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Mint – img17517

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A patently obvious device used by e-cigarette (eCig) companies to attract teens is the promotion of youth-oriented flavors. In its flavored product lines, eCig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many eCig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are endless.

Like combustible tobacco products, a number of eCigs are available in menthol flavor. Menthol is a mint extract, which triggers a sensation of coolness when it comes in contact with the mouth and throat. Advertisers for these brands often tout menthols' coolness as a contrast to the bitterness of tobacco. Implicit in this advertising technique is the notion that vaping mentholated eCigs are cooler and better for the consumer. Since menthol reduces the harshness of cigarette smoke, it appeals to young, inexperienced smokers

The eCig industry markets menthol eCigs to consumers with messages of fresh/refreshing taste and sensation, youthfulness, fun, and healthful effects. Advertisements often show nature, coldness, springtime, water, and other refreshing qualities. Menthol cigarettes are disproportionately smoked by African Americans and youth.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored eCigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of eCig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used eCigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an eCig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried eCigs1.

< p> With the Federal Drug Administration proposing not to ban flavors in eCigs, advocates fear that flavored eCigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products. Some public health advocates are calling flavored eCigs and vape juices the the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

Spices & Nuts – img17713

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vapor Couture – img18771

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Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

Pink eCigs – img18792

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Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) companies are targeting women through female only brands such as Vapor Couture and Luli, as well as through dual sex brands such as V2 Cigs, Veppo, and Fin. In the case of the latter, some e-cig companies resort to advertisements that feature highly successful and independent women carrying out activities that have for long been considered the bastion of men. In the case of the former, e-cig companies market to women through advertisements that suggest girly, playful and stylish themes.

In these ads it is common to see pink e-cigs placed next to a bunch of red roses, or lipstick tubes, and compact containers. The intent of the imagery is to allow women to associate e-cigs as a harmless fashion accessory that is as important and essential as a makeup mirror or a tube of lipstick.

A common ploy adopted by many of the e-cig companies is to co-opt social /health causes for their own advantage. In 1992, the pink ribbon became the official symbol for breast cancer awareness. Since the adoption of the pink ribbon, the color pink has is often associated with support of breast cancer survivors, as well as women solidarity. By using the prink ribbon on their advertisements, many e-cig companies are attempting to earn goodwill from the public as well as suggest to potential consumers that there is nothing harmful about the product. For instance, an EverSmoke ad shows the torso of a woman with her breast covered by her hand and the pink breast cancer ribbon. The slogan reads “Save a Life. Save a Lung. Save a Boob.” At a time when no research had been done into the health effects of e-cigs this is a highly immoral advertising tactic, designed to play on people's fears of an often-fatal disease.

Auto Racing – img19842

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned
in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (eCig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing eCigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of eCigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on eCigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” The Blu ads featuring Dorff are so popular that he has become synonymous with the brand. In a recent interview, he said that people come up to him all the time and ask about the Blu e-cigarette. “I’m like the Blu man group,” Dorff said in the interview. In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu eCigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for eCig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while
the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent. eCig companies have even photoshopped ysteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon using their products in ads.

Apart from direct endorsements by celebrities, there have also been subtle attempts by
celebrities to promote eCigs in movies and television shows. In an appearance on the David
Letterman show, Katherine Heigl was seen vaping a Smokestik and proclaiming that she was
addicted to the product, but it “wasn’t bad for you”. When CBS’s Two Broke Girls accosted their new, noisy upstairs neighbor, they were greeted at the door by Jennifer Coolidge with an eCig in
hand. Sean Penn was seen vaping an Njoy while talking about his work at Haiti at the Clinton Global
Initiative.

Much like big tobacco in the past, eCig companies are exploiting their association with Hollywood. eCig manufacturers waste no opportunity in posting pictures of celebrities and films that use their products through their social media channels and websites. For instance, Blu eCig’s Facebook page has a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking what they claim is a Blu eCig while filming Django Unchained. Blu eCig’s website asks its customers to take a look at a film called “Plurality” because of the use of their eCig in the film and provide a web link to the film’s trailer as well as a synopsis.

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Vitamin Rich – img24476

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While it is hard to imagine that there can be anything nutritional in an electronic cigarette (e-cig), that is precisely what is being promoted by manufacturers of e-cigs as they continue to strive to market the product as “healthy” and “safe.” Multiple e-cig brands have added vitamin supplements to the vapor juice to encourage people to believe that by vaping the product they are getting the health benefit of vitamins.

VitaCig, which is abbreviated from Vitamin Cigarette, advertises itself as an e-cig with “just vitamins and flavored water.” The website claims that the e-cigs, which are nicotine free, contain base vitamins A,B,C,E, & CoQ10. In order to make the product more enticing to consumers, the website says that each VitaCig category has been carefully mixed to ensure that each puff delivers vitamins and phytonutrients to the body. The website also contains a vitamin label, similar to the one seen on any bottle of vitamins, that lists the amount of each vitamin present in the product.

Smoking Everywhere claims in its promotional materials that every puff on their device provides the individual with essential vitamins such as vitamin D, vitamin B, and even a multi-vitamin. To make it more enticing to consumers, the product is available in a variety of flavors including banana, blueberry, bubblegum, cola, cookies and chocolate chips, grape, green tea, orange, kiwi, and cookies and cream.

Vsmoke, by its very name suggests to consumers health benefits. The vapor juice brand, which claims to contain Vitamin C, Echinacea, Vitamin B12, is available in a number of fruity flavors including Swedish Fish, Gummy Candy, G6 Grape Mint, and Watermelon Breeze.

It is unfortunate that e-cig brands are adding vitamin supplements to their products to trick consumers into believing that this will make the product healthy. The nicotine present in most of these e-cig products is addictive and harmful to health. No amount of vitamin supplements can negate the health effects of nicotine. In those products without nicotine, there is immense public health concern that the tactile and sensory cues promoted by vaping an e-cig could lead an individual to dual use of both e-cigs and combustible cigarette products.

Patriotism – img17032

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Electronic cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers are relying on patriotic images and slogans as a sales pitch to subliminally influence individuals to form an emotional connection with their brands and generate sales. Many ads for e-cig companies contain images of cultural icons such as the American eagle and the Statue of Liberty that drive home the point that the nation is built on twin core values of freedom and independence.

Social media channels for e-cig brands are replete with patriotic posts and images that celebrate American holidays and events. During Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, e-cig advertising images of a majority of brands included the image of the American flag and a note of salutation. For Presidents Day, many ads included images of Mount Rushmore and President Washington. Advertisements under this theme use words with strong patriotic connotations such as “freedom,” “independence,” and “had a dream.” A Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes ad has the image of Martin Luther King addressing a large gathering, we are made to believe, for his acclaimed “I Have a Dream” speech. The sub-text for the ad asks, “What’s Your Dream?”

A variant of the patriotic theme is one of nostalgia. The Fin branding group’s, manufacturer of Fin e-cigs, advertising strategy is centered around recreating images from the 1950s and 1960s, a period of time in America when civil rights struggles took center stage. One of the most striking advertising images for Fin e-cigs is the image of a 1960s diner. This image of an empty diner is an eerie reminder of a time of segregation. In February 1960 a group of black students from A&T North Carolina College were refused service because they sat in seats reserved for white people. Their peaceful sit-down helped ignite a national movement that challenged the racial inequality that existed at that point of time. Fin seems to have been aiming to recreate a call for equality and freedom in this ad. What comes to mind, however, is the image of a lonely smoker. Is smoking an electronic cigarette more lonely than segregation? In other ads, Fin continues with a “vintage” theme. In a series of ads with a modern twist on a vintage look, women dressed in 70’s clothing, “pursuing happiness” and “equality” are shown vaping e-cigs at diners and in vintage automobiles.

