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Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising

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Safe – img20906

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Some electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies are attempting to stand out from the crowd by emphasizing their safety. Some companies make their association with safety directly through their brand names. The most prominent example is the brand “SafeCig”, manufactured by SafeCig, LLC. Similarly the company JoeStick markets and sells their product through the website smokesafely.com.

The claim of safety is also made in slogans and taglines. Charlie Sheen’s e-cig brand ran the slogan “Sheen Safe Smoke”. Steamz claim their devices are “90% safer than traditional cigarettes”. In 2013 the brand Vogue ran the tagline “Safe and Healthy.”

A rather ironic ad is that from NeWhere. The ad shows an ECG heart tracing which flatlines after a number of normal beats. In a traditional ECG this would suggest that the heart had stopped beating. Over this horizontal line is the slogan “Is Vaping Safe?” The NeWhere blog, which accompanies this picture goes on to explain that that e-cigs are definitely “safer” than traditional cigarettes.

The advertising of e-cigs as safe is a particularly interesting technique considering there have been reports about e-cigs exploding. 1,2 The availability of sweetened nicotine-based e-cig juices in homes has also led to a rapid increase to calls in poison control centers, with more than half of the calls involving children below the age of 5 years.

(1) York Press. E-Cigarette explodes and sets fire to a barmaid. The Press. Apr 2014. Available from: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/11133501.Barmaid_s_lucky_escape_as_e_cigarette_explodes_in_packed_pub/
(2) Parker L, Green R. Small Number of E-Cigarette Batteries Explode. NBC Chicago. Oct 2013. Available from: http://www.nbcchicago.com/investigations/Exploding-E-Cigarettes-229183561.html

(3) CDC poison call centers: New CDC study finds dramatic increase in e-cigarette-related calls to poison centers. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0403-e-cigarette-poison.html

Second Hand – img21802

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As concerns of ill health effects caused by second hand smoke from combustible tobacco products become too hard to ignore, e-cigarette (e-cig) companies are acting quickly to bogart the market with claims of their devices being a healthy, smoke-free alternative. The smoke-free nature of the product is a USP that is prominently marketed through catch phrases such as “no passive smoking,” “smoke-free,”no second hand smoke,” and “no smell.”

To reassure consumers of the healthfulness of the product, e-cig companies like the conventional cigarette industry of 1940s and 1950s has resorted to using images of families and children in its ads. For nothing really speaks to the harmless nature of a product or its respectability than using a product in front of children as a part of everyday normal life.

Thus an ad for Ever Smoke has the image of a young woman vaping in front of her two young children. The ad is accompanied by the text “The Better Smoking Choice. Keep Yourself and Family Healthy.” Even more astonishing, an ad for Flavor Vapes has a mother blow vapor directly into the baby’s crib and an ad for Regal e-cigs shows a father toasting his son at a brunch with a drink in one hand and an e-cig in the other.

Scare tactics are also being used by the e-cig industry to lure consumers away from conventional cigarettes to e-cigs. In an ad for Steamz e-cig, a boy looks terrified as the plume of vapor from a cigarette, which is made to resemble a smoking gun, is pointing at him. The main text of the ad reads, “passive smoking kills your dearest one’s first,” the subtext reads, “ protect your dearest ones life. Smoke safely with e-cigarette…”

While the e-cig industry definitely wants consumers to believe that their products are safe and healthy, evidence to support this claim is scant. A small study by Wolfgang Schober of the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority and colleagues published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health found the vapor emitted from e-cigs affected the air quality of a room as it contained nicotine, particulate matter, PAHs and aluminum, compounds that have been linked to cardiovascular diseases and other ill health effects.

Imagery – img18159

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Electronic Cigarette (e-cig) companies are aware that the desire to cut down or quit tobacco smoking motivates a large fraction of their customers. However, e-cig companies are not permitted to market their products as a smoking cessation device until the product is proven as “safe and effective,” much like nicotine patches that make such therapeutic claims.

As a result, companies skirt the edges of these limits with slogans and imagery that are proxies for quitting such as images of broken cigarettes, consumers kicking their cigarette and the accompanying addiction, and through slogans such as “kiss tobacco goodbye,” and “kick some ash.”

As a cessation tool, e-cigs appear to be marginally better than patches and other quitting methods, but still have limited effectiveness of less than 10%.1 A recent Lancet study found that 7.3% of tobacco users quit smoking on e-cigs compared with 5.8% with nicotine patches. 2

Quit – img18181

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In advertisements for e-cigarettes, consumers are led to believe that e-cigs are a “safer” alternative to traditional cigarettes despite the fact that they too contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.

In ads under this theme, manufacturers market e-cigs as a “healthier” and more “eco-friendly” recreational product that consumers would be “wise” to switch to. An ad for Blu says the e-cig is the “smart choice for smokers wanting a change.” The headline of the ad reads, “Why Quit, Switch to Blu.” Another ad from an e-cig retailer has the image of a strong, well-built woman, kicking a man who is smoking a cigarette. The text of the image reads, “Smoking Hurts….Try a Electronic Cigarette.” An advertisement for Cigna mentions that “Tobacco is so passé. Get with the now,” and urges consumers to switch to e-cigs. SouthBeach Smoke asks consumers to “Make the Switch Today and Change Your Life.”

While most e-cig companies are careful not to market their product as a cessation device for fear of government regulation, some e-cig retailers do just that. An ad for Xhalers contains the image of a lit conventional cigarette on a hook. The headline reads, “Hooked on Smoking. Get unhooked with Xhalers.” An arrow on a yellow text box with the words, “Quit smoking with this,” points to an e-cig. Nicocure (which is cleverly named to sound similar to Nicorette and even comes in a blue pack similar to the nicotine cessation gum pack) makes the claim that it can help a consumer quit smoking in 30 days. The ad says “Quit Smoking in 30 days or less.” The subtext reads, “The all natural solution to quit smoking in days. We Guarantee it or Your Money Back.” These are a grossly misleading claims made by these manufacturers because the FDA has not approved e-cigs as nicotine cessation device.

The data so far on the use of e-cigs as a cessation device is also contradictory. While there is some evidence to suggest that e-cigs can help a small percentage of adult smokers quit, studies have shown that in youth it encourages dual use of conventional cigarettes and e-cigs. Leading manufacturers of traditional tobacco products may seek to encourage dual use in which the vapor product functions as a nicotine continuity product for use in places where smoking is forbidden.

Alternative – img25523

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Electronic Cigarette (eCig) companies are aware that the desire to cut down or quit tobacco smoking motivates a large fraction of their customers. As a cessation tool, eCigs appear to be marginally better than patches and other quitting methods, but still have limited effectiveness of less than 10%.1 A recent Lancet study found that 7.3% of tobacco users quit smoking on eCigs compared with 5.8% with nicotine patches. 2A cross sectional population study also showed superiority of eCigs over other forms of nicotine replacement. By contrast, a study from UCSF study showed no cessation effectiveness for eCigs.3

The FDA does not permit eCig companies to market their products as a smoking cessation device until the product is proven as “safe and effective,” much like nicotine patches that make such therapeutic claims. Nevertheless, eCig brands falsely advertise as smoking cessation aids. An eCig vapor juice company marketed from China even falsely bears the FDA label.

Companies skirt the edges of these limits with slogans that are proxies for quitting such as “smoking alternative,” “switch,” “change,” “it works!”, “kiss tobacco goodbye,” and “kick some ash.” A number of brand names imply that eCigs are an alternative to combustible tobacco product. Examples range from the more direct AlternaCig and AltStick to the less obvious Smokeless Image, which suggests that it is a smokeless replica of a traditional cigarette.

Some eCig companies also use slogans that emphasize the their product is a “healthier” alternative to smoking. Smoke Stik, which brands itself as an “alternative to smoking” advertises itself as a “clean alternative to traditional cigarette smoking.” eCig Wizard suggests its an alternative by using the slogan, “fresh start.”

It must be brought to people’s notice that eCig company claims of being “healthy”, “safe” or an “effective cessation tool” are disingenuous and have not been proved by scientific rigor. Deeming regulations proposed by the FDA in the early part of 2014 will regulate overt and implied claims made by eCig companies “reduced risk” of their product. Unfortunately, it is expected that eCig companies much like tobacco companies have for over a century will find new and creative ways to circumvent these regulations and continue to market their product as healthy and safe.

1. Bullen C, Howe C, Laugesen M, et al. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: A randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2013;382(9905):1629-37. PMID:24029165

2. Brown J, Beard E, Kotz D, Michie S, West R. Real-world effectiveness of e-cigarettes when used to aid smoking cessation: a cross-sectional population study. Addiction. 2014. PMID: 24846453

3. Grana RA, Popova L, Ling PM. A longitudinal analysis of electronic cigarette use and smoking cessation. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(5):812-3. PMID:24664434

No Toxins – img18385

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E-cig companies frequently use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking. All the ads under this theme promote the benefits of vaping an e-cigarette (e-cig) including claims of no toxins in the exhaled vapor.

An ad for Nicocure promotes the product as “smoking without the side effects.” An ad for e_Health cigarettes promotes a list of positives of vaping an e-cig including, “No Burning. No Tar. No Cancerous Substances. No Ashtrays. No Horrible Smells, No Air Pollution.” An for Tru Smoke e-cigs asks consumers to “enjoy the look, feel and pleasure of smoking without the harmful effects of tobacco.”

Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers. Examples of this include Tru Smoke, Clean Smoke, AiR and Clearette. All these brands communicate to potential smokers that they are a healthful and intelligent choice.

Smarter – img18486

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Brand names take on a pre-eminent role in communicating to potential consumers something of value about a company. As is the case with the majority of products on the market, many brands of e-cigarettes (e-cigs) are named in order to send particular messages to consumers.

Many brands of e-cig companies use variations of the word “smart” in their ad brand names (e.g. intellicig, smart e-cigarette, Kanger e-smart). The choice of the brand names also extends to tobacco companies' efforts to ease the concerns of worried smokers In this case it is clear that the brand name is intended to convey to potential users that they are smart/smarter for picking the digital product over conventional cigarettes.

E-cig companies frequently also use positive imagery and slogans that shift the attention away from the negatives of smoking- the implied message is that you would be smarter/more intelligent to use an e-cig that a convention cigarette. Thus an ad for Veppo has the image of Albert Einstein accompanied by the following text, “Weak People Smoke. Strong people Smoke Less. Intelligent People Vape.” Visual images containing symbols of health, pleasure and social desirability also convey images of a healthful product. An ad for Vaposs e-cig has the image of a money smoking a combustible cigarette and a macho man smoking a cigarette. The brand names and messages are intended to convey to consumers that they can depend and trust the brand.

Tobacco – img18597

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In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice. With many e-cig manufacturers allowing consumers to pick and mix their own flavorings, the possibilities are almost endless.

e-cigs and vapor juices are available in a number of flavors including tobacco flavor. Wanting to borrow from the prestige of well-established combustible tobacco brands such as Marlboro and Camel, a number of e-cig companies offer Camel and Marlboro flavored vapor juices. In addition to naming their vapor juices after these established brands, the advertising of these products also imitates the original brand ads. These tobacco flavored vapor juices also make for an easier transition for committed, brand loyal, smokers who are looking to vape.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The use of flavored e-cigs by teens seems so widespread that some public health advocates are calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Berries – img20467

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The e-Cigarette (e-cig) industry zealously claims to target only adults and established smokers. As much as e-cig companies deny it, the plethora of vape juices in alcoholic or sweetened flavors and sugary names serve to make these products appealing to children and teenagers who are curious to experiment with tobacco products and are taken in by false notions of the “safe nature” of e-cigs.

E-cigs and ejuice are available in a number of fruit flavors including banana, watermelon, pineapple, and grape. In addition to these flavors, many ejuices are available in exotic flavors such as passion fruit, mango and lychee as well as in a cocktail of fruit flavors. The fruit flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens. Advertisements for fruit flavored e-cigs and ejuices include bright backgrounds that seek to draw all the attention to the fruits. Images of fruits slicing through water much helps convey a sense of freshness and purity to the product. If not for the brand name or the image of ejuice bottle by the side of the fruit, it would be easy to mistake many of the ads under this theme for ads by the food industry.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway product for children and teens. There is now growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1.

With the Federal Drug Administration proposing not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products. Some public health advocates are calling flavored e-cigs and vape juices the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-e-cigarette-use.html

Spices & Nuts – img24042

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E-cigs and vapor liquids are available in a number of appealing flavors including spice and nut flavors. The flavored additives in the vape juice help mask the bitterness of tobacco and the nicotine serves to addict teens.

