The simplicity of cigarette advertising
I wonder what it was like, back in the halcyon days of advertising, when advertising agencies created advertising for the tobacco industry?
Below are some great examples of what I consider to be a forgotten craft of creating simple messages that build brands and sell products. After all, cigarettes are a very bizarre product. Small white tubes, stuffed with dried grass and chemicals, are loved or loathed and consumed in vast numbers.
My father smoked on an irregular basis from his bar area on the other side of the house. I could always smell his lit cigarette from my bedroom. It was an inviting scent – masculine and strong. Whenever I smelt it I knew it was time to join my dad at the bar and listen to his stories and share how our days went. I’m not sure why he smoked but it didn’t bother me much. When my friends started to smoke, the scent of burning tobacco took on another emotion for me. They stank of stupidity and the entire house smelt terrible for days. I wasn’t a fan but that’s the power of marketing for you.
In my opinion, it was the advertising agencies who made these ads that are responsible for the success of the tobacco industry. If you want to know why good advertising is so important to your business, take a look at these ads. These simple advertisements created such a dynamic, emotive response in the reader that it was almost impossible to say no to them, regardless of the side effects.
