I always count on Luckies for a perfect performance!
This Lucky Strike ad features a celebrity endorsement from British actor Maurice Evans (1901-1989), but urges the consumer to “let your own taste and throat be the judge! Though Evans later played the father of Samantha Stephens in the television show Bewitched, he is best known for his Shakespearean roles; no other actor has appeared in more Shakespearean productions on American television. In the ad, he likens a cigarette to a good actor, claiming that can be counted on “for a perfect performance.” . The copy text supports Evans’ claim, explaining that Luckies “give you real smoothness, mildness.” Both words were code words for healthfulness, and through them the ad makes subliminal claims that Lucky Strikes are not harmful cigarettes. The slogan, “There’s never a rough puff in a Lucky,” further solidifies their false claim. There are conflicting reports as to the cause of Evans’ death; some sources claim he died of cancer, while other sources indicate his cause of death to be heart attack brought on by bronchial infection.
Actor, Male, Maurice Evans, Singer, Throat
