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Erin Regan Andre Berry Tina Shanahan

< Older Propaganda Newer Propaganda >

Lucky Strike (1930) American Cancer Society (1980)

Cigarette smoking is notably and widely known as a dangerous hobby, with lasting

effects on health. Between 1930 and 1980, the way the products were advertised varies

drastically, but they also hold some similarities. Tobacco use has been a part of American culture

and society since before Columbus, and as we advance in technology and science, we have

begun to learn so much more about the effects that smoking causes on the human body. As we

discover more, those ideas have been reflected in the propaganda used to deter smoking.

Frequently now, we see more advertisements against smoking, than actually promoting the use

of the products.

The use of tobacco pre-dates Columbus’ arrival in America, the advertisement of tobacco

products didn’t begin until 1789, when a local New York paper featured the snuff and smoking

products of the Lorillard Tobacco Company. For nearly a century thereafter, tobacco was

advertised much in the same way, frequently showing up in local newspapers.

Prior to the Civil War, manufacturing of tobacco products was mostly done by hand,

which meant that tobacco usage was severely limited. However, towards the end of the war, a

tobacco farm raid in Durham, North Carolina led to the eventual rise of the Bull Durham brand

of tobacco. As the demand for this brand of tobacco, among other brands, increased, it became

apparent that a more efficient way to produce tobacco products was necessary to keep up with

the growing demand.

In 1881 a man by the name of James Bonsack responded to the challenge of meeting that

demand by creating a cigarette-making machine. Although it was a flawed design, the W. Duke

& Sons Company decided to take a chance on it. As other tobacco companies began to realize

that such a machine made a substantial difference in numbers, they too produced more efficient

methods in which to produce their tobacco. With a heightened demand, along with increased

production, tobacco companies would need to market their goods on a larger scale. To do this,

tobacco companies began to advertise their merchandise by producing and distributing trade

cards (similar to the modern-day business card), tin tags, and posters. Due to the recent

development of color lithography, which was developed in the 1870’s, tobacco companies would

even have the benefit of advertising in “attractive, colorful images.” To set themselves apart

from other companies, James Duke, one of the “sons” of W. Duke & Sons, took things a step

further. He imagined a whole new method of advertising tobacco, which included branding their

products with pictures, suggesting that their products should be “collected.” While some were

neutral images, others were suggestive; photographs of provocatively dressed women, which

turned out to be a big hit with consumers. These methods continued to be practiced into the

early twentieth century.

Along with these advertising methods, others started to emerge, as well. In the 1930’s a

popular method for advertising cigarettes included the display of a doctor or dentist smoking,

suggesting that it was a healthy choice. A more notable

tagline of one of these advertisements, produced by Luckies,

insisted that it was “Your Throat Protection – Against

Irritation – And Cough!” For several years tobacco companies

were able to advertise much in this same way, also making use

of radio and television to move their product into the public

market. Celebrities were also featured in these

advertisements, most notably Ronald Reagan, in a 1950 advertisement for his film “Hong Kong.”

Even the 1964 Presidential election highlighted the tobacco industry, however, at that point, the

tobacco business was really coming under fire.

In 1944, the American Cancer Society first started to alert the public that, perhaps,

smoking was not as “healthy” as everyone had previously believed it to be. Unfortunately, they

did not have sufficient evidence to support their claim, and so the tobacco industry doubled down

in their efforts to push their product. In 1952, this suggestion was revisited when Reader’s

Digest published an article entitled “Cancer by the Carton.” It was a detailed warning of the

dangers associated with smoking. At this point, the public started to pay attention. Two years

later, in 1954, the tobacco industry responded by forming a council to produce “healthier”

cigarettes, but within ten years, the Surgeon General’s advisory council published a report that

stated that “cigarette smoking is causally related to lung cancer in men.” In 1965, a law was

passed that forced tobacco companies to place warning labels on all of their products. And in

1971 “all broadcast advertising was banned.”

Since then, the tobacco industry has met obstacle after obstacle. Cigarette advertisements

have ceased all together, and several lawsuits have been brought against the industry by groups

of people and individuals alike, all attributing their health problems to their products. Even

though cigarettes are still available to the public, they are less and less accessible, and are being

replaced by alternative “cigarettes,” replacing smoke with vapors. I used to tell my husband that

I was waiting for the day when the electronic cigarettes would be considered a health risk. He

laughed. A month later I watched a news report that suggested electronic cigarettes may not be

as healthy as originally suggested.

Mark my words. In fifty years, we will be witnessing class action lawsuits, filed on

behalf of those who suffer from “E-Cancer.”

When looking at the Lucky Strike Cigarettes Advertisement, it opened my eyes about the

impact that cigarettes played on people's lives in the 1930’s. When you think of cigarettes now

they are something that are very detrimental to people's health. I found it very odd and surprising

that this advertisement uses a doctor to promote these brand of cigarettes. The advertisement also

uses a vibrant color red, when you see red you gain attention of things and opens your eyes as

things being urgent and helpful, I feel that this was way to lure people in and expand the Lucky

Strike brand and convince people that these cigarettes are better for you. Rather than the words,

it is the doctor’s reassuring smile that stands out and “speaks” the most to the consumer. Doctors

are supposed to be helpful figures that take care of your health but if you see one promoting

cigarettes then it must be good for you right?