To ride the crest of Americans wanting to buy “American made” products, e-juice manufacturers are keen to label their products as “All American”, “tested in the US” and “American made.” Research shows that Americans are willing to pay a premium for products that are American as they believe they are helping the economy recuperate from its recent economic downturn and also because they believe the product to be safer and of higher quality. 1

1. Tsai, W. S. (2010). Patriotic advertising and the creation of the citizen-consumer. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 2(3), 76-84.

Healthy – img19965

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As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Doctors & Nurses – img22016

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Spices & Nuts – img17516

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Alcohol – img18536

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A patently obvious device used by e-cigarette (e-cig) companies to attract teens is the promotion of youth-oriented flavors. In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of alcoholic flavors including beer, pina colada, mojito, margarita, brandy, whiskey, gin & tonic, amaretto, wine cigar, and sangria. By advertising alcoholic flavored e-cigs and vapor juices, e-cig manufacturers are appealing to teenager to break two adult taboos at once — alcohol and smoking — in a single activity.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held as a gateway product for children and teens. There is now growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. In a recent study, researchers at UCSF who analyzed data from the 2011 and 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that adolescents who used e-cigs were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking1. In another study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs2.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavored additives, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products. Some public health advocates are calling flavored e-cigs the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. UCSF: E-Cigarettes: Gateway to Nicotine Addiction for U.S. Teens, Says UCSF Study. Available at https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/03/112316/e-cigarettes-gateway-nicotine-addiction-us-teens-says-ucsf-study

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Celebrity Cameo – img21436

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing e-cigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of e-cigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on e-cigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu e-cigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for e-cig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent.

e-cig companies have gone where no other tobacco company has gone in advertising by using images of dead celebrities to promote their products. There are photoshopped images of yesteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon, George Washington and even Christopher Columbus using the product. A recent ad by Blu e-cigs has the image of President Thomas Jefferson alongside the text, “Father of freedom- of course he’s smoke blu. #Truth”

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it. Until the practice is similarly banned for e-cigs, a generation of youth will be exposed to ads with celebrities promoting the product as cool and glamorous.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Digital Names – img19541

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A strong brand name is invaluable in marketing a product and creating trust among the intended target audience. Most brands carefully choose brand names and logos that speak to their strength, as well as provide the company a competitive edge.

Many electronic Cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers have digital names not only to differentiate themselves from combustible cigarette products but to serve as a reminder that they are less harmful and more sophisticated technology. By marketing e-cig as the hot new gadget with innovative technology, e-cig companies have a strategy that goes beyond the usual freedom and health claim. This sub-theme of e-cig commercials is focused on e-cig companies using high-tech/digital culture as inspiration in naming their products and companies in order to reach this market and use this marketing angle. For instance, the e-cig brand name “Tesla” subliminally communicates the message that like the environmentally friendly, “zero emission car,” the vapor from the Tesla e-cig is safe. The brand names DigiCig, Magnum Volt and Innovapetion are a reminder individuals of the high-tech nature of the e-cig and the innovativeness of the product. Some of these attempts to imitate the tech industry are more obvious, such as the iSmok electronic cigarette, a product/company name clearly intended to evoke the popular Apple products. Another blatant example is an accessory named the “Tesla” sold by the company iVape (which, in itself, is another imitation of the “i” Apple product line). There are many “2.0” references, with “Smoking 2.0” a common motif amongst these product/company names, as they intend to evoke an advancement, or an innovation, in order to position their e-cig as that advancement. The brand names are supported by advertising images of e-cigs with variable voltage batteries, chargers and blue-tooth compatibility.

Pink eCigs – img18793

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Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) companies are targeting women through female only brands such as Vapor Couture and Luli, as well as through dual sex brands such as V2 Cigs, Veppo, and Fin. In the case of the latter, some e-cig companies resort to advertisements that feature highly successful and independent women carrying out activities that have for long been considered the bastion of men. In the case of the former, e-cig companies market to women through advertisements that suggest girly, playful and stylish themes.

In these ads it is common to see pink e-cigs placed next to a bunch of red roses, or lipstick tubes, and compact containers. The intent of the imagery is to allow women to associate e-cigs as a harmless fashion accessory that is as important and essential as a makeup mirror or a tube of lipstick.

A common ploy adopted by many of the e-cig companies is to co-opt social /health causes for their own advantage. In 1992, the pink ribbon became the official symbol for breast cancer awareness. Since the adoption of the pink ribbon, the color pink has is often associated with support of breast cancer survivors, as well as women solidarity. By using the prink ribbon on their advertisements, many e-cig companies are attempting to earn goodwill from the public as well as suggest to potential consumers that there is nothing harmful about the product. For instance, an EverSmoke ad shows the torso of a woman with her breast covered by her hand and the pink breast cancer ribbon. The slogan reads “Save a Life. Save a Lung. Save a Boob.” At a time when no research had been done into the health effects of e-cigs this is a highly immoral advertising tactic, designed to play on people's fears of an often-fatal disease.

Vaping Vamps – img18840

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Like most consumer products, many electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies create products and advertisements specifically targeted to women. Many of these ads follow stereotypes associated with gender targeted ads and are either overly feminine (in shades of pink or with floral designs) or target insecurities.

Even in their brand names, these brands target women by speaking to their desires. For instance, the brand Vogue, brands it as “new lifestyle.” The e-cig devices for most brands under this category are available in pastel colors such as pink and peach. The slim design, very reminiscent of the slim cigarettes of popular women cigarette brands such as Virginia Slims and Max, are crystal tipped to appeal to the modern woman. An ad for Luli e-cigs has the image of the product on a vanity table by the side of an elegant and beautiful tiara made of pearls and in front of a vintage bottle of perfume. The presence of the product on the vanity case is intended to convey that it is just another element in making you look and feel beautiful.

In addition to creating sleekly designed devices, many brands have also created a whole line of fashionable accessories from e-cig lanyards to e-cig handbags. Cottien, which brands itself as the “most feminine electronic cigarette in the world,” has an artistic rendition of a fashion model on each device. Through blogs, Pinterest boards and Facebook posts, these e-cig companies reach out to women, including adolescent girls, and provide them with tips on how to be stylish and trendy. For instance, Pinterest board for Vapor Couture teaches women how to coordinate their dress with Vapor Couture accessories. The board for Cottien has images of pink frosted cupcakes and girly, floral, sneakers as must-have items for this summer.

Many of the e-cig brands through their descriptors, ads, and messages on social media boards also provide a subliminal message that vaping their brand will result in the smoker obtaining or maintaining a slim figure. An ad for Luli disposable e-cigs contains the image of the product along with the call out, “new improved formula, brand new design.” The ad is intended to encourage women to believe that a product was redesigned to better suit their needs.

Auto Racing – img19843

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned
in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (eCig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing eCigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of eCigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on eCigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” The Blu ads featuring Dorff are so popular that he has become synonymous with the brand. In a recent interview, he said that people come up to him all the time and ask about the Blu e-cigarette. “I’m like the Blu man group,” Dorff said in the interview. In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu eCigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for eCig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while
the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent. eCig companies have even photoshopped ysteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon using their products in ads.

