Throughout the decades, tobacco companies have capitalized on fashion, glamour and beauty to market their products to women. Most notably, in 1934, Lucky Strike staged a “Green Ball” at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria, with every intention of making green, the then-color of a Lucky Strike pack, more fashionable for women so they would buy Luckies; fashion designers, reporters, socialites and many other influential people in the fashion world were in attendance at the Green Ball, while everyone thought some mysterious benefactor hosted the event. The 1920s saw the fashionable yet daring woman emerge in cigarette ads, while the 1930s saw a glamorous beauty, dripping in luxury. The Great Depression was the impetus for this latter type of woman, dressed in a ball gown, fur and gloves and jewels. The everyday woman could live vicariously, or might feel that she could adopt some of that luxury for herself by smoking the brand of cigarette advertised. Often, tobacco companies turned to chic celebrities to hawk their products, relying on their trendsetting ways to make the sell. Fashion trends change, but tobacco companies’ addiction to manipulating women through these trends has not changed. The models in Virginia Slims advertisements of the 1980s wore fashions which scream ‘80s, and the women in the ads of today can be seen in anything from trendy resort wear in a tropical setting to skin-revealing club wear. Whatever the case, tobacco companies know that if a woman sees a model in an ad who looks attractive, she will want to emulate her.
lights
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45474
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45165
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45473
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45166
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10398
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45167
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10397
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45168
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10385
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45169
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10392
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45170
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45485
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45171
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10399
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45172
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10393
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45173
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img46103
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45174
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10405
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45175
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10376
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45176
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10394
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45177
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img19796
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
Other Brands – img11207
American Spirit Modern – img45178
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img42980
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45179
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10371
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45180
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10372
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45181
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11618
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45477
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45182
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11619
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10384
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45183
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11620
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10396
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45184
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11621
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45478
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
Light – img11622
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45479
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45185
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11623
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10375
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45186
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11624
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10378
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45187
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11625
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45480
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45188
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11626
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img44866
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45189
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11627
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10389
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45190
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11628
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10400
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45191
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11629
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
You've Come A
Long Way, Baby – img0891
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img44869
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45192
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10403
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45193
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10408
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45194
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Light – img11632
The ads in this theme document the decades of deceptive advertisement campaigns for “light” cigarettes. In the 1970s, the tobacco industry began heavily promoting “light” cigarettes as low-tar and low-nicotine alternatives to quitting. However, the FDA has determined that light and ultra-light cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes. In fact, internal industry documents reveal that from the very beginning, tobacco companies were well aware that smokers compensated for the low-nicotine draw from light cigarettes by changing their smoking behaviors. A brand of cigarette, for example, might register on the FTC Test Method as containing 12 mg of “tar” and 0.9 mg of nicotine per cigarette, but in actuality, a human smoker of the same brand would be able to receive much more tar and nicotine than the “machine smoker” by smoking the light cigarette in a different manner.
Indeed, since the 1966 release of the ISO machine-smoking method (used by the FTC to determine the tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide yield of cigarettes), the industry has worked intensively to create a product that would outsmart the testing equipment. For one, the tobacco companies discovered that added perforations on cigarette filters resulted in low tar and nicotine readings from the FTC Test Method, as clean air diluted the smoke “inhaled” by the machine; however, human smokers, unlike the machine smoker, are smoking for the nicotine kick. Often, this desire for nicotine causes human smokers to take longer, bigger, or quicker puffs on light cigarettes, since the cigarette provides “less” nicotine per normal puff. Additionally, smokers of light cigarettes often smoke more cigarettes per day than smokers of regular cigarettes. Sometimes (usually in the case of super light or ultra light cigarettes), smokers instinctively cover the perforations on the filters with their lips or fingers as they draw in, resulting in a very high intake of nicotine and tar from the cigarette (1). Because of these wide variations between human smokers and machine smokers, the FTC Test Method is now widely considered to be misleading for consumers.
The FDA was granted regulatory authority over tobacco products in 2009, and with this change came many new regulations, one of which directly concerns light cigarettes: As of July 2010, the words “mild,” “low,” or “light” are not to be used on tobacco products as they cause consumers to underestimate their health risks. This means that brands previously marketed as “light” or “low-tar” can no longer include these words on their packaging or advertising. Unsurprisingly, tobacco manufacturers have figured out a creative way to escape this regulation. Now, they rely on different colored packages to indicate whether a certain product is light, ultra-light, or full-flavor. The colors vary slightly among brands, but generally adhere to the following standards: red indicates regular; dark green indicates menthol; light green, blue, or gold indicate previously “light” cigarettes; and silver or orange indicate previously “ultra light” cigarettes. Camel, for example, replaced their “Camel Lights” product with “Camel Blue.” Philip Morris stuck with the idea that lighter shades indicate a “lighter” cigarette, and thus Marlboro Lights became Marlboro Gold, and Marlboro Ultra-Lights became Marlboro Silver. Likewise, R.J. Reynolds’ Salem Ultra-Lights became “Salem Silver Box.” The FDA has regulatory authority to demand that tobacco companies discontinue their color branding techniques in the future.