Lucky Strike is one of the best known cigarette brands in the entire world. First

introduced in 1871 for only the use of chewing Tobacco it quickly expanded to the world and

started to take over the Tobacco industry. “In 1917, the brand started using the slogan "It's

Toasted", meant to inform consumers about the manufacturing method in which the tobacco is

toasted rather than sun-dried, giving Luckies a unique and distinctive flavour” (Kretek Cigarettes

). People were doing this because they felt that it was helpful to their everyday lives. The

advertisement on the bottom specifically says “Your throat protection against irritation against

cough” This is telling people that this will help you from having a cough or any other irritations

in your throat if you smoke “Luckies”. The message that they are trying to get across is that

smoking “Luckies” is something that will not be a detriment to your health, having a doctor as

one of their spokespeople supporting it really shows us that the country was very unaware of the

harmful impacts that smoking does on the body. I would say that the audience is directed to older

people but watching old videos and advertisements, I was able to see that kids of all ages were

smoking cigarettes as well.

The American Cancer Society advertisement are very powerful and they obviously call

out the impacts of smoking in modern time rather than the time when Luckies were studied.

Today we live in a world where all the advertisements that are on television regarding smoking

and cigarettes are deadly and impactful to people's health. Smoking and the damage that is does

to the body is something that has been looked at for many years now. Smoking Cigarettes is the

main risk for people getting lung cancer. In the United States 90 percent of lung cancer that was

discovered come from cigarette smoke (American Cancer Society). Not only cigarettes but

smoking other apparatuses such as cigars and pipes increase the risk of lung cancer a lot more.

Showing this picture of this person's body forming into smoke really gives the viewers

the idea of people bodies deteriorating from all of the negative effects of smoking.. This picture

shows that we are endangering ourselves by smoking, the smoke is slowly taking over the

person's body until they become unrecognizable, and their insides look like what is depicted on

the woman in the photo. This picture should open the eyes of young people the most so that they

won't be someone whose life is impacted by smoking.

Most obviously, the two pieces of propaganda have many differences between them.

However, these differences are what make the messages of these pieces of propaganda so

different. One example of this is the color of the two advertisements. The older one is vibrant

colors, such as red and green. This is because it portrays a more positive message. They want to

promote this cigarette because it is “less irritating” than other brands. Other use of color is the

contrast of the bright white color of the doctor’s jacket against the bright red background. White

jackets are a classic symbol of doctors, and this makes it very clear that this is a doctor

recommending the product. The Lucky Strike advertisement also uses the complementary colors

of red and green to make their product pop off of the page. Whereas, the American Cancer

Society advertisement uses a very monochromatic color scheme to portray its message. This

advertisement is in a grey scale, every color is either white, grey or black. This portrays the grim

tone that this advertisement is trying to get across. The white smoke contrasts against the black

hair and the black tar on the face of the woman. If this advertisement was in color like the older

one, it would be less believable, because it would look more like the “tar” was purposefully

placed there. The grey tone makes the dark tar on her light skin look more like it belongs there

because she is a smoker. The words on this advertisement are also in black, which makes them

stand out less, however, it draws your eye to the tar on her skin and in her hair because you really

have to look closely.

Another difference between the two advertisements is the people who are in them. The

older one has a male portrayed in it. During the time when this advertisement was out, males

were the “breadwinners”, so it is fitting that they are portraying the “expert”. The character in

this advertisement is also reading the cigarette label like it is good news. This is to emphasize the

fact that the Lucky Strikes are “less irritating”. The American Cancer Society advertisement

features a woman. This may be due to the fact that smoking is a less favorable trait for a woman

to have as opposed to a man. And because she is covered in tar and has a weak stance with

curled fingers, it makes her even less attractive. Any teenage or young adult woman looking at

this advertisement would never want to look like the woman in it, and then the goal of the

American Cancer Society would be accomplished. They would deter a person from smoking.

The act of her smoking a cigarette in the photo directly contradicts the message they are trying to

get across that is on the top of the flyer. This shows the audience that cigarettes are very

addictive, another deterrent.

Finally, another difference is the messages that these two pieces of propaganda are trying

to get across. The Lucky Strike advertisement is seeking to promote a type of cigarette that is

“less irritating” on the throat. They acknowledge that cigarettes hurt the throat, but they are

promoting that theirs is more comfortable. To do this, they use a doctor, a credible source to

encourage using their product. During a time when smoking was a widely accepted and practiced

activity, this would be a big selling point for people in the 1930’s. Their statistics were even

checked by accountants, and proven by doctors.

