What with movies and radio shows, the cigarette I smoke must agree with my throat. My own 30-day Camel test proved it was Camels for me!
Though the main tactic of this advertisement is celebrity endorsement, its purpose is to portray Camels as easy on the throat. The classic glamorous T-Zone woman is featured at the bottom of the page, next to a suggestion for consumers to “test Camels in Your ‘T-Zone.’” This suggestion provides the consumer with a sense of independence and autonomy – a common tactic in cigarette advertising, even today. The three celebrity testimonials are thus more innocuous, appearing to be merely additional proof rather than empty claims.
Two-time Academy Award-winning American actor John Wayne (1907-1979) is the first celebrity endorser in this ad. He claims that he “can’t risk throat irritation” on set, “So I smoke Camels.” Wayne was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1964 at the age of 57 and consequently had four ribs and his entire left lung removed, successfully removing the cancer. He directly attributed his lung cancer to his cigarette habit. Instead of encouraging quitting, he encouraged others to get “preventative examinations.” He smoked cigars and chewed tobacco for the remainder of his life. In 1979, Wayne ultimately passed away from stomach cancer. The next celebrity endorsement comes from Academy Award-winning actress Joan Crawford (1905-1977). She gave up smoking and drinking in the last years of her life. She was suffering from cancer (conflicting reports indicate pancreatic or liver cancer) when she passed away from a heart attack in 1977.The third and final celebrity testimonial is provided by Dick Powell (1904-1963) who wore many hats in the entertainment industry ranging from actor and singer to producer and director. Powell passed away from lymphoma at the age of 58.
Actor, Actress, adult, Dick Powell, Doctor, Female, Health, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Male, man, Throat, woman