Apart from direct endorsements by celebrities, there have also been subtle attempts by
celebrities to promote eCigs in movies and television shows. In an appearance on the David
Letterman show, Katherine Heigl was seen vaping a Smokestik and proclaiming that she was
addicted to the product, but it “wasn’t bad for you”. When CBS’s Two Broke Girls accosted their new, noisy upstairs neighbor, they were greeted at the door by Jennifer Coolidge with an eCig in
hand. Sean Penn was seen vaping an Njoy while talking about his work at Haiti at the Clinton Global
Initiative.

Much like big tobacco in the past, eCig companies are exploiting their association with Hollywood. eCig manufacturers waste no opportunity in posting pictures of celebrities and films that use their products through their social media channels and websites. For instance, Blu eCig’s Facebook page has a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking what they claim is a Blu eCig while filming Django Unchained. Blu eCig’s website asks its customers to take a look at a film called “Plurality” because of the use of their eCig in the film and provide a web link to the film’s trailer as well as a synopsis.

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Vitamin Rich – img24477

by

While it is hard to imagine that there can be anything nutritional in an electronic cigarette (e-cig), that is precisely what is being promoted by manufacturers of e-cigs as they continue to strive to market the product as “healthy” and “safe.” Multiple e-cig brands have added vitamin supplements to the vapor juice to encourage people to believe that by vaping the product they are getting the health benefit of vitamins.

VitaCig, which is abbreviated from Vitamin Cigarette, advertises itself as an e-cig with “just vitamins and flavored water.” The website claims that the e-cigs, which are nicotine free, contain base vitamins A,B,C,E, & CoQ10. In order to make the product more enticing to consumers, the website says that each VitaCig category has been carefully mixed to ensure that each puff delivers vitamins and phytonutrients to the body. The website also contains a vitamin label, similar to the one seen on any bottle of vitamins, that lists the amount of each vitamin present in the product.

Smoking Everywhere claims in its promotional materials that every puff on their device provides the individual with essential vitamins such as vitamin D, vitamin B, and even a multi-vitamin. To make it more enticing to consumers, the product is available in a variety of flavors including banana, blueberry, bubblegum, cola, cookies and chocolate chips, grape, green tea, orange, kiwi, and cookies and cream.

Vsmoke, by its very name suggests to consumers health benefits. The vapor juice brand, which claims to contain Vitamin C, Echinacea, Vitamin B12, is available in a number of fruity flavors including Swedish Fish, Gummy Candy, G6 Grape Mint, and Watermelon Breeze.

It is unfortunate that e-cig brands are adding vitamin supplements to their products to trick consumers into believing that this will make the product healthy. The nicotine present in most of these e-cig products is addictive and harmful to health. No amount of vitamin supplements can negate the health effects of nicotine. In those products without nicotine, there is immense public health concern that the tactile and sensory cues promoted by vaping an e-cig could lead an individual to dual use of both e-cigs and combustible cigarette products.

Healthy – img19966

by

As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Doctors & Nurses – img22017

by

In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Alcohol – img18537

by

A patently obvious device used by e-cigarette (e-cig) companies to attract teens is the promotion of youth-oriented flavors. In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of alcoholic flavors including beer, pina colada, mojito, margarita, brandy, whiskey, gin & tonic, amaretto, wine cigar, and sangria. By advertising alcoholic flavored e-cigs and vapor juices, e-cig manufacturers are appealing to teenager to break two adult taboos at once — alcohol and smoking — in a single activity.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held as a gateway product for children and teens. There is now growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. In a recent study, researchers at UCSF who analyzed data from the 2011 and 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that adolescents who used e-cigs were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking1. In another study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs2.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavored additives, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products. Some public health advocates are calling flavored e-cigs the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. UCSF: E-Cigarettes: Gateway to Nicotine Addiction for U.S. Teens, Says UCSF Study. Available at https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/03/112316/e-cigarettes-gateway-nicotine-addiction-us-teens-says-ucsf-study

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Spices & Nuts – img20476

by

E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Celebrity Cameo – img21437

by

The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing e-cigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of e-cigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on e-cigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu e-cigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for e-cig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent.

e-cig companies have gone where no other tobacco company has gone in advertising by using images of dead celebrities to promote their products. There are photoshopped images of yesteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon, George Washington and even Christopher Columbus using the product. A recent ad by Blu e-cigs has the image of President Thomas Jefferson alongside the text, “Father of freedom- of course he’s smoke blu. #Truth”

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it. Until the practice is similarly banned for e-cigs, a generation of youth will be exposed to ads with celebrities promoting the product as cool and glamorous.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Digital Names – img19542

by

A strong brand name is invaluable in marketing a product and creating trust among the intended target audience. Most brands carefully choose brand names and logos that speak to their strength, as well as provide the company a competitive edge.

Many electronic Cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers have digital names not only to differentiate themselves from combustible cigarette products but to serve as a reminder that they are less harmful and more sophisticated technology. By marketing e-cig as the hot new gadget with innovative technology, e-cig companies have a strategy that goes beyond the usual freedom and health claim. This sub-theme of e-cig commercials is focused on e-cig companies using high-tech/digital culture as inspiration in naming their products and companies in order to reach this market and use this marketing angle. For instance, the e-cig brand name “Tesla” subliminally communicates the message that like the environmentally friendly, “zero emission car,” the vapor from the Tesla e-cig is safe. The brand names DigiCig, Magnum Volt and Innovapetion are a reminder individuals of the high-tech nature of the e-cig and the innovativeness of the product. Some of these attempts to imitate the tech industry are more obvious, such as the iSmok electronic cigarette, a product/company name clearly intended to evoke the popular Apple products. Another blatant example is an accessory named the “Tesla” sold by the company iVape (which, in itself, is another imitation of the “i” Apple product line). There are many “2.0” references, with “Smoking 2.0” a common motif amongst these product/company names, as they intend to evoke an advancement, or an innovation, in order to position their e-cig as that advancement. The brand names are supported by advertising images of e-cigs with variable voltage batteries, chargers and blue-tooth compatibility.

Breathe Easier – img17193

by

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19967

by

As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Doctors & Nurses – img22018

by

In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Tobacco – img18589

by

In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are almost endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of flavors including tobacco flavor. Wanting to borrow from the prestige of well-established combustible tobacco brands such as Marlboro and Camel, a number of e-cig companies offer Camel and Marlboro flavored vapor juices. In addition to naming their vapor juices after these established brands, the advertising of these products also imitates the original brand ads. These tobacco flavored vapor juices also make for an easier transition for committed, brand loyal, smokers who are looking to vape.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The use of flavored e-cigs by teens seems so widespread that some public health advocates are calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Spices & Nuts – img20477

by

E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Digital Names – img19543

by

A strong brand name is invaluable in marketing a product and creating trust among the intended target audience. Most brands carefully choose brand names and logos that speak to their strength, as well as provide the company a competitive edge.