“Touting the toasting process in the accompanying cover letter, advertising executive

Thomas Logan pointed out the virtues of Lucky Strikes and claimed that they had heard

from “a good many people” that they could smoke Lucky Strikes “with perfect comfort to

their throats.” American Tobacco used the physicians’ responses to this survey to validate

their claim that Lucky Strikes were “less irritating,” claiming it confirmed their enduring

assertion that their “toasting” process made cigarettes less irritating (Garnder & Brant)”

These surveys show that people were having concerns about cigarettes, so ones that could lessen

those concerns would be most beneficial and the ones that people would want to purchase. The

advertisement from the American Cancer Society, advertise the effects of cigarettes but in a

negative way, using the imagery of the tar covered lady to depict that. In more modern times,

research in the health field has linked smoking cigarettes to cancer, heart disease and lung

disease that comes from the tar that smoking cigarettes deposits in lungs. To people today, this

propaganda only solidifies what we have learned about smoking cigarettes, and it depicts it in a

very graphic way. Those smoking cigarettes may not think that it is affecting them until they see

the physical effects of it displayed on the outside of a person. Many cigarette and anti-smoking

advertisements now use this same graphic quality to depict the dangers that are associated with

smoking cigarettes, whether it be on television or still photos.

These two pieces of propaganda boast many differences, but because of these differences,

they promote different messages that are tailored to the audience and the people and their needs

during each specific time period that they were produced and distributed.

While both of these pieces of propaganda have their differences, there are also some

similarities between the two of them. One of these is that both of these advertisements target

smokers. Although their messages to smokers may be different, there are targeting this

population of people. The Lucky Strike advertisement is promoting to smokers who want a

better, less irritating smoke. The American Cancer Society advertisement is also targeting

smokers, but in a much more grim way. This advertisement shows smokers the direct effects that

smoking has on your body, but displays them in a way that is aesthetically unappealing, as

depicted in the contrast section. Other audiences of these advertisement might also be family

members, wanting better for their loved ones, stores looking to sell the best, or stores like CVS

who no longer sell cigarettes or even doctors, looking to persuade their patients in one way or

another.

Another comparison of these two pieces is that the both advertise from a healthcare point

of view. Of course, the Lucky Stripe advertisement is a doctor promoting the product, as it will

be less irritating and cause less of a cough. They also based this research on their work with

physicians. When in reality, knowing what we know today, this is extremely ironic. The

American Cancer Society is a group whose goal is to put an end to cancer. They do this through

donations to research, advocacy and also by preventative measure, such as the ones they take

with smoking. Their website boasts all different kinds of support services and tips and aids in

quitting smoking. This advertisement is a physical depiction of that which uses scaring people

into realizing the dangers of smoking.

Finally, both of these touch on the effects of smoking. The Lucky Strike advertisement,

as I mentioned before, acknowledges the fact that smoking can cause smoke irritation and

coughing. Because this was such a common trend among many cigarette brands, they advertise

their tobacco as “toasted” a process which is a key factor in reducing the irritation that smoking

can bring about. The American Cancer Society propaganda focuses on those negative effects of

smoking, but doesn't give an alternative to them. They are blatant and graphic in their depiction

of the dangers associated with smoking cigarettes.

Although the two ads are vastly different, they do contain some similarities in their

designs and the underlying messages of the propaganda they are trying to get across.

The messages that have been advertised in regards to cigarettes and cigarette smoking

have changed drastically, as shown by these two pieces of propaganda. Although they have many

differences, they also do boast some similarities. The propaganda that these pieces use is

strategic in getting their points across to their consumers. For the time period that they were

created, they fit the descriptions of what would be best for the person using cigarettes.

Infographic:

Works Cited

American Cancer Society. (2017). Retreived from https://www.cancer.org/healthy/stay-away-from-tobacco/guide-quitting-smoking.html

CNN (Ed.). (2000). A Brief History Of Tobacco. Retrieved March 30, 2017, from http://edition.cnn.com/US/9705/tobacco/history/

Gardner, M. N., & Brandt, A. M. (2006). “The Doctors’ Choice Is America’s Choice”: The Physician in US Cigarette Advertisements, 1930–1953. American Journal of Public Health, 96(2), 222–232. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2005.066654

Paul, Jean-Francois Lemay, Chris, STEPHANE (New Zealand), Moe, Jason (Australia), K-town666, Mason, Simon, Demetrius, Poring, JasonP(Australia), Nestor, Unknown, Perry, Longy, David, Lovin Johnson, Jcreighton, Derek, Brian, Rachmaninov, Brossovitch, David Davidson, Rebel-95, Kdf, and Kieran. "Lucky Strike Original." CiggiesWorld - Kretek Cigarettes. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.

Pritcher, L. (n.d.). Emergence of Advertising in America. Retrieved March 30, 2017, from http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa/guide/tobacco/

Stine, J. K. (2015, January 20). Smoke gets in your eyes: 20th century tobacco advertisements. Retrieved March 30, 2017, from http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2014/03/smoke-gets-in-your-eyes-20th-century-tobacco-advertisements.html