The most commonly advertised spices in e-cig ads include clove, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and gingseng. Vapor juices are also available in almond, pecan, and hazelnut flavors. Many of the ads seem to be photostock images of spices and nuts to which the image of a bottle of vapor juice has been added. The flavors promoted also include some sweet dessert flavors. For instance, Kali’s Coconut Burfi, which combines coconuts, cardamom and cinnamon, is an extremely popular dessert in India that is often made during the festival season. Similarly, Rama’s Ras Malai, a combination of rose petals, almond and milk, is a very popular dessert in India.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs1. The widespread use of flavored e-cigs by teens have some public health advocates calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Meat & Pizza – img24061

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A patently obvious device used by e-cigarette (e-cig) companies to attract teens is the promotion of youth-oriented flavors. In its flavored product lines, e-cig manufacturers have far exceeded the flavorings used by the combustible tobacco industry. Almost every flavor addictive available in the market is available as a vapor juice including pizza, bacon and meat.

Flavored cigarettes and flavored tobacco have long been held to be gateway products for children and teens. There is now a growing concern that the use of flavored e-cigs by youth could lead to them experimenting with regular cigarettes. In a recent study, researchers at UCSF who analyzed data from the 2011 and 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that adolescents who used e-cigs were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking1. In another study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found rates of e-cig use among U.S. youth more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, with 10 percent of high school students admitting to having used e-cigs. Almost 76% of youth who had tried an e-cig had also tried a regular cigarette. Altogether, in 2012 more than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigs2. The use of flavored e-cigs by teens seems so widespread that some public health advocates are calling it the “Trojan horse” of nicotine addiction.

With the Federal Drug Administration opting not to ban flavors in e-cigs, advocates fear that flavored e-cigs will serve to entice a new generation of kids to become addicted to nicotine based products.

1. UCSF: E-cigarettes: Gateway to Nicotine Addiction for U.S. Teens, Says UCSF Study. Available at https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/03/112316/e-cigarettes-gateway-nicotine-addiction-us-teens-says-ucsf-study

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). E-cigarette use more than doubles among U.S. middle and high school students from 2011-2012. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0905-ecigarette-use.html

Socializing – img17818

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As the dangers of smoking become too hard to ignore and the manipulative ways of the tobacco industry come to light, electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), which contain no tobacco and produce no second hand smoke, are on the verge of becoming the new norm. They are being positioned as the best, socially acceptable, smoking alternative for someone addicted to nicotine.

To promote the social acceptability of e-cigs, advertisements under this theme allude to the freedom to vape an e-cig anywhere without guilt or fear of health consequences. A Veppo Social ad shows two couples having a good time at a club with their e-cig. Veppo e-cig claims its product helps keep the consumer “ in the conversation, inside and in the moment.” An ad for Fin has an image of empty bar stools at a diner with the caption “Welcome Back.” The ad is a clear call to smokers that it is acceptable to vape an e-cig indoors. An ad for Blu vapor lounge shows a number of teens having fun at a Blu sponsored musical event. Some e-cig retailers have even created green “e-cig smoking” okay signs to be displayed in public areas and indoor spaces to indicate to consumers that it is acceptable to vape in that particular area.

Some of the ads under this theme also have images of consumers vaping in front of young children. For instance an ad for Regal e-cigs shows a father with a beer in one hand and an e-cig in another toasting his son during a family brunch. The text of the ad reads, “Find out how James can Smoke Anywhere. Learn More.” An ad for Flavor Vapes, which is inspired by Mad Men and the style of the 1960s, has a woman blowing e-cig vapor into a baby carriage and an ad for Eversmoke contains the image of a woman vaping in front of two young children. The headline of the ad reads, “The Better Smoking Choice. Keep Yourself and Family Healthy.” The images of individuals vaping in front of young children is intended to send a clear signal to consumers about the “guilt-free” nature of the product as well as showcase the absence of second hand smoke with its attendant ill effects. The use of children in e-cig ads is also not surprising. In the 1940s, it was a common ploy used by the cigarette industry to reaffirm the respectability of the product and send a reassuring message to consumers. This time too, it is no different.

For young non-smokers as well as social smokers, e-cigs are also positioned as socially attractive devices. Blu e-cigs recently launched a “smart pack” that alerts users of Blu to others users of the e-cig within 50 meters. The reusable packs, which serve as a charger for the cigarettes, can be set to exchange information about their owners, like contact information on social networking sites, that can be downloaded onto personal computers. The e-cig pack is a new age way to promote social smoking in an era of social networking.

Romance – img17901

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Romance and electronic cigarettes? This is precisely what e-cig brands are promoting in many of their advertisements. Many ads under this theme work e-cigs into the everyday lives of couples, seemingly bringing couples closer together or enhancing their sexual connection.

A video ad for Blu Cigs, which featured celebrity Jenny McCarthy vaping at a lounge, has her telling the audience that now that she switched to e-cigs to improve her dating life. The ad has Jenny dramatically point out that smoking was a big turnoff for men and she hated having to “interrupt” her dates to have to go outside to catch a smoke. If the ad is to be believed, switching to e-cigs completely revitalized Jenny’s love life.”

Many of the ads in this category target women, capitalizing on the stereotypical female desire to find a husband or be taken care of by a man. Some of the ads also dispel the fear of women, who may have been concerned about the yellowed teeth and bad breath from the use of conventional tobacco products, by suggesting that they are “kissable.” These ads and the slogan are very reminiscent of the Old Gold's “Keep Kissable” campaign.

Some of these ads are also effective for men, who would imagine, after seeing one of the ads, that a woman sensuously falls into a man's arms with just the whiff of a cigarette or the mingling of fumes.

Valentine's Day – img22735

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The electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry has taken every opportunity to associate itself with holidays and cultural symbols, which bring to mind happy times and celebration. Cherished patriotic and cultural icons can be found in a number of e-cig ads. Among the innumerable examples are George Washington, Mt. Rushmore, British royalty, the US flag, the Statue of Liberty, soldiers, astronauts, Santa Claus, and even the beloved family pet.

Events such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s and Father’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all promoted through discounts and contests. An ad by Green Smoke for Valentine’s Day has an e-cig positioned behind chocolate dipped strawberries. The slogan for the ad reads, “Give your Lover The Valentine’s Day Gift of a Lifetime.” Many ads celebrating Father’s Day and Mother’s Day contain messages of the healthfulness of the product and seek to encourage users to switch from traditional cigarettes to the electronic device. An NJOY ad, timed for Father's Day, contains the image of a father and son sitting beside each other on a paddleboat. The text of the ad read “some traditions shouldn't be passed down. Switch today.”

Our collection also includes several advertisements of Santa Claus enjoying an e-cig. E-cigs have also been displayed as stocking stuffers, Christmas ornaments, and as reindeers.

Digital Names – img19552

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A strong brand name is invaluable in marketing a product and creating trust among the intended target audience. Most brands carefully choose brand names and logos that speak to their strength, as well as provide the company a competitive edge.

Many electronic Cigarette (e-cig) manufacturers have digital names not only to differentiate themselves from combustible cigarette products but to serve as a reminder that they are less harmful and more sophisticated technology. By marketing e-cig as the hot new gadget with innovative technology, e-cig companies have a strategy that goes beyond the usual freedom and health claim. This sub-theme of e-cig commercials is focused on e-cig companies using high-tech/digital culture as inspiration in naming their products and companies in order to reach this market and use this marketing angle. For instance, the e-cig brand name “Tesla” subliminally communicates the message that like the environmentally friendly, “zero emission car,” the vapor from the Tesla e-cig is safe. The brand names DigiCig, Magnum Volt and Innovapetion are a reminder individuals of the high-tech nature of the e-cig and the innovativeness of the product. Some of these attempts to imitate the tech industry are more obvious, such as the iSmok electronic cigarette, a product/company name clearly intended to evoke the popular Apple products. Another blatant example is an accessory named the “Tesla” sold by the company iVape (which, in itself, is another imitation of the “i” Apple product line). There are many “2.0” references, with “Smoking 2.0” a common motif amongst these product/company names, as they intend to evoke an advancement, or an innovation, in order to position their e-cig as that advancement. The brand names are supported by advertising images of e-cigs with variable voltage batteries, chargers and blue-tooth compatibility.

Connected eCigs – img19691

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In a nation increasingly absorbed in its gadgets, more and more communications is taking place through technology than in-person. Especially for adolescents, a large fraction of their life is played out through social media channel. Since smoking is often described as a social activity; an excuse to spend a break with coworkers, a chance to grab some “fresh air” with friends, or a reason to strike up a conversation with that cute stranger outside the bar, it makes sense that hi-tech e-cig companies are also promoting social connectedness through their device.

Some e-cig manufacturers have created hi-tech devices that allow individuals to connect their device to their phone- to track usage, tweet usage information, and promote social connectedness.
Smokio, which claims to be the “first connected electronic cigarette,” contains a small microchip that transmits data to an app available for both Android and iOS platforms. The e-cig can then be connected to a Smartphone through Bluetooth. The device tracks usage, giving the user updates on the number of times they vape as well as the cost of the habit. And to provide a social incentive, Smokio lets users post updates about their progress to Twitter and Facebook. Even the way that the brand name is written (SMOKiO) is very similar to the way that Apple’s operating system is written iOS.

Kosmo is a start-up e-cig company that also offers individuals the opportunity to track their usage. The Kosmo dashboard allows the individuals to set personal goals, including cessation goals, which can be tracked over time. A LED light on the device allows the user to know when he/she has consumed the equivalent of a conventional cigarette. As is the trend with hi-tech devices these days, the product allows for social integration thus allowing users to connect with family and friends.

There are also a number of e-cig apps including e-cig usage calculators and do-it-yourself juice calculators. The DYI juice calculators enable consumers to become their own vapologist and mix their own unique flavors and create their own recipes. In addition to this, there are also several apps that aggregate e-cig coupons and promote the best deal of the day.

For young non-smokers as well as social smokers, e-cigs are also positioned as socially attractive devices. Blu e-cigs recently launched a “smart pack” that alerts users of Blu to others users of the e-cig within 50 meters. The reusable packs, which serve as a charger for the cigarettes, can be set to exchange information about their owners, like contact information on social networking sites, that can be downloaded onto personal computers. The e-cig pack is a new age way to promote social smoking in an era of social networking.

Print ads and video promotions for these products highlight the technological advancements of the devices. The ads show Bluetooth devices as well as USB wall chargers, and battery packs.

Accessories – img19717

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The Electronic cigarette (e-cig) industry has spawned a lucrative e-cig accessories market. Like most other fashion accessories, e-cig brands and retailers, promote the accessories as an opportunity for individuals to emphasize their personal taste and freedom. Accessories being sold include carriers for e-cigs including handbags, pouches, and lanyards; crystals stickers for the metallic body of the e-cig; removable wrapper covers in a range of designs from the ever popular Hello Kitty to the more obscure image of multi-colored Geckos; and decorative drip tips for Advanced Personalized Vapor devices.

Some e-cig companies such as Vapor Couture and White Cloud sell a number of branded accessories including crystal tips, lanyards, handbags, and even promote them as “necessary,” “everyday” fashion items through online boards such as Pinterest. In promotions, targeted specifically to women through Facebook and Pinterest, the two brands have even created a fashion board that puts together different kinds of dresses, shoes, and of course e-cig accessories and e-cigs.

While many companies sell an array of e-cig accessories, Vapor Jacket exclusively markets adhesive-backed e-cig wrappers. The site provides instructions to users on how they can use the product. Wrapper themes range from religious to sexy to plain.

Feminine Glamour – img18695

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There are an enormous variety of female images in electronic cigarette (e-cig) advertising, ranging from pictures of a frumpily dressed older woman, to macho women on powerful machines, to thoroughly sexualized and eroticized depictions. These ads target women who envy the advertised image and aspire to be that person and they also target men who want to be with the women in the advertisements.

As often seen with the female form in ads, the images of women in many of the e-cig ads are of highly idealized body forms. These women are tall and thin with flawless skin and a perfect body that most women envy. In an ad for NutriCigs slim, a skinny woman showcasing her perfectly flat belly rests on the beach. The text of the ad reads, “Eat Less and Satisfy your Cravings.”