Many electronic Cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers have digital names not only to differentiate themselves from combustible cigarette products but to serve as a reminder that they are less harmful and more sophisticated technology. By marketing e-cig as the hot new gadget with innovative technology, e-cig companies have a strategy that goes beyond the usual freedom and health claim. This sub-theme of e-cig commercials is focused on e-cig companies using high-tech/digital culture as inspiration in naming their products and companies in order to reach this market and use this marketing angle. For instance, the e-cig brand name “Tesla” subliminally communicates the message that like the environmentally friendly, “zero emission car,” the vapor from the Tesla e-cig is safe. The brand names DigiCig, Magnum Volt and Innovapetion are a reminder individuals of the high-tech nature of the e-cig and the innovativeness of the product. Some of these attempts to imitate the tech industry are more obvious, such as the iSmok electronic cigarette, a product/company name clearly intended to evoke the popular Apple products. Another blatant example is an accessory named the “Tesla” sold by the company iVape (which, in itself, is another imitation of the “i” Apple product line). There are many “2.0” references, with “Smoking 2.0” a common motif amongst these product/company names, as they intend to evoke an advancement, or an innovation, in order to position their e-cig as that advancement. The brand names are supported by advertising images of e-cigs with variable voltage batteries, chargers and blue-tooth compatibility.

Vapor Couture – img18774

by

Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

Freedom Lifestyle – img22520

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Freedom marketing is pervasive in electronic cigarette (e-cig) marketing because unlike combustible tobacco products, the electronic devices are not regulated. A freedom based advertising theme that is consistently advertised by e-cig companies is free lifestyle.

Many e-cig brands through images and slogans evoke the emotion of “moments” of freedom and offer the promise of a free lifestyle and the freedom to smoke anywhere, without the worry of smoke-free policies. For instance, an ad for Veppo that features an open stretch of an empty road contains the tagline, “personal vaporizers, the pursuit of true freedom.” An ad for Smoko features a woman in a carefree pose with her head up and arms help open as she enjoys the sea breeze. The ad says, “enjoy your freedom wherever you are.” An ad for Blu has a carefree woman balancing herself on a ledge, which says, “freedom for the taking.”

E-cig brands market freedom based messages both through traditional advertising in magazines and billboards and through direct consumer interactions through social media channels. Blu Cigs frequently posts on its Facebook page with images associated with a free lifestyle and with posts asking followers to comment on their own “freedom stories.” VaporFi has a post that shows the wide open landscape and a man on top of a mountain. The image has nothing to do with the product but is just another example of e-cig brands trying to associate nothing to do with their product, but simply an association of this “free moment” and vaping.

Many e-cig brands aggressively attempting to capture the youth market are using freedom based advertising messages. Scientific studies1 have shown that adolescents desire autonomy and the ability to live life on their own terms. e-cig advertisements with images of free lifestyle and rebellion are just a few of the advertising techniques used by the e-cig companies to court adolescents.

1. Daddis, C. (2011), Desire for Increased Autonomy and Adolescents’ Perceptions of Peer Autonomy: “Everyone Else Can; Why Can’t I?”. Child Development, 82: 1310–1326. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01587.x

Doctors & Nurses – img17171

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17194

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A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19968

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As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Alternative – img21083

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Electronic Cigarette (eCig) companies are aware that the desire to cut down or quit tobacco smoking motivates a large fraction of their customers. As a cessation tool, eCigs appear to be marginally better than patches and other quitting methods, but still have limited effectiveness of less than 10%.1 A recent Lancet study found that 7.3% of tobacco users quit smoking on eCigs compared with 5.8% with nicotine patches. 2A cross sectional population study also showed superiority of eCigs over other forms of nicotine replacement. By contrast, a study from UCSF study showed no cessation effectiveness for eCigs.3

The FDA does not permit eCig companies to market their products as a smoking cessation device until the product is proven as “safe and effective,” much like nicotine patches that make such therapeutic claims. Nevertheless, eCig brands falsely advertise as smoking cessation aids. An eCig vapor juice company marketed from China even falsely bears the FDA label.

Companies skirt the edges of these limits with slogans that are proxies for quitting such as “smoking alternative,” “switch,” “change,” “it works!”, “kiss tobacco goodbye,” and “kick some ash.” A number of brand names imply that eCigs are an alternative to combustible tobacco product. Examples range from the more direct AlternaCig and AltStick to the less obvious Smokeless Image, which suggests that it is a smokeless replica of a traditional cigarette.

Some eCig companies also use slogans that emphasize the their product is a “healthier” alternative to smoking. Smoke Stik, which brands itself as an “alternative to smoking” advertises itself as a “clean alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.” eCig Wizard suggests its an alternative by using the slogan, “fresh start.”

It must be brought to people’s notice that eCig company claims of being “healthy”, “safe” or an “effective cessation tool” are disingenuous and have not been proved by scientific rigor. Deeming regulations proposed by the FDA in the early part of 2014 will regulate overt and implied claims made by eCig companies “reduced risk” of their product. Unfortunately, it is expected that eCig companies much like tobacco companies have for over a century will find new and creative ways to circumvent these regulations and continue to market their product as healthy and safe.

1. Bullen C, Howe C, Laugesen M, et al. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: A randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2013;382(9905):1629-37. PMID:24029165

2. Brown J, Beard E, Kotz D, Michie S, West R. Real-world effectiveness of e-cigarettes when used to aid smoking cessation: a cross-sectional population study. Addiction. 2014. PMID: 24846453

3. Grana RA, Popova L, Ling PM. A longitudinal analysis of electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(5):812-3. PMID:24664434

Chocolate – img20379

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The e-Cigarette (e-cig) industry zealously claims to target only adult smokers and established smokers. But as much as e-cig companies deny it, the plethora of vape juices in alcoholic or sweetened flavors and sugary names serve to make these products appealing to children and teenagers who are curious to experiment with tobacco products and are taken in by false notions of the “safe nature” of e-cigs.

Appealing to an almost universal love for chocolates by children and adults alike, e-cigs and ejuices are available in a number of chocolate flavors including milk chocolate, coffee chocolate, chocolate mint, chocolate caramel, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate banana and chocolate strawberry. The sweet flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

In advertising the chocolate flavored e-cigs, the images are primarily of decadent pieces of chocolate. Some of the imagery in the advertisement is heavily borrowed from the food industry and some of the packages are designed to closely resemble popular chocolate brands such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. In addition to these standard chocolate flavors, customers at online and retail “boutique” vape stores can mix any number of essences at a variety of nicotine strengths for a personalized vape. Some retail vape bars also have a “tasting bar” much like restaurants where consumers can try a variety of flavors.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-e-cigarette-use.html

Tobacco – img18590

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In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are almost endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of flavors including tobacco flavor. Wanting to borrow from the prestige of well-established combustible tobacco brands such as Marlboro and Camel, a number of e-cig companies offer Camel and Marlboro flavored vapor juices. In addition to naming their vapor juices after these established brands, the advertising of these products also imitates the original brand ads. These tobacco flavored vapor juices also make for an easier transition for committed, brand loyal, smokers who are looking to vape.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The use of flavored e-cigs by teens seems so widespread that some public health advocates are calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Spices & Nuts – img20478

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vaping Vamps – img18843

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Like most consumer products, many electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies create products and advertisements specifically targeted to women. Many of these ads follow stereotypes associated with gender targeted ads and are either overly feminine (in shades of pink or with floral designs) or target insecurities.

Even in their brand names, these brands target women by speaking to their desires. For instance, the brand Vogue, brands it as “new lifestyle.” The e-cig devices for most brands under this category are available in pastel colors such as pink and peach. The slim design, very reminiscent of the slim cigarettes of popular women cigarette brands such as Virginia Slims and Max, are crystal tipped to appeal to the modern woman. An ad for Luli e-cigs has the image of the product on a vanity table by the side of an elegant and beautiful tiara made of pearls and in front of a vintage bottle of perfume. The presence of the product on the vanity case is intended to convey that it is just another element in making you look and feel beautiful.

