reminiscent of something out of Hieronymus Bosch’s worst nightmares. You can watch the video below:

Since the above video runs a scant sixty seconds, it’s not easy to appreciate the details of each of its hellspawned demons. Fortunately, MassMarket has also produced a behind-the-scenes video which takes a look at the process by which 7000‘s effects were created. It features Head of CG, Dave White, Senior Designer, Butch Blair, and VFX supervisor, Brendan Fiztgerald. For more on 7000, as well as additional videos from these talented folks, check out the MassMarket website.

Here’s a little bonus — a gallery of concept and design art and making-of photos from MassMarket…

What do you folks think? Is this video effective?