In some of these ads the female form is broken down to focus on a specific “perfect” body part. In ads for e-cigs the most common body part focused on are the lips. In many of these ads the lips are clearly defined with brightly colored lipstick that serves to bring into sharper focus the vapor that surrounds the lips. An ad for Hookah Portable focuses on a glittery jewel crusted lip of a woman who is seen vaping. To show the woman as one belonging to elite society, she is seen wearing a white glove. The image in a Vype Vapor ad is of dark red lips and a small stream of vapor. The woman in the ad transmits sensuality and desire. The message is very clear: if you want to be sensuous like that woman, all you have to do is buy the e-cig. It is not only ads but also packaging that focus on a woman’s lips as her most desirable attribute. One of the packs for Alchemy e-cigs has the image of red lips blowing out vapor.

There are also frequent images of female body parts such as the hands, legs or awkwardly attached body parts. An ad for Sky cigarette focuses primarily on the hands of a woman holding the e-cig, her face has been cut-off the ad. The ad seems to imply that what truly matters about the woman is the e-cig in her hand. In a Fin ad, a woman stands on a beach near an old two-seater glider. One of her hands is holding an e-cig while her other arm seems oddly disconnected from the body.

Of course, there are several sexualized and erotic images of women. An ad for PhatomSmoke has a woman suggestively sitting in the bathtub with the e-hookah between her teeth. Her lingerie is carelessly tossed on the rim of the bathtub. An ad for Krave e-cigs has a woman dressed in a bodysuit sitting on a side of a sofa her legs slightly apart as she gazes towards the viewer.

To appeal to women, many of the e-cigs are produced in pastel colors. For instance, Njoy, Vapor Couture, Bloog, V2Cigs, Lady and Super Cigarette are all available in shades of pink. Vapor Couture offers jewel tipped e-cigs especially made for women. To gain the trust and respect of consumers who have increasingly grown to view the tobacco industry as deceptive and lethal, the e-cig industry has supported charitable institutions and issues that are of importance to women. For instance, SouthBeach Smoke as well as Eversmoke donated funds for breast cancer awareness. However, corporate social responsibility sponsorships from e-cig manufacturers to improve public perception ring hollow especially as they e-cig manufacturers use manipulative techniques and misleading claims to lure consumers.

Macho Men – img22828

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The use of macho men in advertisements has been a successful strategy used by the tobacco industry to capture the male market. In fact till date, the idea of rugged masculinity brings to mind the “Marlboro Man.” The concept of the Marlboro Man was introduced by Philip Morris, the manufacture of the filtered brand of cigarettes, in an attempt to change brand perception that filtered cigarettes were meant only for “sissies.” The ad was so well received that the relationship between masculinity and smoking quickly caught on national conscience. The concept was successfully used in the United States from 1954 to 1999 and in developing countries for even longer.

Leading electronic cigarette (e-cig) manufacturer Blu has recreated the machismo of the “Marlboro Man” in its advertisements featuring actor Stephen Dorff. Much like the campaign that it is inspired by, the ads seem to project and celebrate the success of a mature, rugged person, who worked hard for his success. In these ads, Stephen Dorff espouses themes of freedom, independence, success and adventure; concepts that are very appealing to men. In one of the ads, Stephen Dorff asks other men to “Rise from the Ashes.” “After 20 years of smoking, I’ve taken back my freedom…. C’mon guys, we’re all adults. Isn’t it time to rise from the ashes,” he asks?

An ad for V2 Cigs has the image of a cowboy riding the desert alone in his motorbike. Bull Smoke e-cig’s website has the image of a cattle rancher kicking up a dust storm as he gallops along the dry desert, with a rifle in his hand. While the rancher does not have an e-cig in his mouth, it is patently obvious that the brand is being marketed to rugged, masculine men.

In most advertisements featuring macho men, the size of the vapor plume from the e-cig seems to be central to some of the ads but women occupy a secondary position if at all they appear in the ad.

Children – img17872

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Children have played a huge role in tobacco advertising over the decades and now appear in a number of electronic cigarette (e-cig) advertisements. The images of children fulfill multiple purposes for e-cig advertisers.

Depictions of children with their mothers or fathers in cigarette ads reinforced the respectability of smoking as a part of normal family life, a perception often promulgated by the tobacco industry. Further, the images of youngsters tended to send a reassuring message to consumers about the healthfulness of the product. For instance an ad for Flavor Vapes has the image of a mother blowing vapor from her e-cig into her baby’s carriage. The ad is intended to represent the purity and safety of the product- concepts, which can be dangerous when tied to e-cig products.

Finally, these depictions of children are an obvious ploy to attract females to smoking as part of the industry's campaign to expand the pool of women smokers. An ad for EverSmoke has a mother smoking in front of two children alongside the slogan, “ The Better Smoking Choice. Keep Yourself & Family Healthy.”

African Americans & Multiracial – img22274

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The tobacco industry has a long history of targeting the African-American community. It has successfully marketed its product to African-Americans through market research, aggressive advertising with special products, imagery and themes, and sampling.

The “industry’s investment” in the community has led to this population suffering the greatest burden of tobacco related mortality of any ethnic or racial group in the United States. 1

While electronic cigarette (e-cig) companies have not yet developed specific campaigns targeting this population, there are a number of ads that feature African-Americans. In many of these ads, African-Americans are shown as successful individuals and leaders.

The ads also feature critical moments in the history of America. For instance, an ad for Fin, is of an empty diner that is an eerie reminder of a time of segregation. In February 1960 a group of black students from A&T North Carolina College were refused service because they sat in seats reserved for white people. The slogan accompanying the ad says, “Welcome Back?” An ad for Green Smoke contains the image of Martin Luther King as he prepared to give his famous, “I have a Dream” speech.

Another way that e-cigs are following in the step of combustible tobacco companies in targeting African Americans is through the sales and promotion of mentholated products. Almost all the major e-cig companies offer mentholated cartridges and vape juices.

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tobacco Use Among U.S. Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups — African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics: A Report of the Surgeon General. 1998.

Cheaper Than Cigarettes – img23627

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One of e-cigarettes biggest advantage over traditional cigarettes is its price. Because e-cigs don’t contain any tobacco, they are currently only subject to sales tax instead of the hefty cigarette tax and state tax to which conventional cigarette products are subject. As e-cig manufacturers try to lure consumers away from conventional cigarette products and create new consumers, they hard sell the lower cost of vaping on their packs, displays, and in their promotional materials.

E-cigs are sold in the following pack sizes: single disposables, pack of 3 disposables, a pack of 5 e-cigs, and starter packs that includes a rechargeable pack, rechargeable batteries and at least 5 flavor cartridges. Manufacturers claim that each e-cig is equivalent to 1-3 packs of conventional cigarettes. An advertisement for Metro e-cigarettes suggests savings by stating that an e-cig is equal to three packs of conventional cigarettes. A blog for Blu e-cigs claim that those who switch from conventional cigarettes to e-cigs can over the long term see a savings of 50% with e-cigs. 21st Century Smoke claims that a 6 pack of Express cartridges is equivalent to 6 packs (each pack containing 20 cigarettes) of traditional cigarettes. According to the website, the cost of 6 packs of traditional cigarettes is approximately $ 300 while a six-pack cartridge of 21st Century Smoke is $ 15.99._

To encourage customers to discover their savings, many e-cig manufacturers and retailers offer a cost comparison between traditional cigarettes and e-cigs and some even have a savings calculator that lets the individual determine savings after taking into account how much the individual pays for a pack of cigarettes and how much they smoke a day. There are also several Apps that consumers can download on their phones that will estimate their savings by switching to e-cigs. However, these savings calculators do not provide a complete picture. For instance, they do not calculate the cost that vapors spend every month on buying vape juice, batteries or accessories.

The e-cig industry is built on the dynamics of the razor/razorblade model. As per this business model, the industry offers consumers their starter-kits and rechargeable packs at a lower rate but makes money by keeping consumers coming back for e-nicotine juices, batteries and specialized accessories. It is in selling these flavored cartridges, replacement batteries and accessories that e-cig manufacturers make the most money. For instance, a pack of five cartomizers from NJOY costs $ 21.99 while the total cost of 5 NJOY cigarettes is only slightly more at $ 29.99. A Fin e-cig starter case, which consists of a rechargeable battery, a flavored cartomizer, and a USB charger costs $ 15.99, the same cost as a pack of 5 Fin cartomizers. In employing this strategy and charging a premium for flavored cartridges, e-cig manufacturers are basing their pricing strategy on the premise of brand loyalty. Of course, for many this is a winning strategy.

But e-cigs are designed to accept flavor cartridges and vape juice prepared by any manufacturer. The downfall to using the razor/razor blade strategy as has been seen in the printer-ink business (people often buy cheaper ink cartridges for brand- named printers) consumers can choose to fill their more expensive Blu or NJOY e-cig cartridge with cheaper vape juices.

Some other unique ways in which e-cig manufacturers advertise savings include a “home delivery” service. In this service, just as you would order monthly refills for household staples, you can pre-order monthly refills of e-cigarette cartridges. SouthBeach Smoking and Eversmoke, two e-cigarette manufacturers that offer this program, offer a 20% discount to customers for sign up for this loyalty program. Of course, while it offers savings for the individual, it is also a great ploy to build brand loyalty and gain the higher margins from repeated sales of the more expensive e-cig cartridges. _

Other savings that e-cig manufacturers promote in their promotional materials include the savings incurred by not having to buy room fresheners to remove smoke odor from indoor spaces, money saved by not having to buy chewing gum to freshen a smoker’s breath, and gas savings because e-cigarettes last longer than a conventional cigarette.

Eco-Friendly – img18049

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At a time when everyone’s mantra is to “go green,” it is no surprise to see the e-cigarette industry’s marketing machine clamor to announce that its products are environmentally conscious and much better for an individual’s health and the environment than conventional cigarette products.

First, most e-cigs companies point to the fact that since their products do not produce any smoke but only emit a vapor, it is less polluting than conventional tobacco products. For instance, Green Smoke says it “aspires to create a greener planet” by offering a cigarette that has no second-hand smoke, no ash and no risk of fire.” SouthBeach Smoke also equates the healthier, i.e. no carcinogens and no smoke aspect of e-cigs to being a more eco-friendly product.

To promote the image of being an earth-friendly product, e-cigarettes are appropriately branded with subliminal brand names such as Green Smoke, Eco-Cigs, Ever Smoke, EverGreen Vapor, Enviro, and Green Nicotine. Many of the ads for these products also use terms such as “additive-free,” “organic” and “eco-friendly” to imply that the ingredients are “pure” and not harmful to the individual or the environment. For instance, Green Nicotine e-cig manufacturer’s claim to being environmentally friendly comes from the fact that its manufacturing processes uses green techniques by restricting the use of “hazardous materials” and incorporating “pure” materials. However, it is important to note that since e-cigs are unregulated, there is no standard definition of the purity of nicotine or flavoring ingredients used in these products.

To further suggest, the green nature of the product, the packaging is plastered with green leaf symbols and shades of green predominate the advertisement and e-cig package. In a Green Smoke advertisement, a woman with apple green colored lips is seen holding an e-cigarette near her lips. The ad seems to suggest that the e-cig is as safe as a lipstick for a woman. In another ad for Green Smoke, a man is seen enjoying the freshness and pure air of a mountaintop with an e-cig between his lips. The text of the advertisement reads, “Enjoy your nicotine. No Lighter. No Fire. No Mess.” An advertisement for EverSmoke that showcases the company’s diverse products has the following text, “Healthy for You. Green for the Environment.” A Green Nicotine advertisement shows a single e-cig against the backdrop of a lush green moss lawn.

E-cig companies are also eager to make the point that since its products are mostly reusable they aren’t thrown away like traditional cigarette butts that pile up in landfills and pollute the environment. However, the eco-friendly nature of e-cigs warrants a closer investigation. E-cigs contain several plastic and metal components that need to be properly disposed. In addition to this, the nickel-cadmium or lithium batteries used in e-cigs need to be properly disposed in e-waste recycling bin instead of the general trash. While some e-cig manufacturers offer “recycling programs” to promote proper disposal of e-waste, it is unclear how many consumers take the time to invest in such programs. When e-cigs don’t get properly disposed they are as much a pollutant as traditional cigarettes.

Recycling – img23041

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If you think about it, there is really nothing natural about an electronic cigarette (e-cig). The device contains plastic and metal and the nicotine used in the cartridges and vape juices is highly processed. Yet, many e-cigs companies market their devices as “natural” and “additive free.” The term “natural” is used in a positive manner and although the term is not related to “organic” there are studies to show that people imagine that natural products are regulated in a manner similar to organic products.