In addition to creating sleekly designed devices, many brands have also created a whole line of fashionable accessories from e-cig lanyards to e-cig handbags. Cottien, which brands itself as the “most feminine electronic cigarette in the world,” has an artistic rendition of a fashion model on each device. Through blogs, Pinterest boards and Facebook posts, these e-cig companies reach out to women, including adolescent girls, and provide them with tips on how to be stylish and trendy. For instance, Pinterest board for Vapor Couture teaches women how to coordinate their dress with Vapor Couture accessories. The board for Cottien has images of pink frosted cupcakes and girly, floral, sneakers as must-have items for this summer.

Many of the e-cig brands through their descriptors, ads, and messages on social media boards also provide a subliminal message that vaping their brand will result in the smoker obtaining or maintaining a slim figure. An ad for Luli disposable e-cigs contains the image of the product along with the call out, “new improved formula, brand new design.” The ad is intended to encourage women to believe that a product was redesigned to better suit their needs.

Freedom Lifestyle – img22521

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Freedom marketing is pervasive in electronic cigarette (e-cig) marketing because unlike combustible tobacco products, the electronic devices are not regulated. A freedom based advertising theme that is consistently advertised by e-cig companies is free lifestyle.

Many e-cig brands through images and slogans evoke the emotion of “moments” of freedom and offer the promise of a free lifestyle and the freedom to smoke anywhere, without the worry of smoke-free policies. For instance, an ad for Veppo that features an open stretch of an empty road contains the tagline, “personal vaporizers, the pursuit of true freedom.” An ad for Smoko features a woman in a carefree pose with her head up and arms help open as she enjoys the sea breeze. The ad says, “enjoy your freedom wherever you are.” An ad for Blu has a carefree woman balancing herself on a ledge, which says, “freedom for the taking.”

E-cig brands market freedom based messages both through traditional advertising in magazines and billboards and through direct consumer interactions through social media channels. Blu Cigs frequently posts on its Facebook page with images associated with a free lifestyle and with posts asking followers to comment on their own “freedom stories.” VaporFi has a post that shows the wide open landscape and a man on top of a mountain. The image has nothing to do with the product but is just another example of e-cig brands trying to associate nothing to do with their product, but simply an association of this “free moment” and vaping.

Many e-cig brands aggressively attempting to capture the youth market are using freedom based advertising messages. Scientific studies1 have shown that adolescents desire autonomy and the ability to live life on their own terms. e-cig advertisements with images of free lifestyle and rebellion are just a few of the advertising techniques used by the e-cig companies to court adolescents.

1. Daddis, C. (2011), Desire for Increased Autonomy and Adolescents’ Perceptions of Peer Autonomy: “Everyone Else Can; Why Can’t I?”. Child Development, 82: 1310–1326. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01587.x

Doctors & Nurses – img17172

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17195

by

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19969

by

As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Berries – img17696

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The e-Cigarette (e-cig) industry zealously claims to target only adults and established smokers. As much as e-cig companies deny it, the plethora of vape juices in alcoholic or sweetened flavors and sugary names serve to make these products appealing to children and teenagers who are curious to experiment with tobacco products and are taken in by false notions of the “safe nature” of e-cigs.

E-cigs and ejuice are available in a number of fruit flavors including banana, watermelon, pineapple, and grape. In addition to these flavors, many ejuices are available in exotic flavors such as passion fruit, mango and lychee as well as in a cocktail of fruit flavors. The fruit flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens. Advertisements for fruit flavored e-cigs and ejuices include bright backgrounds that seek to draw all the attention to the fruits. Images of fruits slicing through water much helps convey a sense of freshness and purity to the product. If not for the brand name or the image of ejuice bottle by the side of the fruit, it would be easy to mistake many of the ads under this theme for ads by the food industry.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway product for children and teens. There is now growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1.

With the Federal Drug Administration proposing not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products. Some public health advocates are calling flavored e-cigs and vape juices the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-e-cigarette-use.html

Spices & Nuts – img20479

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Doctors & Nurses – img17173

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17196

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A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19970

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As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

No Toxins – img18378

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E-cig companies frequently use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking. All the ads under this theme promote the benefits of vaping an e-cigarette (e-cig) including claims of no toxins in the exhaled vapor.

An ad for Nicocure promotes the product as “smoking without the side effects.” An ad for e_Health cigarettes promotes a list of positives of vaping an e-cig including, “No Burning. No Tar. No Cancerous Substances. No Ashtrays. No Horrible Smells, No Air Pollution.” An for Tru Smoke e-cigs asks consumers to “enjoy the look, feel and pleasure of smoking without the harmful effects of tobacco.”

Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers. Examples of this include Tru Smoke, Clean Smoke, AiR and Clearette. All these brands communicate to potential smokers that they are a healthful and intelligent choice.

Smarter – img18480

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Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers.

Many brands of e-cig companies use variations of the word “smart” in their ad brand names (e.g. intellicig, smart e-cigarette, Kanger e-smart). The choice of the brand names also extends to tobacco companies' efforts to ease the concerns of worried smokers In this case it is clear that the brand name is intended to convey to potential users that they are smart/smarter for picking the digital product over conventional cigarettes.

E-cig companies frequently also use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking- the implied message is that you would be smarter/more intelligent to use an e-cig that a convention cigarette. Thus an ad for Veppo has the image of Albert Einstein accompanied by the following text, “Weak People Smoke. Strong people Smoke Less. Intelligent People Vape.” Visual images containing symbols of health, pleasure and social desirability also convey images of a healthful product. An ad for Vaposs e-cig has the image of a money smoking a combustible cigarette and a macho man smoking a cigarette. The brand names and messages are intended to convey to consumers that they can depend and trust the brand.

Spices & Nuts – img20480

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Tobacco – img24491

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In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are almost endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of flavors including tobacco flavor. Wanting to borrow from the prestige of well-established combustible tobacco brands such as Marlboro and Camel, a number of e-cig companies offer Camel and Marlboro flavored vapor juices. In addition to naming their vapor juices after these established brands, the advertising of these products also imitates the original brand ads. These tobacco flavored vapor juices also make for an easier transition for committed, brand loyal, smokers who are looking to vape.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The use of flavored e-cigs by teens seems so widespread that some public health advocates are calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vapor Couture – img18777

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Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

Patriotism – img20844

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Electronic cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers are relying on patriotic images and slogans as a sales pitch to subliminally influence individuals to form an emotional connection with their brands and generate sales. Many ads for e-cig companies contain images of cultural icons such as the American eagle and the Statue of Liberty that drive home the point that the nation is built on twin core values of freedom and independence.

Social media channels for e-cig brands are replete with patriotic posts and images that celebrate American holidays and events. During Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, e-cig advertising images of a majority of brands included the image of the American flag and a note of salutation. For Presidents Day, many ads included images of Mount Rushmore and President Washington. Advertisements under this theme use words with strong patriotic connotations such as “freedom,” “independence,” and “had a dream.” A Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes ad has the image of Martin Luther King addressing a large gathering, we are made to believe, for his acclaimed “I Have a Dream” speech. The sub-text for the ad asks, “What’s Your Dream?”

