Theme:
Targeting Women
Collection:
Early Years
Published:
1922
Brand:
Abdulla
Manufacturer:
Abdulla & Company, Ltd.
Format:
Advertisement
Tobacco Type:
Cigarette
Quote:
The Flower of Virginias
Comments:
This early image pre-dates the onset of major mass marketing efforts by tobacco companies to target women. This advertisement, illustrated by Lewis Baumer (1870-1963), also the artist for Pall Mall Magazine, features a lovely, fashionable young woman resting effervescently on a cushion. She holds a cigarette in her right hand as she exhales smoke in the shape of a “75,” mimicking the Abdulla “No. 75.” The ad refers to both the cigarette and the woman as “The Flower of Virginias,” providing the cigarettes with a gentle and genteel association. The woman hugs herself and crosses her legs in a sensual yet reserved manner, downplaying the evocative nature of a woman who smokes.
Keywords:
Female, Youth