Electronic Cigarettes differ from traditional combustible cigarettes by material makeup. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals in which about 50 of them are carcinogenic and 400 other toxic materials. Some of the well-known toxins are nicotine, tar, acetone, butane and carbon monoxide. None of which are earth friendly or recyclable. The actual materials that hold in these chemicals are composed of fibers that can be derived organically or manufactured. Examples include, clear cellulose, chalk, gum, starch, citrate, flax, rice hemp or cotton. It has been documented that cigarette butts make up 38% of the worlds litter and approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded each year.

Electronic cigarettes are comprised of completely different materials. A modern e-cig consists of a lithium battery, cartomizer, LED Lights, mouthpiece. Materials that make these elements are not environmentally friendly because of the non-compostable material makeup.

Road Shows – img19298

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The electronic cigarette (eCig) industry has taken a multipronged approach to build consumers, including aggressive advertising, celebrity endorsements, and sampling through road shows. It is well documented that sampling is one of the most powerful devices used by manufacturers to get their product into the hands of hundreds of potential consumers in a place where there are most likely to try it.

 

Electronic cigarette brands including NJOY, South Beach Smoke, BeautiCig, Fin, and VitaCig have all used road shows in the past year to promote their product. According to a Senate Report that examined eCig marketing of the 6 leading brands, in 2012-2013, the brands provided free samples at 348 events. Apart from offering free samples at these road shows, the brands also provide information on their product and offer additional freebies and incentives.

 

While eCig companies claim that they do not target youth, from posts on social media sites, it is patently obvious that they are using sampling as a device to hook teenagers. Sexily dressed women and men are recruited by these brands to offer free samples at crowded places frequented by youth including beaches and parks. Some of the trucks are also designed to appeal to kids and youth. For instance, VitaCig’s “vape truck,” looks very similar to an ice cream truck. It is a relief that the Food and Drug Administration, which set out to regulate the eCig industry for the first time with its proposed regulations in April 2014. While eCig companies may no longer use road shows to offer samples of their products, it is not hard to imagine that they will continue to use it to attract youth.

Disclaimers – img23607

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Some electronic cigarette (eCig) manufacturers have voluntarily added warning labels to product packages and advertising images. However, since the eCig industry is not yet mandated to include warning labels, there is a lack of uniformity in the warning labels, which could potentially be very confusing to consumers.

For instance, Mark Ten eCig, which is manufactured by Altria, has a black box warning label on eCig packages. A black box warning in pharmaceutical products is analogous to death. The warning label, describes nicotine as “very toxic.” In fact, it is surprising to note that the warning on the eCig product is more stringent than the government mandated warning label that Altria has on the package of its combustible tobacco product. The warning label on Green Smoke eCig website, a brand also owned by Altria, is far less threatening. It just states that nicotine is “addictive.”

Warning labels included by most eCig brands are generally mild. Eonsmoke’s warning is: “SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health. NOT TO BE SOLD TO MINORS!” Blu eCig’s has already adopted the proposed warning label proposed by the FDA, which states, “WARNING: This product contains nicotine derived from tobacco. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.”

Warning labels were first required on cigarettes by the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965, and the Tobacco Control Act expanded FDA’s authority to also prohibit false and misleading labeling and advertising for cigarettes, such as claims that a product reduces harm.

Cigalikes – img18981

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There are two different styles of e-cigarettes available in the market. E-cigs that look like technologically advanced pens and smart phones and e-cigs that look and feel much like a traditional cigarette. It is under this latter category that brands such as NJOY, Premium Ecigs, Play Vapor and Real Feel belong.

For many heavy smokers, every detail of the smoking experience from the way the cigarette feels in their hand, to the taste and smell of the product, to the way it burns the throat, to how they ash it contributes to their smoking pleasure. Some studies have shown that if these sensations are removed that smoking satisfaction decreases.

In tempting these heavy smokers to switch over to e-cigs, many eCig brands are trying to mimic as much of the taste and feel of conventional cigarettes as they can. For instance both Real and NJOY are so closely designed to imitate a traditional cigarette that they include a faux gold ring, cartridge color and a tip that resembles glowing embers. NJOY and Metro eCigs are also designed to be the same size as a conventional cigarette. NJOY manufacturers are also working to get the eCig to weigh the same as a conventional cigarette.

For many heavy smokers, eCigs miss the mark because they don’t produce a throat hit, the burn at the back of your throat when you smoke. While eCig manufacturers are getting better at imitating this feature of conventional cigarettes too, for the moment it still isn’t there.

Nicotine – img20667

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Electronic cigarettes, which are often advertised as an alternative to conventional cigarettes and sometimes advertised as a cessation product, are available in a variety of nicotine levels. Based on the nicotine level of the eCig, a single eCig can have as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes. It is the highly addictive nature of nicotine that makes smokers crave another cigarette and keeps many from quitting.

The nicotine in eCigs is usually mixed with solvents such as propylene glycol and glycerin. To this base solution is added a number of sweetened flavorings such as peach schnapps, root beer, cotton candy, and chocolate to make the product more palatable to its consumers. The liquid nicotine is available to consumers as prefilled cartridges or small refill bottles (think of this in terms of printer ink refills).

Many ads for liquid nicotine highlight the pleasant fruity taste of the liquid. For instance, an ad for NicQuid contains the image of circle sliced up and each segment filled with lushly colored fruits and vegetables. Another ad for NicQuid contains no image of liquid nicotine solution. Instead the central image is of a glass of strawberry and peach smoothie and the title “Southern Freeze”. These images are obviously intended to subliminally convey the healthfulness of the product. An ad for NicVape contains the image of small bottles of liquid nicotine and fresh fruits slicing through the water. This image is very similar to ads used by the food industry to promote flavored waters and electrolytes. Again the image is used to connote the freshness of the product and its purity.

Bottles and cartridges of vape juice are usually labeled according to their nicotine content per milliliter. Products labeled as “extra strong/very high” contain 36mg of nicotine, “strong/high” contain 24 mg of nicotine, “regular/medium” contain 16 mg of nicotine, “light/ low” contains 11 mg of nicotine, “ultra light/very low” contains 8 mg of nicotine or “zero/no nicotine” if they are nicotine free.

While it is true that eCigs deliver nicotine with much lower levels of many of the toxins found in conventional cigarette products, since it is not yet regulated by the FDA the chemicals found in these products and the purity of the nicotine vary widely. Some recent studies have also found that there was a significant difference between the advertised and true levels of nicotine in the cartridges and refill solutions. A study1 also found traces of nicotine in products labeled as “no nicotine.” The lack of regulation and wrongly labeled products can mislead consumers looking to kick their smoking addiction by vaping eCigs.

References:
1. Goniewicz ML, Kuma T, Gawron M, Knysak J, Kosmider L (2012) Nicotine Levels in Electronic Cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res Apr 22.

eHookahs – img24646

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Hookahs also known as Nargile or Shisha are extremely popular with teenagers because of the social appeal of the product (it is seen as a cultural activity that you often do in large groups) and the mistaken impression that it is safer than traditional cigarettes. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 1 in 5 adolescents have used a hookah or smoked a cigar. 1According to the CDC2, hookah smoking has “many of the same health risks” as cigarette smoking. Other studies have also shown that hookahs — which use specially made tobacco known as shisha, available in a variety of fruit and candy flavors — deliver tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide in even higher doses than regular cigarettes.

Now e-hookahs are becoming very popular. E-hookahs are available in a variety of styles. Some companies such as VaporX and Hooka Stik manufacture hookah pens that look very similar to e-cigarettes. Other manufacturers like 777 manufacture an e-hookah that looks very similar to a traditional hookah. Because e-hookahs are marketed primarily to teenagers, they are available in a variety of fruity flavors such as bubble gum, apple, watermelon, peach, mango, cherry and grape.

Many of the advertisements for e-hookah pens have strong sexual overtones. An ad for phantom smoke has a voluptuous woman in a suggestive pose in the bathtub with an e-hookah in her lips. In another ad for the company, a scantily clad woman sits on the ground holding the leg of celebrity artist Soulja Boy, who has an e-hookah in his hand. This e-hookah is marketed as the “Soulja Boy Edition.” An ad for Hookah stick has a close-up image of luscious red lips biting into a green apple. An image of “sweet sour apple” flavored e-hookah stik is transposed on top of the apple.

While many e-hookahs juices are available with zero nicotine content, some products contain tobacco, nicotine or other drugs. The social appeal of e-hookah and its easy availability in a wide variety of fruity flavors makes it a public health concern. There is fear that e-hookah vaping could lead consumers to get hooked to other tobacco products including conventional cigarettes.

1. Palamar JJ, Zhou S, Sherman S, Weitzman M. (2014). Hookah Use Among High School Seniors. Pediatrics. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/07/01/peds.2014-0538.full.pdf+html

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Hookahs. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/hookahs/

Auto Racing – img21060

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The growing popularity of e-cigarettes has led its manufacturers to leave no stone unturned
in marketing to consumers. Taking a page out of the tobacco advertising playbook used in the mid 20th century, e-cigarette (eCig) manufacturers are using celebrity endorsements to drum up enthusiasm for their products and hook teenagers. With celebrities endorsing eCigs, billed as the “healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes,” smoking or in this case vaping of eCigs has become a fashion statement once again.

As there are no marketing restrictions on eCigs, slick television ads of celebrities puffing away on their personal vaporizers frequently bombard the airwaves. In Blu’s campaign, Stephen Dorff and Jenny McCarthy urge people to take back their independence with the slogan “Rise from the Ashes.” The Blu ads featuring Dorff are so popular that he has become synonymous with the brand. In a recent interview, he said that people come up to him all the time and ask about the Blu e-cigarette. “I’m like the Blu man group,” Dorff said in the interview. In the ad featuring McCarthy, black and white shots of her exhaling smoke, highlight the blue tip of Blu eCigs and make the entire experience look cool. In the ad, she goes on to say the best part of her e-cigarette is that she can use it ‘‘without scaring that special someone away’’ and can avoid kisses that ‘‘taste like an ashtray’’ when she’s out at her favorite club. Ads for eCig manufacturer NJOY feature rocker Courtney Love, in an expletive-laced ad, in which supporters of indoor smoking bans are portrayed as “stuffy” and “stuck-up,” while
the rocker is portrayed as free-spirited and independent. eCig companies have even photoshopped ysteryear celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, John Lennon using their products in ads.

Apart from direct endorsements by celebrities, there have also been subtle attempts by
celebrities to promote eCigs in movies and television shows. In an appearance on the David
Letterman show, Katherine Heigl was seen vaping a Smokestik and proclaiming that she was
addicted to the product, but it “wasn’t bad for you”. When CBS’s Two Broke Girls accosted their new, noisy upstairs neighbor, they were greeted at the door by Jennifer Coolidge with an eCig in
hand. Sean Penn was seen vaping an Njoy while talking about his work at Haiti at the Clinton Global
Initiative.

Much like big tobacco in the past, eCig companies are exploiting their association with Hollywood. eCig manufacturers waste no opportunity in posting pictures of celebrities and films that use their products through their social media channels and websites. For instance, Blu eCig’s Facebook page has a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio smoking what they claim is a Blu eCig while filming Django Unchained. Blu eCig’s website asks its customers to take a look at a film called “Plurality” because of the use of their eCig in the film and provide a web link to the film’s trailer as well as a synopsis.

The insidious practice by big tobacco companies to use celebrity endorsements and testimonials for hawking their products was the norm during the 1920s to 1960s. The practice ended only in 1964 when the FDA banned it.

1. Eliott, S. (2013, August 29). E-Cigarette Makers’ Ads Echo Tobacco’s Heyday. New York Times.
Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/business/media/e-cigarette-makers-ads-
echo-tobaccos-heyday.html.