A variant of the patriotic theme is one of nostalgia. The Fin branding group’s, manufacturer of Fin e-cigs, advertising strategy is centered around recreating images from the 1950s and 1960s, a period of time in America when civil rights struggles took center stage. One of the most striking advertising images for Fin e-cigs is the image of a 1960s diner. This image of an empty diner is an eerie reminder of a time of segregation. In February 1960 a group of black students from A&T North Carolina College were refused service because they sat in seats reserved for white people. Their peaceful sit-down helped ignite a national movement that challenged the racial inequality that existed at that point of time. Fin seems to have been aiming to recreate a call for equality and freedom in this ad. What comes to mind, however, is the image of a lonely smoker. Is smoking an electronic cigarette more lonely than segregation? In other ads, Fin continues with a “vintage” theme. In a series of ads with a modern twist on a vintage look, women dressed in 70’s clothing, “pursuing happiness” and “equality” are shown vaping e-cigs at diners and in vintage automobiles.

To ride the crest of Americans wanting to buy “American made” products, e-juice manufacturers are keen to label their products as “All American”, “tested in the US” and “American made.” Research shows that Americans are willing to pay a premium for products that are American as they believe they are helping the economy recuperate from its recent economic downturn and also because they believe the product to be safer and of higher quality. 1

1. Tsai, W. S. (2010). Patriotic advertising and the creation of the citizen-consumer. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 2(3), 76-84.

Freedom Lifestyle – img22523

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Freedom marketing is pervasive in electronic cigarette (e-cig) marketing because unlike combustible tobacco products, the electronic devices are not regulated. A freedom based advertising theme that is consistently advertised by e-cig companies is free lifestyle.

Many e-cig brands through images and slogans evoke the emotion of “moments” of freedom and offer the promise of a free lifestyle and the freedom to smoke anywhere, without the worry of smoke-free policies. For instance, an ad for Veppo that features an open stretch of an empty road contains the tagline, “personal vaporizers, the pursuit of true freedom.” An ad for Smoko features a woman in a carefree pose with her head up and arms help open as she enjoys the sea breeze. The ad says, “enjoy your freedom wherever you are.” An ad for Blu has a carefree woman balancing herself on a ledge, which says, “freedom for the taking.”

E-cig brands market freedom based messages both through traditional advertising in magazines and billboards and through direct consumer interactions through social media channels. Blu Cigs frequently posts on its Facebook page with images associated with a free lifestyle and with posts asking followers to comment on their own “freedom stories.” VaporFi has a post that shows the wide open landscape and a man on top of a mountain. The image has nothing to do with the product but is just another example of e-cig brands trying to associate nothing to do with their product, but simply an association of this “free moment” and vaping.

Many e-cig brands aggressively attempting to capture the youth market are using freedom based advertising messages. Scientific studies1 have shown that adolescents desire autonomy and the ability to live life on their own terms. e-cig advertisements with images of free lifestyle and rebellion are just a few of the advertising techniques used by the e-cig companies to court adolescents.

1. Daddis, C. (2011), Desire for Increased Autonomy and Adolescents’ Perceptions of Peer Autonomy: “Everyone Else Can; Why Can’t I?”. Child Development, 82: 1310–1326. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01587.x

Doctors & Nurses – img17174

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17197

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A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19971

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As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Smarter – img18481

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Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers.

Many brands of e-cig companies use variations of the word “smart” in their ad brand names (e.g. intellicig, smart e-cigarette, Kanger e-smart). The choice of the brand names also extends to tobacco companies' efforts to ease the concerns of worried smokers In this case it is clear that the brand name is intended to convey to potential users that they are smart/smarter for picking the digital product over conventional cigarettes.

E-cig companies frequently also use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking- the implied message is that you would be smarter/more intelligent to use an e-cig that a convention cigarette. Thus an ad for Veppo has the image of Albert Einstein accompanied by the following text, “Weak People Smoke. Strong people Smoke Less. Intelligent People Vape.” Visual images containing symbols of health, pleasure and social desirability also convey images of a healthful product. An ad for Vaposs e-cig has the image of a money smoking a combustible cigarette and a macho man smoking a cigarette. The brand names and messages are intended to convey to consumers that they can depend and trust the brand.

Spices & Nuts – img20914

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vapor Couture – img18778

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Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

Pink eCigs – img18799

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Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) companies are targeting women through female only brands such as Vapor Couture and Luli, as well as through dual sex brands such as V2 Cigs, Veppo, and Fin. In the case of the latter, some e-cig companies resort to advertisements that feature highly successful and independent women carrying out activities that have for long been considered the bastion of men. In the case of the former, e-cig companies market to women through advertisements that suggest girly, playful and stylish themes.

In these ads it is common to see pink e-cigs placed next to a bunch of red roses, or lipstick tubes, and compact containers. The intent of the imagery is to allow women to associate e-cigs as a harmless fashion accessory that is as important and essential as a makeup mirror or a tube of lipstick.

A common ploy adopted by many of the e-cig companies is to co-opt social /health causes for their own advantage. In 1992, the pink ribbon became the official symbol for breast cancer awareness. Since the adoption of the pink ribbon, the color pink has is often associated with support of breast cancer survivors, as well as women solidarity. By using the prink ribbon on their advertisements, many e-cig companies are attempting to earn goodwill from the public as well as suggest to potential consumers that there is nothing harmful about the product. For instance, an EverSmoke ad shows the torso of a woman with her breast covered by her hand and the pink breast cancer ribbon. The slogan reads “Save a Life. Save a Lung. Save a Boob.” At a time when no research had been done into the health effects of e-cigs this is a highly immoral advertising tactic, designed to play on people's fears of an often-fatal disease.

Doctors & Nurses – img17175

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17198

by

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19972

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As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Smarter – img18482

by

Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers.

Many brands of e-cig companies use variations of the word “smart” in their ad brand names (e.g. intellicig, smart e-cigarette, Kanger e-smart). The choice of the brand names also extends to tobacco companies' efforts to ease the concerns of worried smokers In this case it is clear that the brand name is intended to convey to potential users that they are smart/smarter for picking the digital product over conventional cigarettes.

E-cig companies frequently also use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking- the implied message is that you would be smarter/more intelligent to use an e-cig that a convention cigarette. Thus an ad for Veppo has the image of Albert Einstein accompanied by the following text, “Weak People Smoke. Strong people Smoke Less. Intelligent People Vape.” Visual images containing symbols of health, pleasure and social desirability also convey images of a healthful product. An ad for Vaposs e-cig has the image of a money smoking a combustible cigarette and a macho man smoking a cigarette. The brand names and messages are intended to convey to consumers that they can depend and trust the brand.

Spices & Nuts – img20915

by

E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vapor Couture – img18779

by

Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

Auto Racing – img21056

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned
in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (eCig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing eCigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of eCigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on eCigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” The Blu ads featuring Dorff are so popular that he has become synonymous with the brand. In a recent interview, he said that people come up to him all the time and ask about the Blu e-cigarette. “I’m like the Blu man group,” Dorff said in the interview. In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu eCigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for eCig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while
the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent. eCig companies have even photoshopped ysteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon using their products in ads.

Apart from direct endorsements by celebrities, there have also been subtle attempts by
celebrities to promote eCigs in movies and television shows. In an appearance on the David
Letterman show, Katherine Heigl was seen vaping a Smokestik and proclaiming that she was
addicted to the product, but it “wasn’t bad for you”. When CBS’s Two Broke Girls accosted their new, noisy upstairs neighbor, they were greeted at the door by Jennifer Coolidge with an eCig in
hand. Sean Penn was seen vaping an Njoy while talking about his work at Haiti at the Clinton Global
Initiative.

