20,679 doctors in 1928, 10,264 in 1927
This advertisement marks the beginning of Lucky’s “20,679 Physicians” campaign, and cites meaningless figures indicating that 20,679 doctors believe that Lucky Strikes are “less irritating to sensitive throats.” There is no data, however, on the total number of doctors surveyed or the percentage of doctors this number covers. Additionally, of course, few if any doctors surveyed had any expertise qualifying them to judge the effectiveness of a heat curing process in purportedly removing chemical irritants for cigarette smoke. This advertisement represents a shift away from celebrity endorsements toward the doctor campaign, but maintains continuity by including a testimonial as well. Tobacco companies often combined old copy with new copy during transition between campaigns. This ad uses a testimonial from actress Betty Compson (1897-1974), whose voice was clearly worth protecting. Compson passed away from a heart attack in 1974.
Actor, Betty Compson, Doctor, Female, Irritation, Movies, Television, Toasted