2. Johnson, G.A. (2013, October 16). Stephen Dorff: Actor a hot commodity in ads, films. San
Francisco Chronicle. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Stephen-Dorff-Actor-a-
hot-commodity-in-ads-films-4901477.php

Skoal – img18945

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Smokeless tobacco product use and promotions are on the rise in the United States. Several factors have contributed to the growth in the smokeless tobacco market including availability of flavors, attractive pricing and availability to use anywhere.1

Skoal, which is owned by US Smokeless Tobacco Co., is the third most popular smokeless tobacco product in the US with a market share of 19.8%. Skoal is available in several flavors apart from natural tobacco including mint, wintergreen, peach, vaniall, berry, apple, and cherry. Internal tobacco documents show that as early as 1968, Skoal representatives understood the appeal of flavors among adolescents. A meeting summary quotes a Skoal representative commenting on the addition of candy flavoring to skoal. “Cherry Skoal is for somebody who likes the taste of candy, if you know what I mean.” “Starter” products are the first step on the so-called “graduation” process from beginner-strength to stronger smokeless products.”2

Skoal ads commonly appealed to sociability, masculinity, and individuality. The ads were marketed towards males. Even when the ads included women, the female models were there to attract men. Examples of such ads include the 12 pages of advertising that Skoal purchased in Playboy that had scantily dressed female models lying on cans of skoal.

A content analysis of Skoal ads found that many of the ads emphasized pleasure and were targeted to young boys. These ads featured young men relaxing by a campfire or taking thrill rides on ATVs – themes and images likely to appeal to teenage boys. The message of these ads were that in order to have fun you need to chew skoal.2 The Skoal ads appeared in recent issues of publications popular among young men and teen boys, including Sports Illustrated, Car and Driver and Maxim.

1. Delnevo, Cristine D., et al. “Examining market trends in the United States smokeless tobacco use: 2005–2011.” Tobacco Control 23.2 (2014): 107-112.
Tobacco Free Kids.(1997) Tobacco-Free Kids Questions U.S. Tobacco Decision to Remove Skoal Name from Rock Concert Ads. Available at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press_releases/post/id_0105

Copenhagen – ing5865

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Copenhagen is a brand of smokeless tobacco owned by Altria. Similar to other brands of chewing tobacco, advertisements for Copenhagen are primarily aimed at rugged, outdoorsy men and young boys. The ads feature rural and outdoor settings, men in cowboy hats, or macho men taking on tough tasks. An example includes a Copenhagen ad featuring an image of a cowboy working in the rain. “Some men never compromise. They Cope.” Another ad features the rough hands of a man dipping into a can of Copenhagen. The text reads, “”Real men know you don't just count the years, but make the years count.”

Grizzly – ing23633

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In 2015, 25.3% of high school students reported current use of any tobacco product and 6% reported use of smokeless tobacco. Among middle school students, 7.4% reported use of any tobacco product and 1.8% reported use of a smokeless tobacco.1

Grizzly, owned by Reynolds American Inc, has the largest market share of moist smokeless brands.2 It is the most popular brand of moist snuff among adolescents.3Grizzly products are available in natural, mint, and wintergreen flavors. The 1.2-ounce Grizzly Long-Cut Wintergreen rang up the most dollar and unit sales in large chain stores. 2

Most Grizzly ads are targeted at men. The ads refer to outdoor adventures such as hunting and fishing. Use of models are limited in these ads. The main focus of the ad is on the Grizzly cans and the accompanying slogan. In this section, you will find Grizzly ads targeted at teens that send the message that you can’t be a real man without chewing Grizzly. Example includes, “May cause the urge to act like a man,” and “Coasters are for people who put their drink down.”

Recently, Grizzly has run a series of advertisements with the tagline “tellin’ it like it is.” This series of ads uses sarcastic phrases as advice about how to be “manly” or “macho.” Examples of ads from this campaign include, “Out here, firewood does not come pre-bundled.” Another ad states, “Women have shoes. Men have miter saws.”

1. Singh T, Arrazola RA, Corey CG, et al. Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:361–367. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6514a1.
2. CSP daily. (2016). Where the gains are. Available at http://www.cspdailynews.com/category-data/cmh/tobacco/tobacco-smokeless-2016
3. Tobacco Free Kids. (2015). Still Seeking Replacements: How Big Tobacco Targets Kids Today. Available at http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/microsites/replacements/assets/2015_03_17_marketing_report.pdf

Growers – img33991

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Regulation of marijuana farming varies by state and county, with some allowing a certain number of plants, some allowing as many as one needs for personal use, and individual counties banning growth altogether. The state with the largest amount of marijuana production is California, with over 3 times the amount of growing of the next largest states, Tennessee and Kentucky. To parallel this growth in interest, magazines such as “High Times” have turned their attention towards articles and ads that promote the cannabis growing subculture. In addition, hundreds of websites and books, like The Cannabis Grow Bible, are available with guides on how to start growing.

Advertisements targeted towards growers are generally either selling specific seeds so that users can grow their favorite strain at home or selling more general agriculture appliances, like fertilizers, lighting systems for indoor growth, hydroponics, and more. Marijuana seeds can be purchased at most dispensaries, and at seed banks. Buzzwords used in seed advertisements are different than those used in typical cannabis ads. Key words include “feminized, “autoflowering,” and “high yield,” which refer to the reliability and outcome of the seed growth rather than the quality of the cannabis.

https://www.cropkingseeds.com/why-not-buy-marijuana-seeds-from-your-local-dispensaries/
https://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr2/domstprod.html
https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/33-feminized-cannabis-seeds

Cigars – ing5731

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Cigars are often advertised directly to men, and, indeed, are represented as highly masculinized and often genteel. An ad from the Cigar Institute of America in 1963, for example, lets men know that if they “wear a cigar,” they will “look smart.” Masculinity is sometimes approached through sexualization of the cigar, as in the Don Diegos ad from the 1990s featuring a woman sucking on a cigar or the Celesitino Vega ad from the same period, which features a Hawaiian surfer posing at the beach with a giant, phallic surfboard painted to resemble a cigar. Other times, masculinity is portrayed through a more reserved route, as in the 1950s ad from the Cigar Institute of America, which claims that “In the eyes of his own family, every father is a success. And the father who knows cigars knows a very special kind of success.” The family unit and the fatherly figure are referenced often in cigar ads.

In addition, cigars are seen as a means to celebrate. An ad for Antonio y Cleopatra cigars says, “When a moment is worth remembering enjoy a cigar that’s hard to forget.” In the same vein, pink or blue candy cigars are often given to a new father to celebrate the birth of a child.

Beyond these approaches, many cigar ads focus on throat ease, since unlike cigarette smoke, cigar smoke cannot be inhaled due to its high alkalinity. Though these ads advertise health benefits for cigar smoking – Girard says its smoke is mild, so doctors recommend it, and Mell-O-Well calls its smoke “the health cigar” — cigar smoking is associated with higher incidences of oral cancers than cigarette smoking, and nicotine is absorbed in higher levels as well. Still, and ad for White Owl cigars tells you to switch to cigars or pipes “when you can’t give up smoking.” The main reason? No need to inhale. Most misleading, perhaps, is a 1964 ad from the Cigar Institute of America, which proclaims, incorrectly, “Cigar smokers start young and stay young!”

Cigarillos – ing14517

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The mid 1960’s saw an uptick in the little cigars market. These smaller cigars included flavors apart from tobacco(e.g., cherry, were milder than traditional cigars, and found a market among women. 1

Many of the advertisements in this section emphasize the mildness of the cigar and are targeted to women. In this section, you will come across a series of Tiparillo advertisements. In 1966, Tiparillo launched an advertising series “Should a gentleman offer a Tiparillo to a lady?” While these advertisements were targeted at women, the ads focused more on female acceptance of cigars than use of the product. None of the women in the advertisement are actually seen using the product. A decade later, Tiparillo ran another advertising campaign, this one focused on female use of the product. In this series of advertisements for Tiparillo, the text suggest that times have changed as women have started to enjoy smoking the mild tasting cigar. Another brand, Wolf Brother’s Cherry Little Cigar even had a line in its advertising copy, “She’ll like them too.”

In 1971, RJR introduced its first little cigar, Winchester, which quickly became the largest selling brand of little cigars. The cigars were of the size and shape of cigarettes and contained a “filter tip” that “could easily be inhaled.” In one of its advertisements, a woman with a cowboy hat, her hair pulled around her face to create a mustache, is holding a Winchester cigar. The advertising text suggests that smoking the mild cigar is masculine.

Tobacco industry documents show that tobacco companies used flavors to mask the harshness of natural tobacco and target adolescents. In 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration prohibited the use of characterizing flavors (e.g., cherry, honey) except for mint in cigarettes.2 However, the use of such flavors in cigars, cigarillos and little cigars were not banned by the FDA. The availability of flavors among little cigars and their attractive pricing are making these cigars attractive to teenagers. In 2014, 63.5% of middle and high school students surveyed reported smoking a flavored mini cigar.3

1. Kostygina G, Glantz SA, Ling PM. Tobacco industry use of flavours to recruit new users of little cigars and cigarillos. Tob Con. 2016; 5:66–74.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Press Announcement: Candy and Fruit Flavored Cigarettes Now Illegal in United States; Step is First Under New Tobacco Law. Published September 22, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm183211.htm.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking & Tobacco Use: Cigars. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/cigars/.

Sweet Cigars – ing11094

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There are different types of cigars available in the US- large cigars, cigarillos, and little cigars. Cigarillos are short and narrow cigars that are manufactured in a plethora of flavors ( e.g., peach, mango, cherry, grape, blueberry, wine, & white wine) that are attractively packaged and named to appeal to youth.

In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of characterizing flavors, except for menthol, in cigarettes.1 However, the ban did not extend to other flavored tobacco products including mini cigars and cigarillos. Declines in cigarette consumption were undermined by increases in the use of flavored tobacco products.2

A recent study found alcohol flavors being marketed by 88 unique cigar & cigarillo brands. The major 5 tobacco companies (Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris, Swedish Match, Scandinavian Tobacco Group and Swisher International) produce 15 brands of flavored cigars & cigarillos.2 The use of flavors increases the appeal of the tobacco product by decreasing the harsh taste of tobacco thereby making it easier for an individual to initiate with the product.3

Swisher, Inc., a leading manufacturer of cigarillos, offers a variety of chocolate, strawberry, peach, grape, and other flavored little cigars under the name “Swisher Sweets.” Phillies Cigarillos, another brand, also comes in a number of flavors. At one time, the brand even had a flavor called “Sugarillos” for “when sweet isn't sweet enough.” 4

With their colorful packages and store placement near candy, studies have shown that kids often mistake the shiny packages for candy. Apart from attractive flavors and names, cigar companies target youth through attractive pricing and packaging. Swisher Sweets often come in packages of two sticks for 99 cents, an attractive price for adolescents with limited discretionary funds. Among all flavored cigars, Swisher Sweets accounted for a preponderance of unit sales (52.6 million unit sales, 77.8% of total).4

References:

1. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regulations restricting the sale and distribution of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to protect children and adolescents. Final Rule Fed Regist 2010;75:13225–3
2. Kostygina G, Glantz SA, Ling PM. Tobacco industry use of flavours to recruit new users of little cigars and cigarillos. Tob Con. 2016; 5:66–74.
3. Jackler RK, VanWinkle CK, Bumanlag IM, Ramamurthi D. (2017) Alcohol-Flavored Tobacco Products. Tob Con. [In print]
4. American Cancer Society.(2008) Big tobacco's guinea pigs: how an unregulated industry experiments on america's kids and consumers. Retrieved from https://www.industrydocumentslibrary.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/xkgm0222
5. CSP Daily News (April 15. 2016). Cigarette Convenience Store Sales Data from Year-End 2015. Retrieved from : http://www.cspdailynews.com/category-data/cmh/tobacco/tobacco-cigars-2016. Accessed on September 1, 2016.

African American – img35580

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In 2013, of the 29.8% of African American adults who reported “current use” (i.e. smoking in the past month), 7.5% of African American adults reported use of cigars. In fact, while cigarette consumption in America is declining, snuff and cigar has increased, prompting researchers to specifically address concerns about youth perceptions and smoking behaviors particularly amongst minority populations.1

Historically, tobacco companies have targeted advertising and promotional activities in minority communities; census tracts with a higher proportion of African American families and individuals have significantly higher tobacco retailer density. Furthermore, researchers in recent years have found that illicit sales to minors are much more common in African American neighborhoods, and that stores in these neighborhoods are less likely to request age identification for the purchase of tobacco products; exterior advertising for little cigars and cigarillos are also higher in many of these neighborhoods.2

Advertisements in this theme feature prominent “the everyday Dad.” For instance, an ad for White Owl features a dad smoking his cigar and enjoying a book with his two children on either side of him. The ad’s slogan says , White Owl is, “the cigar that Daddy smokes!”Ads by El Producto include testimonials from everyday professionals on the natural mildness of the cigar.