Much like big tobacco in the past, eCig companies are exploiting their association with Hollywood. eCig manufacturers waste no opportunity in posting pictures of celebrities and films that use their products through their social media channels and websites. For instance, Blu eCig’s Facebook page has a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking what they claim is a Blu eCig while filming Django Unchained. Blu eCig’s website asks its customers to take a look at a film called “Plurality” because of the use of their eCig in the film and provide a web link to the film’s trailer as well as a synopsis.

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Smoke Anywhere – img17116

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Freedom is possibly America’s most treasured value. Protected in the “Bill of Rights,” it is a deeply held core belief that to many Americans was a birthright and to some a hard fought victory. Given its hold on the American psyche, it has been used as a powerful marketing tool to hawk products as diverse as airplane tickets for Southwest Airlines, which calls itself “A Symbol of Freedom,” to getting a good night’s sleep with Dacron pillows, which is “America’s Freedom Fabric,” to the freedom to discover the road ahead with Chevrolet’s “Find New Roads,” and the freedom to “Just Do it” with Nike products.

E-cigarette (e-cig) companies have jumped on the freedom bandwagon and promise many kinds of freedom to vapers. A key selling point touted by e-cig companies is that their products can be used in places where smoking of traditional cigarettes is banned, like bars, restaurants, on flights, and in entertainment and sporting venues. An ad for Vapestick shows a woman vaping her e-cig in bed. The slogan of the ad reads, “Looks, Feels, and Tastes like a Real Cigarette That You Can Smoke Anywhere!”. A Cannastick ad shows people enjoying a concert under the caption “The Freedom to Vape Anywhere.” An ad for Cigana has the image of an airplane and is accompanied by the following text, “Smoke without the smoke…. Smoke like no one is watching.” A Vega Vapor ad tells consumers that many “local establishments are vapor friendly.”

The Smoke Anywhere theme is also widely publicized on brand websites. For instance, Blu e-cigs, says on its website, “blu e-cigs® electronic cigarettes are not traditional cigarettes and do not burn tobacco, so they can be smoked in bars, restaurants, offices and other places where normal smoking bans are in effect.” Fin e-cigs on its website says the brand is for individuals “…who want the freedom to smoke in places where traditional cigarettes are not permitted.

While e-cigs offer many freedoms to its users, a freedom that it cannot offer but it often promises is the freedom to smoke anywhere. Despite ads, eg. Blu and Vapestick, that show individuals vape on airplanes, the US Department of Transportation has issued guidelines restricting the use of e-cigs on flights. More restaurants are also coming forward to ban vaping on their premises. For instance, fast food giant Taco Bell has banned vaping in its premises.

Doctors & Nurses – img17176

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco company advertisements often featured doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars. The images were always of an idealized physician – wise, noble, and compassionate. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor's orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised.

While it may seem hard to believe that such an audacious advertising strategy would be tried in the 21st century, it is precisely what is playing out in the newer and less-well understood electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry. e-cig brands such as Vapestick, Vape Doctor, and Love are resorting to the old and familiar tactic of using the image of the “trusty” doctor to sell their products. In an ad for E-Cigexplorer, an online e-cig store, a surgeon wearing a mask is seeing giving the e-cig a “thumbs-up.” In a more obvious push for the product by the online retailer, two surgeons at an operating theater are seen laughing at a patient who we are to understand is being treated for a tobacco-related illness. The headline for the ad reads, “Still smoking tobacco cigarettes?!” The rest of the text reads, “Haven't you heard of e-cigarettes.” A video for Vapestick has a doctor vaping an e-cig while attending to a pregnant woman. Advanced e-cig uses a more subtle approach to promote the healthfulness of its product. The e-cig packet contains the image of a Caduceus, the most commonly accepted symbol of medicine.

While e-cig companies use the image of the doctor to convince consumers that its products are healthy. Most scientific evidence till date only proves that e-cigs are “healthier” than traditional cigarettes. Nicotine, which is found in most e-cigs is very addictive and the fruit flavored vape juices could hook teenagers and serve as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. At present there is also not much research that has been done to determine the impact of inhaling so much nicotine-laced vapor into the lungs.

Breathe Easier – img17199

by

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

A beneficial effect on breathing and respiration is promised by many e-cigarette (eCig) companies through reassuring brand names and images.

Some companies seek to influence their audience at a subliminal level with reassuring names such as iBreathe, Breathe, Bonnair Lung Aid, Smoke Relief, and the assertive Lung Buddy and O2 Easy and others through reassuring images. Many ads (eg. Blaze, Steamz, Shenzhen Tobacco Company) contain images of healthy lungs (purportedly from vaping eCigs) contrasted with blackened lungs that have been damaged from smoking combustible tobacco products.

Some other ads offer metaphors for healthfulness and freshness. An ad for White Cloud eCigs features the image of two women taking a brisk walk on a grassy hill alongside the caption “Give the Gift of fresh air! Eliminate the tar, ash and unwanted chemical additives from your cigarettes.” The ad brings back memories of an Old Gold ad from 1944 that claimed that their cigarette products were as “fresh” as mountain air.

By presenting the eCig smokers as young, vibrant, athletic, happy, and full of vitality, White Cloud is seeking to claim that its products are better for the individual’s overall health, fresh and safe, and free of toxic chemicals that are harmful to oneself as well as others. But the message is misleading. While White Clouds ad seems to falsely indicate that by vaping its eCigs, an individual can escape all the harmful effects of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, this is not really the case. The absence of combustion in eCigs means the absence of combustible by-products such as tar, carbon monoxide, and other harmful chemicals, but it does not automatically translate into eCigs being a safe product. Research studies have shown that the vapor released from eCigs is not plain “water vapor” but vapor containing varying levels of nicotine, propylene glycol, an anti-freeze, as well as other ultrafine particles. These chemicals could potentially have an adverse effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system.

Since eCigs are a relatively new product, first introduced to the market in 2004, research on the long-term health effects of inhaling nicotine along with trace materials has not yet been fully studied. In the absence of scientific evidence, it is misleading and manipulative on the part of eCig companies to make claims of being eCigs being healthy and safe.

Healthy – img19973

by

As the conventional tobacco industry continues to get demonized over predatory marketing practices and concern grows over the ill-effects of smoking, e-cigarette (e-cig)manufacturers have lost no opportunity in selling their products as a “safe” and “healthy” alternative. As Njoy claimed in its commercial “the most amazing thing about this cigarette is, it isn't one.”

Many e-cig brand names and advertising messages contain reassuring phrases that imply no harm and sometimes even medical benefits. Examples of e-cigs with reassuring brand names include Safe-cigs, Lung Buddy, iBreathe, and E-HealthCigs. In addition ads and packages for e-cigs contains reassuring phrases such as “safe,” “healthier, “cancer cure” “vitamin rich,” “light,” “mild, ” “intelligent,” “no smoker’s cough or phlegm,” and “better stamina.” Ads in this theme run the gamut from the shock inducing Flavor Vapes ad which shows a mother blow e-cig vapor into her baby’s carriage and Ever Smoke’s “Save A Life. Save A Lung. Save a Boob” to the mundane.

