The issue of vaping is a hot topic right now due to the recent deaths of teenagers across the country. After all, this was suppose to be the generation not addicted to nicotine. But in the wake of these deaths, concern has arisen about the safety of these devices and as a result, the companies that manufacture them are launching campaigns in an attempt to sway public opinion. This exact scenario is not new to the tobacco and nicotine industry, as they came under fire for the health risk associated with cigarettes as more and more doctors became privy to their harmful nature. The poster displayed above is an advertisement published by Lucky Strike and this poster effectively accomplishes the two things. It disassociates their particular brand from the known health risks, and appeals to people may use another brand. The poster does this by using the simple catchphrase “It’s toasted”, these simple two words convey the message that Lucky cigarettes are different from the competition. Other cigarettes may be poisonous but Lucky’s are toasted, a word that has a natural and almost healthy connotation to it. This message is aided by the writing that says the toasting takes out the coughing and throat irritation, obviously this is not true but they are masking the true damaging nature of their product by using language to superficially elevate their cigarettes over the competition. In order to further appeal to the public, this poster uses a celebrity endorsement of a very famous movie star at the time named John Gilbert. Gilbert had huge box office draw and his appearance on this poster was sure to increase sales, especially if the publication of this poster happened to coincide with a film staring him being released. This poster, in a sense, plays offense and defense pertaining to consumers. It defends against the risks associated with smoking by using the toasted catchphrase and also draws people towards using the product due to an endorsement by a celebrity at the time. Should companies that produce vapes such as JUUL or SMOK need inspiration for their advertising campaigns, I recommend they look to the past to sell more products of the future.
Extremely interesting read! I like how you took this poster from decades ago and compared it to today’s nicotine addiction problem amongst teens. I found it really interesting that this ad used a popular actor at the time as an attempt to draw people in and ultimately persuade them. I also found it interesting how this ad acknowledged the risks of smoking but also advertised their own product. Great analysis overall!
Yes, the past has a way of repeating itself! Good analysis.