1. Dauphinee, A, et al. (2013). “Racial differences in cigarette brand recognition and impact on youth smoking,” BMC Public Health, 13:170, Retrieved May 31, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586353/

2. Rodriguez, D, et al. (2017). “Predictors of tobacco outlet density nationwide: a geographic analysis,” Tobacco Control, Retrieved May 31, 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3431432/

3. Bach, L. (2017). Tobacco Company Marketing to African Americans .Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids . Retrieved May 31, 2017, from https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0208.pdf.

4. Yerger V, Pearson C, Malone RE. (2001). When is a cigar not a cigar? African American youths' understanding of “cigar” use. American Journal of Public Health , 91: 316-7.

Sports – img35614

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The relationship between cigars and sports was first introduced to the public more than 25 years ago when a national sports magazine featured a variety of advertisements on sports-related cigar boxes drawn from the National Cigar History Museum collection.

Increasingly in the decades that followed, prominent athletes began making public claims that correlated positive sportsmanship and winning titles to smoking cigars and cigarettes. This attracted tobacco companies like Philies to market products including their “Miracle Mild” cigars for the full range of sports fanatics: young, old, major league stars, and college basketball players alike; examples of this can be found in numerous Phillies advertisements that playoff of the 1960’s baseball culture. One of their advertisements strategically position “Miracle Milds” alongside statistics showing the top batting scores of the National League, suggesting a correlation between the nation’s top players and their cigar product. Furthermore, Phillies prided itself on being “America’s No. 1” for “Year ‘Round Sports Programs,” riding on the backs of popular news channels to elevate their message (e.g. National Broadcasting Company – NBC).

 Cigar companies used celebrity endorsements to promote their products. Michael Jordan, arguably the biggest star in basketball history, was pictured with a cigar in hand on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1993. Similarly, former NBA Coach Red Auerbach, the powerful figure who guided the Boston Celtics to a nine out of ten championship win between 1949 and 1966, practiced a very public habit of smoking a cigar after each winning game that this image eventually evolved into a symbol of victory in the history of sports. Brands such as Te-amo in the past invited their fans to celebrate athletes’ victories with even a special free cigar offer (i.e. Dana Quigley’s 2001 SBC Senior Open and Te-Amo Cabinet Selection Cigar.

Healthy Cigars – img35632

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In the first half of the 20th century, tobacco companies were forthright with their health claims, featuring doctors hawking cigarettes or cigars in many of their ads. Consumers who saw these ads were made to feel that they would be following the doctor s orders to achieve health or fitness if they were to smoke the cigarettes advertised. Today, these nefarious health claims in tobacco ads are no longer so obvious; now, often words like pleasure or alive are keywords which indicate healthfulness. Doctors are no longer represented hawking cigarettes in ads, but the past audacity of tobacco companies is just as relevant in modern times.

At the time when many of these ads were printed, the public was worried about throat irritation due to smoking, and tobacco companies hoped that support from physicians would ease general concern. The none-too-subtle message was that if the doctor, with all his expertise, recommended a brand, then it must be safe.

In this theme, brands depict doctors hawking tobacco products in order to present the brand as healthful rather than harmful. An ad for Girard cigars has the image of a physician with a cigar in his hand accompanied by the following text, “Yes, I am a doctor. And I advise the smokers among my patients to smoke Girard cigars. In fact, I smoke them myself!..” The ad continues that the tobacco in Girard is “free from ill effects on the heart, the nerves or the digestion.” An ad by Thompson’s Mell-o-well has a physician recommending the brand of cigars to “any who are interested in regaining or keeping physical fitness.” It is ironic that in the process, they all manage to reveal the negative potential of tobacco by providing the consumer with the concept of an unhealthy cigarette or cigar in the first place.

Sex Appeal – img38265

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The tobacco industry, including cigar companies, have for long used sex appeal to gain the attention of consumers.

In this section, you will see a lot of advertisements for Tiparillo cigars. The professional women in the advertisements (e.g., biologist, dentist, librarian etc) are presented as sexual objects. For instance, in the “Should a gentleman offer a Tiparillo to a violinist,” advertisement that appeared in Playboy magazine, the woman is seen intently gazing at the camera, with her silk shirt open and her cleavage exposed. The text that accompanies the advertisement is highly sexual in nature. A part of the advertisement reads, “Well, should you offer? After all, if she likes the offer, she might start to play. No strings attached.”

In another advertisement in the series, identical twins with pronounced cleavage are seen gazing at the camera. The green of their sweaters and the background is a subliminal nod to the menthol flavored Tiparillo. The open cigar pack with the phallic shaped cigar is pointed at the mouth of one of the twins. By portraying women in a sexual manner, the professionalism of the women is weakened and the women are nothing more than an object for male pleasure.

Although advertisements with sex appeal are primarily targeted at men, they also manipulate young women into believing that a certain brand of cigarette might make her sexier and more attractive to men.

Pipes – img38308

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Pipes and loose pipe tobacco are often advertised directly to men, and, indeed, are represented as highly masculinized and often genteel. Yello-bole pipes, for example, advertises for “The All-Male taste,” and Flying Dutchman pipe tobacco claims that their tobacco will allow men to “lead women around by the nose.” Further, one ad for Tuxedo tobacco implies that smoking a pipe is a pleasure offered only to men, while a famous actress sighs, “The fragrance of pipe tobacco makes me wish I were a man.”

Beyond the masculinity approach, many pipe ads focus on throat ease, since unlike cigarette smoke, pipe smoke cannot be inhaled due to its high alkalinity. Though these ads advertise health benefits for pipe smoking – Kaywoodie claims that “pipe smokers live longer” and the Medico pipe claims it “gives you pleasure and peace of mind” – pipe smoking is associated with higher incidences of oral cancers than cigarette smoking, and nicotine is absorbed in higher levels as well.

Children – img38325

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Children have played a huge role in tobacco advertising over the decades, and images of children fulfill multiple purposes for tobacco advertisers. Depictions of children with their mothers or fathers in cigarette advertisements reinforce the respectability of smoking as a part of normal family life.

In an advertisement for Dutch Masters Cigars, the image is a warm one of a cheerful boy happy in the embrace of his father. The text of the advertisement reads, “A son’s hug… a daughter’s kiss… what is so dear to a father’s heart as his family’s love.” For Father’s Day, Dutch Masters also had cigar packs with the image of a father and son printed on it. In another advertisement for Dutch Masters, the image is of a young boy playing in the backyard of his suburban home. On one hand he is carrying a toy truck, while the other hand is carrying a string of empty Dutch Master cartons. In the background, you see his younger sister on the swing.
In yet another ad by the cigar maker, this one Christmas theme, a dad is sitting around smoking his cigar while his children (boy and girl) are setting up a toy city. Empty Dutch Master boxes are used to build the homes and garages. The text of the advertisement notes, “As soon as dad hands over another empty Dutch Masters box, one more house will start to rise. And this is a building boom that dad’s happy to help along-because he finds consistent pleasure in a full box of Dutch Masters.”

The images of youngsters tends to send a reassuring message to consumers about the healthfulness of the product, representing purity, vibrancy, and life concepts which can be dangerous when tied to tobacco products. Use of children are an obvious ploy to attract females to smoking as part of the industry’s campaign to expand the pool of women smokers.

More Doctors Smoke Camels – img0077

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One common technique used by the tobacco industry to reassure a worried public was to incorporate images of physicians in their ads. The none-too-subtle message was that if the doctor, with all of his expertise, chose to smoke a particular brand, then it must be safe. Unlike with celebrity and athlete endorsers, the doctors depicted were never specific individuals, because physicians who engaged in advertising would risk losing their license. (It was contrary to accepted medical ethics at the time for doctors to advertise.) Instead, the images always presented an idealized physician – wise, noble, and caring – who enthusiastically partook of the smoking habit. All of the “doctors” in these ads came out of central casting from among actors dressed up to look like doctors. Little protest was heard from the medical community or organized medicine, perhaps because the images showed the profession in a highly favorable light. This genre of ads regularly appeared in medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, an organization which for decades collaborated closely with the industry. The big push to document health hazards also did not arrive until later.

The ads in this particular theme are all from a single R. J. Reynolds campaign which ran from 1940 to 1949 and claimed that “More Doctors smoke Camels.” In the majority of these advertisements, the “More Doctors” campaign slogan was included alongside other popular Camel campaigns such as “T-Zone (‘T for Throat, T for Taste’),” “More people are smoking Camels than ever before,” and “Experience is the Best Teacher.” In this way, Camel was able to maintain consistency across its advertisements.

Within the “More Doctors” campaign, a story can be told through a series of advertisements. The story documents a young boy’s journey following in his father’s footsteps into the field of medicine. In the first ad of this series, an obstetrician tells his little boy, “Now Daddy has to go to another ‘birthday party,’ son” as he leaves his son’s party to deliver a baby. Next, a doctor tells his grown-up boy, “It’s all up to you, son,” as the young man decides whether or not to follow a career in medicine. Then, the young medical student, class of ’46, is joined by his father, class of ’06 during a lecture. Later, the young man is an “interne,” not quite on his own yet. Finally, he is seen opening up his very own private practice in the company of his adoring wife. This storyline, though not explicit, works to further portray the doctor as a family man and a determined, committed, self-sacrificing individual.

In an attempt to substantiate the “More Doctors” claim, R.J. Reynolds paid for surveys to be conducted during medical conventions using two survey methods: Doctors were gifted free packs of Camel cigarettes at tobacco company booths and them upon exiting the exhibit hall, were then immediately asked to indicate their favorite brand or were asked which cigarette they carried in their pocket.

Throat Doctors – img11327

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It was common in the late 1920s and early 1930s for tobacco companies to enlist “throat specialists” as endorsers of their products. The public was worried about throat irritation due to smoking, and tobacco companies hoped that support from physicians, especially otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors) would ease general concern. The none-too-subtle message was that if the throat doctor, with all of his expertise, chose to smoke a particular brand or to recommended a particular brand, then it must be safe. Unlike with celebrity and athlete endorsers, the doctors depicted were never specific individuals, because physicians who engaged in advertising would risk losing their license. It was contrary to accepted medical ethics at the time for doctors to advertise, but that did not deter tobacco companies from hiring handsome talent, dressing them up to look like throat specialists, and printing their photographs alongside health claims or spurious doctor survey results. These images always presented an idealized physician – wise, noble, and caring. This genre of ads regularly appeared in medical journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, an organization which for decades collaborated closely with the industry. The big push to document health hazards also did not appear until later.

In this theme, otolaryngologists urge consumers to “give your throat a vacation” with Camels in 1931, and as late as 1950, the throat specialists are pictured examining a smoker for her “Camel 30-day mildness test.” In a 1930 advertisement, Robert Ripley, of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” fame, performs a cigarette test on “a group of throat specialists” and digs up “certified proof” that they prefer Old Golds. From 1948 to 1952, a number of actors dressed as otolaryngologists, identified by the head mirror, recommend De-Nicotea filters for a “less irritating” smoke. Chesterfield jumps on the band wagon in 1952, and even Kool’s Willie the Penguin dresses up in otolaryngologist garb and poses in front of a diploma awarded to “Doctor Kool” in 1938. All of these brands used the specialized field of otolaryngology to present their cigarettes as healthful rather than harmful. It is ironic that they all manage to reveal the negative potential of cigarettes in the process by admitting, through their use of doctors and medical claims, that there are health concerns surrounding cigarettes to begin with.

Guard Your Throat – img2649

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When the general public began to grow more concerned about the ill effects of smoking in the first half of the twentieth century, the tobacco industry worked intensively on its advertising copy in order to reassure smokers as to the healthfulness and safety of cigarettes. The audacity of the industry was such that industry powerhouses weren’t satisfied with simply denying health concerns. Instead, they actually claimed health benefits. Brand X, Y, or Z claimed its cigarettes were “good for the throat,” provided “extra protection,” or could be smoked as a “prevention” against throat illness. Across the board, tobacco brands touted these ludicrous, false health claims.

The primary health concerns presented in the advertisements in the first half of the twentieth century revolved around non-fatal conditions like coughing and throat irritation. This approach served to lessen any fear regarding serious health concerns by choosing to instead concentrate on the less frightening side effects of smoking. For these ads, Big Tobacco employed an advertising technique known as “problem-solution” advertising; the advertisement provides the problem (coughing due to smoking, for example), as well as the solution (smoke brand X). Of course, the “solution” is deceptive, and many companies were ordered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to discontinue printing certain advertisements. However, it wasn’t until 1938 that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was officially granted the power to regulate advertising that was “unfair or deceptive” to consumers. Before that time, the FTC regulated advertisements insofar as they would harm competitors rather than consumers . The 1940s and 1950s saw great strides in regulation on health claims, but it also saw quick-witted tobacco companies able to alter a word here or there in order to avoid regulation. Tobacco companies claimed throat protection well into the 1950s.