1. Kozlowski, T. and R. J. O’Connor. “Cigarette filter ventilation is a defective design because of misleading taste, bigger puffs, and blocked vents.” Tobacco Control. 2002; 11: i40-i50. http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/11/suppl_1/i40.full
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10381
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45195
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10390
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45196
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10374
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45197
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10402
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45198
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45482
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45199
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45483
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45200
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img45484
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45201
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10379
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45202
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10404
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45203
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10382
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45204
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10391
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.
American Spirit Modern – img45205
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company’s advertising strategy targets the young, progressive and environmentally conscious, by promoting the “organic” and “additive free” nature of its tobacco products. Most of the ads for the tobacco company, contain a combination of these key phrases: “100% additive free”, “made with 100% organic tobacco”, “natural tobacco”, and “natural tastes better.”
The Natural American Spirit ads are designed to communicate to the viewer that there is nothing synthetic or artificial about their cigarettes thereby encouraging tobacco users to believe that the cigarette is superior to others. In reality, there is nothing natural or pure about how the tobacco is processed in cigarettes. The ads rely on a palette of mild, pastel shades that are meant to resemble natural dyes. Most ads display one or more cigarette packs surrounded by a rural setting. For example, several of the ads are of a farm where everything, from the roots and soil to a field of bright sunflowers, is crafted from colored tobacco leaves. Others show green pastures or barren farms with a few tobacco sprouts pushing out of the dirt. In one dramatic version, the cigarette packs themselves are sprouting like crops. These pictures draw nostalgia for the once simple way of life.
The tobacco company also heavily advertises itself to environmentalists through buzz word such as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable.” For instance, ad copy for a Natural American Spirit ad says, “”We grow our premium natural tobacco in a responsible, sustainable way through our earth-friendly and organic growing programs…. Protecting the earth is as important to us as it is to you.”
Santa Fe Natural Tobacco company has faced legal action a few times over its advertising claims. In 2000, the Federal Trade Commission filed a deceptive advertising campaign arguing that through their advertisements, “Santa Fe represented that because Natural American Spirit cigarettes contain no additives, smoking them is less hazardous to a smoker's health than smoking otherwise comparable cigarettes that contain additives.” This led to Santa Fe adding the following disclaimer on its packets, “No additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” A decade later, attorneys general from 33 states and the District of Columbia, reached an agreement requiring Santa Fe to add a disclaimer stating, “Organic tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.” The hope was that this warning would alert consumers that natural tobacco does not mean safer tobacco.
However, If popular culture is any clue to how persuasive these disclaimers really are, the answer is no; As recently as 2008, the female protagonist, April (Isla Fisher), in the romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe” discusses the health benefits she feels she receives when smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes over Marlboros, the choice of the male protagonist, Will (Ryan Reynolds). When will asks incredulously why she is willing to pay so much for a pack of cigarettes, April responds that “They don't put as many chemicals in them.” He pushes, “So those are healthy cigarettes,” and she says, “Something like that.” She also tells him, as he holds a pack of Marlboros tightly, “They put saltpeter in your cigarettes, which make them burn faster, which make you smoke more.” Clearly, perceived health benefits of natural cigarettes are still rampant in mainstream popular culture, a dangerous misconception.
Virginia Slims Modern Ads – img10401
Virginia Slims is a cigarette brand developed by Philip Morris in 1968 and marketed exclusively to women. Its early advertising campaigns exploited civil rights movements of the ‘60s with the slogan, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” a slogan which has lasted into modern times. The brand’s advertising methods continue to present Virginia Slims as the choice for strong, independent, liberated women. The 1990s slogan “It’s a woman thing” and the slogan of the 2000s, “Find Your Voice,” both signify that empowerment and feminism remain key leveraging mechanisms for the brand. An ad from 1995, for example, features a man wearing an apron and preparing a meal in the kitchen as a woman hugs him, cigarette in hand; the text reads, “Equality comes with no apron strings attached.” Often, these ads distract from the position of power Big Tobacco itself holds over both sexes, by pitting women against society instead of against the tobacco industry.
Additionally, marketing for Virginia Slims harnesses the power of fashion. Many print advertisements portray women in fashion-forward outfits and make references to fashion: “I’m a skyhigh pair of platforms in a closet full of flats,” an ad from 2001 boasts. The cigarettes themselves are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, reflected by the name “Slims.” This adoption of the word “slim” and indeed, sometimes even “superslim,” is a clear reference to a woman’s figure. A slim, slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. The Virginia Slims brand portrays a subliminal, indirect message that Virginia Slims cigarettes will result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure.