This Chesterfield campaign is composed of a series of ads featuring women and their measurements (bust-waist-hips), printed in the men’s magazine, Playboy. One of Chesterfield’s slogans concerned its “21 great tobaccos make 20 wonderful smokes” (the number of cigarettes in one pack). For these ads, Chesterfield shortened the slogan to “21-20,” and found that it closely resembled the manner of recording women’s measurements (bust-waist-hips), particularly in the men’s magazine Playboy. Thus, in this series of ads, Chesterfield printed the measurements of a female models alongside their pictures, with “21-20” featured at the bottom of the advertisement. Chesterfield thus subliminally links its cigarettes with women and sex. Here, Pamela (35-22-35), is pictured smoking Chesterfields. The copy text reads, “Pamela stands out at a desk the way Chesterfields do on a tobacco counter.” The woman is objectified by being compared so blatantly to the cigarette. Chesterfield is clearly unapologetic for its unabashed use of this woman’s sexuality in advertising its product. Additionally, the copy text presents the option of smoking “for pleasure and not just from habit,” as if there is an option for cigarettes not to be habit-forming. The ad makes it so that anyone who chooses to smoke Chesterfield can feel empowered and confident that they are simply a “pleasure smoker” rather than an addicted smoker.
Female, Luxury, Male, man, Playboy, sex appeal, sophisticated, woman, young adult