Johnny Calls for Philip Morris – img2750

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Philip Morris’ famous spokesperson of over 40 years, Johnny Roventini (1910-1998), began his career as, reportedly, “the smallest bellhop ever.” Coming in at under 4 feet tall, Roventini resembled a child in stature, later gaining him and Philip Morris popularity among children and adults alike. While working as a bellhop, Roventini was approached by two Philip Morris marketing executives who heard his voice and knew he was an advertising gold mine. They asked for him to “call for Philip Morris” for one dollar. Johnny, unaware that Philip Morris was a cigarette brand, called out loudly for him. Immediately, the marketing executives saw the promise in Johnny, and enlisted him as the first ever living trademark in their new advertisement campaign. He later appeared on the TV show “I Love Lucy” alongside stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, both of whom endorsed Philip Morris in 1959.

Throughout his career as spokesperson, “Little Johnny” made appearances at countless events, ranging from supermarket grand openings to public school fairs. He booked so many events in his first year touring that Philip Morris was forced to hire more actors to play the part of Johnny. There are rumored to have been at least ten Johnny Juniors who helped facilitate Johnny’s public appearances; however, Philip Morris kept quiet about these actors, preferring everyone to believe there was only one Johnny. The most well-known Johnny Junior was Albert Altieri (1916-2002), a 3-foot-7 inch bellhop. He was hired 2 years after Roventini at the age of 19. When Altieri passed away from a heart attack at the age of 86, CNN printed his obituary which read, “The second half of a duo famous in American advertising for yelling ‘Call for Philip Morris’ has died.” It appears that Philip Morris was successful in keeping quiet the existence of the other Juniors. Two of the other Johnny Juniors mentioned in the UCSF Tobacco Legacy Archives include Leon Polinsky and Buddy Douglas.

Throat Scratch – img2891

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In the 1950s, like many cigarette brands, Pall Mall released a campaign intended to ease public concern over the health risks of smoking. This extensive campaign, released in newspapers in June of 1949 and later in magazines, ran until 1954. Its ads featured the slogan “Guard Against Throat Scratch” and advertised a “smooth” cigarette which “filters the smoke and makes it mild.” The term “mild” was a code word meant to indicate a “healthier” cigarette (“mild” was seen as the opposite of “harsh”). The simplicity of these ads, printed in black, red, and white, not only saved Pall Mall on printing charges, but also provided the ads with an authoritative command; they have no frills and appear very straightforward. Additionally, the hues provided a spotlight for the red Pall Mall package. The meaningless diagram included in the advertisement, “The Puff Chart,” compares the longer Pall Mall cigarette to a leading regular-length cigarette. The Puff Chart was meant to be a “scientific” diagram that claimed that the longer length of the Pall Mall cigarette allowed Pall Mall to filter out more smoke. In 1950, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) began cracking down on the false health claims in cigarette advertising, issuing cease-and-desist orders for many cigarette advertisement campaigns. As of 1950, it was investigating Pall Mall’s “Throat Scratch” campaign; at the time, the FTC investigators had decided that king-size cigarettes, like Pall Mall, contained “more tobacco and therefore more harmful substances” than are found in an ordinary cigarette. “Throat Scratch” disappeared in 1954, along with many other brands’ health tactics. Many scholars attribute the cessation of false health claims in cigarette advertising to be a direct result of a collusion among tobacco companies, rather than resultant of FTC mandate, though the FTC did release a draft of its Cigarette Advertising Guide in 1954 (1).

1. Solow, John. “Exorcising the Ghost of Cigarette Advertising Past: Collusion, Regulation, and Fear Advertising.” Journal of Macromarketing. 2001. 21:135.

Why be Irritated? – img2951

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From 1945 to 1946, Old Gold ran a humorous ad campaign featuring the slogan, “Why be Irritated? Light an Old Gold!” The ads depicted an irritating situation of everyday life as a metaphor for throat irritation; Both, according to the ad, could be relieved by smoking an Old Gold. In a pamphlet entitled “The Lorillard Story,” handed out to all P. Lorillard employees in 1947, the author explains that this campaign was designed to “keep many a disgruntled and disappointed smoker in good humor” during the wartime shortage on cigarettes, while also keeping “the product name before the public” (1).

The ads in this campaign tout apple “honey” as the humectant (the agent used to keep the tobacco leaves from drying out) for Old Gold’s tobacco. Apple honey – reportedly discovered through a partnership between Old Gold and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1943 – was Old Gold’s solution to overcoming the wartime shortage of humidifying agents. Of course, the use of apple honey also allowed for the consumer to make the subconscious leap to Old Golds being “honey for the throat.” This effect, coupled with the slogan, “Why be Irritated?” contributed to Old Gold’s ability to present its brand as healthful without directly making false health claims.

1. Fox, Maxwell. The Lorillard Story. 1947:49

Not a Cough in a Carload – img2978

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When P. Lorillard first introduced the Old Gold brand in 1926, the company advertised the brand under the slogan “Not a Cough in a Carload.” Our collection of Old Gold ads runs the “Not a Cough in a Carload” slogan in some capacity up until 1934. The slogan contends that in every train car full of Old Gold tobacco leaves (in every “carload”), not one cough could be found. Of course, the slogan can also be interpreted that in a carload of people – each smoking Old Golds – not a single person would be coughing. Either way, the ambiguous slogan undoubtedly served to reassure a worried public as to the healthfulness and safety of cigarettes, and in particular the healthfulness and safety of the Old Gold brand. This advertising technique is known as “problem-solution” advertising; it provides the problem (coughing due to smoking) and the solution (smoke Old Golds). Of course, the “solution” is deceptive. No cigarette is healthful, and no cigarette reduces throat irritation or coughing. False health claims such as this abound in tobacco advertisements throughout the decades, but “Not a Cough in a Carload” was one of the most pervasive.

Despite being one of the most recognizable advertisement slogans in the nation at the time, the “Not a Cough in a Carload” slogan was often intermingled with other themes, ranging from “They Gave a New Thrill” to “Old Gold Weather” in an attempt to provide consistency among ads. Many of the “Not a Cough in a Carload” advertisements include celebrity testimonials or take the form of cartoons. The comics included at the end of this theme collection were all illustrated by Clare Briggs between 1927 and 1928. The comics were already well-known in American culture, and when they began to be used toward cigarette advertising, they were a huge success for Old Gold, appearing in approximately 1,500 American newspapers nationwide. Briggs’ popularity within Lorillard was so vast that the company named another of its brands in honor of the illustrator: Briggs Smoking Tobacco.

Singers & Performers – img7926

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In the 1920s, tobacco companies began enlisting hundreds of celebrities to endorse their products. In these advertisements, movie stars, famous singers, athletes, and even socialites graced the pages of popular magazines, editorials, and newspapers printed across the country. The 1920s and 1930s were the heyday of celebrity endorsement, with celebrities hawking everything from cigarettes to soap, from pantyhose to cars. However, it seems that no company was as prolific in its celebrity ad copy as Lucky Strike.

Singers were vital components of celebrity testimonial campaigns for cigarette companies; the emphasis on healthy, clear voices in the singers’ line of work was an ideal avenue for portraying cigarettes as healthful, rather than harmful. The concept was that if a famous singer entrusted her voice and throat – her source of revenue – to a cigarette brand, then it must not be so bad! “If it’s good enough for Frank Sinatra, it’s good enough for me,” a consumer might decide. It is ironic, of course, that these ads also worked to reveal the possible side effects of smoking by providing a problem (irritated throats, for example) and a solution (smoke our brand.) Still, this “problem-solution” advertising was very popular at the time, and worked to position one brand as the exception to the problem rule or as the least problematic of all cigarette brands. It also served to trivialize health side effects of smoking, masking more serious side effects in the process.

Stars were also used to attract a younger crowd. Stars were glamorous and represented a walk of life attractive to consumers who were already invested in tabloids and the lives of the show business elite. It wasn’t until 1964 that tobacco companies were banned from using testimonials from athletes, entertainers, and other famous personalities who might be appealing to consumers under 21 years of age.

Print – img40297

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JUUL has minimally used traditional channels used by tobacco advertisers such a magazines, newspapers, billboards, radio, and television. In 2015, JUUL chose a single magazine to launch their advertising campaign. It was VICE magazine, a glossy pop culture focused publication which markets itself to advertisers as “#1 youth media company.” Contrary to their stated purpose, JUUL chose VICE to launch its initial campaign to fulfill its mission of reaching “adult smokers.” The full page advertisements on the inside of the cover page were colorful and showed 20-something models in playful poses. Beginning in late summer of 2018 JUUL began to run full page newspaper advertisements on the switch theme.

For Digestion Sake – img1372

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From 1936-1937, and then occasionally in 1938 and in 1939, Camel ran the “For your digestion’s sake, smoke Camels” campaign, which insisted that Camels helped speed digestion by increasing alkalinity – perhaps the strangest health claim in all of tobacco advertising history. The digestion advertisements employed an array of techniques, ranging from celebrity and athlete testimonial to youth appeal through a claim to “modernity.” Claims like “They never get on your nerves” and “They are gentle on your throat” implied that other cigarettes produced these negative side effects, but that Camels were different. Camel claimed to have based its digestion “facts” on studies conducted by Dr. A.L. Winsor of the Graduate School of Education at Cornell University. By 1951, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a cease-and-desist order prohibiting R.J. Reynolds from portraying Camels as aiding “digestion in any respect” (1). In the same FTC report, the FTC ruled that “smoking cannot be considered under any circumstances as beneficial to any of the bodily systems.” Considering that the digestion advertisements hadn’t run for over a decade, the FTC mandate might be seen as too little too late.

1. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. FTC, 192 F.2d 535 7th Cir. 1951

Medicinal Cigarettes – img1440

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Tobacco was long thought to hold medicinal properties, though the opposite is now known to be true: In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that tobacco “is the single most preventable cause of death in the world today” and noted that tobacco “is a risk factor for six of the eight leading causes of death in the world” (1). However, as early as 1492 when Columbus and his crew first encountered Native Americans smoking tobacco, the Europeans recorded tobacco’s use as a healing agent. From then on, the supposed medicinal powers of both tobacco and nicotine were included in most European and American pharmacopoeia (official lists of approved medications) until the twentieth century, when nicotine was deleted from the American Pharmacopoeia just in time for the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Tobacco soon became regulated, as it joined liquor and firearms as taxable by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Still, as late as the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries, numerous companies advertised medicinal cigarettes. Some of these medicinal cigarettes contained tobacco, while others did not. Those used to treat asthma, “asthma cigarettes,” were sold well into the latter half of the twentieth century.

1. WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2008. Geneva: World Health Organization. 6-7:2008

We Don't Make Medical Claims – img5179

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Towards the end of the era in which false medical claims were endemic (early 1950s) the Old Gold brand had a prolonged campaign – with more than 50 variations on this theme – in which they touted: “We Don’t Try to Scare You with Medical Claims.” Ironically, many of these ads in their fine print make outlandish statements that Old Golds were less irritating and thus safer than the competition. Somehow they calculated that the public would not see this obvious hypocrisy.

Note the white box strangely reminiscent of the Surgeon General’s warning introduced years later. In what can only be characterized as rank hypocrisy, they claim Old Gold’s are less irritating and easier on the throat.

Best For You – img23271

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Chesterfield launched its “Best for You” campaign in 1950. The obvious message was that Chesterfields were the cigarette that was “best” for the smoker. It is unclear whether this slogan ironically implies that other cigarettes are bad for the smoker, and that Chesterfields are merely the lesser of the evils, or if the slogan is falsely claiming that all cigarettes are good for you, but that Chesterfields are best. Either way, the slogan was manipulative and misleading. Along with print advertisements, Chesterfield also featured the “Best for You” slogan on Perry Como’s Chesterfield radio show.

Despite the patently false and misleading health claims implicit in the slogan, the campaign lasted well into 1957. The campaign’s longevity may seem surprising in the face of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC’s) 1955 advertising guidelines, which prohibited cigarette manufacturers from publishing claims regarding lower tar or lower nicotine without scientific proof. The guidelines proved to be relatively ineffective, with brands using dubious science to prove their figures. This continued until 1960 when the FTC and the tobacco manufacturers agreed to discontinue such tar and nicotine advertisements for good. However, everything reverted when, in 1966, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) reported that scientific evidence suggests that “the lower the tar and nicotine content of cigarette smoke, the less harmful would be the effect.” Though much later on, in 1994, this claim would be challenged and torn down by the FTC as false, it was widely accepted at the time. As a result, in 1966 the FTC discontinued its 1960 ruling which had banned tobacco companies from reporting tar and nicotine claims in advertising. This meant that misleading data on tar and nicotine content would continue in advertising well into the latter half of the twentieth century.

Pseudoscience – img1577

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In the first half of the twentieth century, popular faith in medicine was exploited by a series of tobacco industry-sponsored “research” and “surveys” which made its way into cigarette advertising. In this era, before the coming of the atomic bomb, little of today’s cynicism existed concerning the abilities of science to overcome societal problems. To take advantage of this popular sentiment, the industry sponsored “research institutes” and scientific symposia, many of which amounted to little more than propaganda based upon dubious methodology. Health claims were then made on the basis of these so-called studies, as when Chesterfields were advertised in 1952 under the assertion that “Nose, throat, and accessory organs [were] not adversely affected” after a six-month period of medical observation (including X-rays) by ear, nose, and throat specialists.

Not One Single Case – img1634

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To supplement Camel’s “More Doctors Smoke Camels” campaign, the brand added “Not One Single Case of Throat Irritation due to smoking Camels” to its repertoire. The latter slogan laced Camel advertisements from 1947 to 1952, contributing to the brand’s push toward marketing Camels as “healthy” or harmless. The statement was attributed to “noted throat specialists,” but urged consumers to test the results for themselves as well. The medical authority provided the statement with a vote of confidence, and eased the worried public’s concerns over adverse health effects related to smoking.

To supplement Camel’s “More Doctors Smoke Camels” campaign, the brand added “Not One Single Case of Throat Irritation due to smoking Camels” to its repertoire. The latter slogan laced Camel advertisements from 1947 to 1952, contributing to the brand’s push toward marketing Camels as “healthy” or harmless. The statement was attributed to “noted throat specialists,” but urged consumers to test the results for themselves as well. The medical authority provided the statement with a vote of confidence, and eased the worried public’s concerns over adverse health effects related to smoking.

Factories, Labs, Machines – img9483

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This theme refers to ads which show the testing labs and production factories for tobacco manufacturers. The 1930s and 1940s saw a huge dependence on modern technology in tobacco advertisements. Whereas some tobacco companies touted state of the art factories (and guided tours!), still others boasted superior laboratories. Emphasis on modern advancements and scientific discoveries appealed to an American public vested in modernity. In this era, before the coming of the atomic bomb, little of today’s cynicism existed concerning the abilities of science to overcome societal problems. By showing these facilities, the manufacturers sought to associate their brands with the technology as the most modern, clean, and healthful. Labs, in particular, appear to be in existence to ensure the quality and safety of a product and thus the health of the consumer. An increasing dependence on science and medicine in the advertising of cigarettes continued well into the 1950s.

Today, Big Tobacco takes the opposite approach. The tobacco industry wants consumers to believe that cigarettes just appear out of thin air – it doesn’t want consumers to realize how much goes into the production of cigarettes. No photographs of modern cigarette factories exist today. The Cigarette Citadels project at Stanford University is working to undo the industry’s deception by mapping cigarette factories using Google Maps. More information on the Cigarette Citadels project and a link to the project’s Google Map can be found here: http://tobaccoresearch.stanford.edu

Medical Authority – img23307

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In the first half of the twentieth century, tobacco companies wielded medical authority in their advertisements to attract customers and, later, to placate a worried public. In particular, popular faith in medicine was exploited by a series of tobacco industry-sponsored “research” and “surveys.” For example, in an ad from 1943, Philip Morris offered “full reports in medical journals from men high in their profession” upon request, and claimed that there was “scientific proof” that their brand was “far less irritating” than other leading brands. At the time, little of today’s cynicism existed concerning the abilities of science to overcome societal problems. Instead, the doctor was seen as the ultimate expert, and science was seen as the ultimate solution.

Marlboro Men – img2068

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With the rise of filter cigarettes in response to the increasing health concerns tied to smoking, Philip Morris decided to reposition its Marlboro brand for the filter market. What was originally a cigarette marketed as “Mild as May” to attract a primarily female audience, all at once gained a filter and became a man’s cigarette. No longer would Marlboro advertise “Ivory Tips to protect the lips” or “red beauty tips to match your lips and fingertips,” as it had done since the 1920s; Instead, Marlboro underwent a complete sex change in 1954. The brand’s new mascot, the “Marlboro Man,” would exude rugged manliness in an effort to position Marlboro as a filter with flavor. Previously, most filter cigarettes were considered to be “sissy” or effeminate, lacking in flavor and meant for those who couldn’t handle stronger brands. With the Marlboro Man campaign, Philip Morris worked to reverse this sentiment. The original Marlboro Men were excessive in their masculine virility. The models ranged from rough cowboys and sailors to alluring businessmen and academics. Whether the Marlboro Man was pictured preparing his gun or playing chess, he always sported a military-inspired tattoo on the back of his hand. In 1960, the tattoo was discontinued, but its message – that of intrigue and masculinity – remained vibrant in the Marlboro Men of the decades to follow.

Cork Tip – img8013

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In the history section of R.J. Reynolds’ Web site (as of October 2011), the company claims that Brown & Williamson introduced Viceroy as “the industry’s first cork-tipped filter product” in 1936. However, as the ads in this theme prove heartily, Viceroy was far from the first-ever cork-tipped filter cigarette. Indeed, Carl Avery Werner outlined the manufacturing techniques of cork tip cigarettes as early as 1922 in his book Tobaccoland: a book about tobacco; its history, legends, literature, cultivation, social and hygienic influences, commercial development, industrial processes and governmental regulation (1). This mention indicates that by 1922, “cork-tipping machines” had already been invented, and manufactured cork tip cigarettes were relatively common-place. The “Not a Cough in a Carload” ad collection supports this assertion, with brands such as Egyptienne Luxury (produced by S. Anargyros) advertising cork tips as early as 1911 and London Life (produced by P. Lorillard) touting cork tips by 1914.

There are many reasons that cork tips likely became popular. First, the cork acted as a method to prevent the smoker from accidentally getting loose tobacco in his mouth. A Viceroy ad from 1957 claims its new filter truly eliminates the necessity to “P-F-F-T tobacco.” Both cork tips and cotton tips were likely meant to stave off this problem. Additionally, the cork tip offered protection against lip, fingertip, and perhaps teeth staining. Beginning around 1926, still well before Viceroy’s release date of 1936, Carreras Limited put Craven “A,” also a cork tipped cigarette, on the market. In many of their ads, Carreras claimed that the Craven “A” cork tip provided beauty protection– “kind to your lips” or “do not readily cause finger stain or interfere with make-up” were claims to such effect. In this manner, cork tips could act in the same manner as the “beauty tips” popular among other cigarettes at the time. Finally, and more in line with the filter’s use today, cork tips were sometimes advertised as health protection. For example, in 1929, Craven “A” advertised its “cork-tipped cigarettes” as unique in their throat protection – “they never catch my throat” or “are always kind to my throat.” Certainly, Craven “A” was prophetic in its assertion that filters could be advertised as beneficial to health. Even in modern times, cigarette brands present filters as methods to reduce amounts of nicotine, “tar,” and carcinogens inhaled, though whether or not filters are effective to this end is dubious.

1. Werner, Carl Avery. Tobaccoland: a book about tobacco; its history, legends, literature, cultivation, social and hygienic influences, commercial development, industrial processes and governmental regulation. The Tobacco Leaf Publishing Company. New York. 1922.

High Tech Filters – img8954

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Filter cigarette advertisements often tout modern technology and scientific advancement to convince consumers their filters are effective, though in most cases filters are no more effective in filtering smoke than the same length of tobacco. This theme reveals a collection of ads professing state of the art filters which appear to ensure the quality and safety of a product and the health of the consumer. American examples from the 1960s and 1970s for Lark and Doral are comparable with the Chilean advertisements for Kent from 2002. These Kent advertisements promote a filter made from charcoal which they name the ACF (Activated Charcoal Filter). The abbreviated name itself (ACF) is used to make the filter sound more scientific, and words like “innovación” (innovation) and “filtro de última generación” (latest generation filter) also present Kent’s filter as the safest and most advanced.

The Kent ads all use futuristic digital renderings of the cigarette which reveal the inner-workings of the filter chamber to the consumer. One of Lark’s ads from 1960 is shockingly similar. The inside of the cigarette is revealed so the consumer can see the charcoal filling the inner chamber, and words like “invented,” “amazing charcoal,” and “modern science” work together to further present Lark as the most advanced cigarette on the market. Also in the same category is Dorral, who, in 1972, used the same technique. The ad opens up the filter and shows consumers the “strange-looking polyethylene chamber with baffles and air channels.” Even a Viceroy ad from 1954 uses this method, pealing away the cigarette paper to expose the “20,000 filters” within. The hand-drawn diagram in the Viceroy ad is surprisingly similar to the digitally rendered diagrams used by Kent almost half a century later.

Clearly, little has changed in the marketing of filter cigarettes over the decades. It is most interesting to compare these ads for technologically advanced filters with those for cork filters. As early as the 1920s, Craven “A” was ensuring that its consumers knew the brand was made with an “absolutely natural cork” tip.

Protects Your Health – img11594

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This theme features a variety of ads professing health benefits for filter cigarettes, although filters did little to truly reduce the hazards of smoking. Indeed, tobacco industry chemists were well aware that most filters actually removed no more tar and nicotine than would the same length of tobacco. However, a series of Reader’s Digest articles worked to publicize these dubious health claims for filters in the 1950s.

One such article, entitled “How Harmful are Cigarettes?” (1950), notes that artificial filters “take out some nicotine” since people are “aware that nicotine is a killer” (1). The article states that silica-gel cartridges remove 60% of nicotine from cigarettes. This article spurred Viceroy to print advertisements a week later which read, “Reader's Digest tells why filtered cigarette smoke is better for your health.” These health claims sparked a boom in Viceroy cigarette sales as well as an onslaught of new filter cigarette brands flooding the market. Kent was introduced in 1952 with a filter made of treated asbestos on crepe paper. In 1953, L&M followed with a “miracle tip” and Philip Morris advertised its di-ethylene glycol (Di-Gl) filter cigarette as “the cigarette that takes the FEAR out of smoking.” In the next two years, Marlboro was re-released as a filter cigarette which targeted men (it had previously been a cigarette targeting women, with a “beauty tip to protect the lips”), and Winston was introduced with a hefty advertising budget of $15 million.

Leading the pack with health claims was Kent, with ads that read, “What a wonderful feeling to know that Kent filters best of all leading filter cigarettes!” (1958) and “You’ll feel better about smoking with the taste of Kent!” (1961). Ironically, Kent’s filter contained asbestos, a mineral known to cause mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. In fact, the asbestos in Kent’s filter was crocidolite asbestos (also known as blue asbestos), which is often considered the deadliest form of the fibrous mineral.

1. Riis, R.W. Reader’s Digest. “How Harmful are Cigarettes?” 7 Jan 1999. .

Miracle Tip – img42632

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This theme features a variety of L&M ads from 1954 and 1955 professing health benefits for L&M’s “Miracle Tip,” although filters did little to truly reduce the hazards of smoking. Indeed, tobacco industry chemists were well aware that most filters actually removed no more tar and nicotine than would the same length of tobacco. However, a series of Reader’s Digest articles worked to publicize these dubious health claims for filters in the 1950s. L&M advertised its filter as “pure white inside, pure white outside for cleaner, better smoking” or “white…all white…pure white.” By implying that the pure whiteness of the filter equates to pure healthfulness, L&M unabashedly presented a logical fallacy which cons concerned consumers into choosing L&M as a “safe” cigarette. Additionally, the L&M filter was portrayed as futuristic and scientifically advanced through the “Live Modern” campaign – the Miracle Tip was thus tied in with modernity and dubbed a “modern miracle.” Further “miraculous” were L&M’s claims to flavor and protection, represented in another L&M ad campaign, “just what the doctor ordered.” This slogan can be found on a few of the advertisements in this theme as well. Not only did the doctor slogan imply that L&M cigarettes are satisfying in that they offer both flavor and protection, but it also implies that doctors approve of the brand, a testament to the brand’s supposed healthfulness.