Advertising of nicotine based products is coming a full circle as most of the strategies employed by the e-cig industry today has been tried by the combustible cigarette industry until it was regulated. More than 85 years ago, the Federal Trade Commission regulated the combustible tobacco industry and prohibited it from making weight loss claims, 5o years ago, the same agency prohibited it from using the images of doctors and nurses to sell its products, and 5 years ago the Food and Drug Administration prohibited the industry from using descriptors such as mild, light, ultra etc. that subliminally suggested that using such a product reduced the harm for the consumer. In April 2014, seven years after e-cigs were introduced in the United States, the Federal Drug Administration has proposed regulations that will restrict health claims made by the e-cig industry. If the regulations are approved, e-cig companies will no longer be allowed to make health claims unless approved by the regulatory agency to make “direct or indirect claims” of reduced risk.

It may follow that like the tobacco industry, while the letter of the law may be followed, the intent of regulation is often subverted.”

Spices & Nuts – img20916

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Vapor Couture – img18780

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Unsurprisingly, electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have followed in the footsteps of the combustible tobacco industry by creating a distinct market pool for women. Vapor Couture is one of two e-cig brands operated and managed by VMR Products. Unlike the marketing of its sister brand, V2 Cigs, Vapor Couture exclusively targets women and markets its product via glamour and femininity.

In it product design, advertising and marketing, Vapor Couture follows in the footsteps of Virginia Slims and Camel 9. The product is slender, with a crystal tip, and is often packaged in a sleek box that resembles a make-up accessory rather than a traditional cigarette case. Additionally, Vapor Couture advertisements attempt to epitomize a woman-only product by emphasizing fashion, accessories, and makeup – all adorned in hot pink, royal purple, and crystal backgrounds. The e-cigs themselves and come in atypical flavor names such as “Bomb Shell” and “Rodeo Drive”. As is well known, “Bomb shell” is a term used to describe attractive women and Rodeo Drive is known as the embodiment of the glam, high-fashion lifestyle in Beverly Hills, California.

Ads for Vapor Couture often feature images of independent and successful women. The ads are accompanied by catchy slogans such as, “Womanly Vaping Experience” and “Made for Women” or “ Your Life. Your Style” and “What’s Your Style?” The slogans suggest the empowerment of women as well as feminine individuality. Vapor Couture’s marketing obviously tries to play off of a certain desired woman’s figure and social image. For Vapor Couture, its e-cigs serve as a chic fashion accessory.

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Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) companies are targeting women through female only brands such as Vapor Couture and Luli, as well as through dual sex brands such as V2 Cigs, Veppo, and Fin. In the case of the latter, some e-cig companies resort to advertisements that feature highly successful and independent women carrying out activities that have for long been considered the bastion of men. In the case of the former, e-cig companies market to women through advertisements that suggest girly, playful and stylish themes.

In these ads it is common to see pink e-cigs placed next to a bunch of red roses, or lipstick tubes, and compact containers. The intent of the imagery is to allow women to associate e-cigs as a harmless fashion accessory that is as important and essential as a makeup mirror or a tube of lipstick.

A common ploy adopted by many of the e-cig companies is to co-opt social /health causes for their own advantage. In 1992, the pink ribbon became the official symbol for breast cancer awareness. Since the adoption of the pink ribbon, the color pink has is often associated with support of breast cancer survivors, as well as women solidarity. By using the prink ribbon on their advertisements, many e-cig companies are attempting to earn goodwill from the public as well as suggest to potential consumers that there is nothing harmful about the product. For instance, an EverSmoke ad shows the torso of a woman with her breast covered by her hand and the pink breast cancer ribbon. The slogan reads “Save a Life. Save a Lung. Save a Boob.” At a time when no research had been done into the health effects of e-cigs this is a highly immoral advertising tactic, designed to play on people's fears of an often-fatal disease.

Auto Racing – img21057

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned
in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (eCig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing eCigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of eCigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on eCigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” The Blu ads featuring Dorff are so popular that he has become synonymous with the brand. In a recent interview, he said that people come up to him all the time and ask about the Blu e-cigarette. “I’m like the Blu man group,” Dorff said in the interview. In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu eCigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for eCig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while
the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent. eCig companies have even photoshopped ysteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon using their products in ads.

Apart from direct endorsements by celebrities, there have also been subtle attempts by
celebrities to promote eCigs in movies and television shows. In an appearance on the David
Letterman show, Katherine Heigl was seen vaping a Smokestik and proclaiming that she was
addicted to the product, but it “wasn’t bad for you”. When CBS’s Two Broke Girls accosted their new, noisy upstairs neighbor, they were greeted at the door by Jennifer Coolidge with an eCig in
hand. Sean Penn was seen vaping an Njoy while talking about his work at Haiti at the Clinton Global
Initiative.

Much like big tobacco in the past, eCig companies are exploiting their association with Hollywood. eCig manufacturers waste no opportunity in posting pictures of celebrities and films that use their products through their social media channels and websites. For instance, Blu eCig’s Facebook page has a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking what they claim is a Blu eCig while filming Django Unchained. Blu eCig’s website asks its customers to take a look at a film called “Plurality” because of the use of their eCig in the film and provide a web link to the film’s trailer as well as a synopsis.

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Patriotism – img20847

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Electronic cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers are relying on patriotic images and slogans as a sales pitch to subliminally influence individuals to form an emotional connection with their brands and generate sales. Many ads for e-cig companies contain images of cultural icons such as the American eagle and the Statue of Liberty that drive home the point that the nation is built on twin core values of freedom and independence.

Social media channels for e-cig brands are replete with patriotic posts and images that celebrate American holidays and events. During Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, e-cig advertising images of a majority of brands included the image of the American flag and a note of salutation. For Presidents Day, many ads included images of Mount Rushmore and President Washington. Advertisements under this theme use words with strong patriotic connotations such as “freedom,” “independence,” and “had a dream.” A Green Smoke Electronic Cigarettes ad has the image of Martin Luther King addressing a large gathering, we are made to believe, for his acclaimed “I Have a Dream” speech. The sub-text for the ad asks, “What’s Your Dream?”

A variant of the patriotic theme is one of nostalgia. The Fin branding group’s, manufacturer of Fin e-cigs, advertising strategy is centered around recreating images from the 1950s and 1960s, a period of time in America when civil rights struggles took center stage. One of the most striking advertising images for Fin e-cigs is the image of a 1960s diner. This image of an empty diner is an eerie reminder of a time of segregation. In February 1960 a group of black students from A&T North Carolina College were refused service because they sat in seats reserved for white people. Their peaceful sit-down helped ignite a national movement that challenged the racial inequality that existed at that point of time. Fin seems to have been aiming to recreate a call for equality and freedom in this ad. What comes to mind, however, is the image of a lonely smoker. Is smoking an electronic cigarette more lonely than segregation? In other ads, Fin continues with a “vintage” theme. In a series of ads with a modern twist on a vintage look, women dressed in 70’s clothing, “pursuing happiness” and “equality” are shown vaping e-cigs at diners and in vintage automobiles.

To ride the crest of Americans wanting to buy “American made” products, e-juice manufacturers are keen to label their products as “All American”, “tested in the US” and “American made.” Research shows that Americans are willing to pay a premium for products that are American as they believe they are helping the economy recuperate from its recent economic downturn and also because they believe the product to be safer and of higher quality. 1

1. Tsai, W. S. (2010). Patriotic advertising and the creation of the citizen-consumer. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 2(3), 76-84.