People who remember when tobacco advertising was a
prominent part of the media landscape — and others who recall what they learned
in Marketing 101 — probably recollect that actors like Barbara Stanwyck and
athletes like Mickey Mantle routinely endorsed cigarettes.
But how about doctors and other medical professionals,
proclaiming the merits of various cigarette brands? Or politicians? What about
cartoon characters in cigarette ads? Or children? Babies? Even Santa Claus?
The following
images and texts were taken from the detailed Stanford University research into
the impact of Tobacco Advertising.
Babies
It is shocking to see the plethora of tobacco brands
which incorporated images of infants in their advertisements, but these images
had multiple values to tobacco advertisers. For one, depictions of babies in
cigarette ads reinforced the respectability of smoking as a part of normal
family life, a perception often promulgated by the tobacco industry. Further,
the images of youngsters tended to send a reassuring message to consumers about
the healthfulness of the product. Babies, especially, represent purity,
vibrancy, and life concepts which can be dangerous when tied to tobacco
products. Finally, these depictions of infants were an obvious ploy to attract
females to smoking as part of the industry s campaign to expand the pool of
women smokers.
Marlboro, 1951
Children
Children have played a huge role in tobacco advertising
over the decades, and images of children fulfill multiple purposes for tobacco
advertisers. Cigarette firms have long used “pictures of health” and “perfect
family projection” in cigarette ads to foster smoking as an acceptable, healthy
lifestyle, bringing happiness and prosperity to the families. Ads like these also
want consumers to associate smoking with outdoor sport and recreational
activities such as tennis, bicycling, sailing and horseback riding.
L&M, 1960-1962
Gift for Daddy
Depictions of children with their mothers or fathers in
cigarette ads have the enormous ability to reinforce the respectability of
smoking as a part of normal family life. Because this perception is often
promulgated by the tobacco industry, it is no surprise that many tobacco
advertisements took advantage of Father’s Day. Indeed, many print ads,
particularly from the Baby Boomer era, depict children gifting cigarette
cartons to their fathers. The images of youngsters worked to send a reassuring
message to consumers about the healthfulness of the product, as youngsters
represent purity, vibrancy, and life concepts which can be dangerous when tied
to tobacco products. An R.J. Reynolds ad from 1953, for example, depicts a
woman and her two children ready to surprise Dad with Cavaliers. The
accompanying text speaks directly to children, essentially selling the tobacco
products to kids: Make your Dad s eyes light up as he lights up his favorite
smoke with love from you to him on Father s Day 1953
Camel, 1948
Chesterfield, 1946
Cavalier, 1953
Santa Puffing
Cherished Icons can be found in a number of Tobacco Ads.
Indeed, the tobacco industry has made every effort to associate itself with
noble institutions, patriotic themes, and cultural icons that connote
respectability. Among the innumerable examples are George Washington, Mt.
Rushmore, British royalty, the US flag, the Statue of Liberty, soldiers,
astronauts, and even the beloved family pet. Even more prevalent were cultural
symbols which brought to mind happy times and celebration, particularly Santa
Claus. There were numerable examples of ads featuring jolly old Saint Nick
puffing away with obvious pleasure on a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
Lucky Strike, 1935
Murad, 1918
Tareyton, 1970
Sources and
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