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Most
of the cigarette ads you have come across on this site are structured
in such a way that viewers are expected to extract some meaning
from the visual information in the ad. This often has to be associated
with pre-existing knowledge if it is to form any useful long term
goal for the tobacco companies. Usually the aim has been to associate
A considerable amount of social psychological research indicates that it takes no more than a little bit of exposure to a neutral object or person for someone to like a previously neutral object more than subsequently presented, equally neutral, objects. The subject is known as the 'mere exposure effect'. It has also been noted that learning is more effective if one is actively involved with a subject rather than simply being a passive observor. These principles seem to have been put into effect with a recent round of cigarette advertising/promotional activities for Camel cigarettes in the UK The illustration on the right is for a fold-up pack. This was inserted into magazines for young men. The intention may have been to encourage non-smokers to become accustomed to Camel cigarettes. Or it may have been to encourage existing young smokers to try this brand whose pack they had successfully produced. It is also probable that parents gave it to their children as a 'toy' to keep them occupied. Whatever the actions undertaken, the activity was involvement with the product pack, something that only free handouts tend to offer. Other ads in the same series also required involvement, rather than passive observation. There was a jig-saw with a piece containing the brand name that had to be fitted, an envelope that had to be opened and a game of Snakes and Ladders. One might think activities such as these might only be effective with individuals with poor levels of intellectual competence. If so, you would be wrong. Nevertheless, one would not expect much unless the promotional effort was dedicated to trying to attract those individuals likely to become lifelong smokers (however short that might be) rather than existing brand smokers. |
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The
product illustrated below is produced by a company that has no direct
links
If any viewer can throw some light on the relationship between advertising Marlboro (and other brands) and advertising branded products other than cigarettes the author would be interested in hearing from them.
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Would you be interested in supporting the development of a web site focussing specifically on cigarette advertising, smoking behaviour, nicotine addiction and related information? In particular would you like to help encourage youngsters to develop a healthy scepticism about advertising practices associated with cigarette advertising and promotion? If you can offer either financial assistance to develop such a site or have material available that could be of use on such a site, the author would be pleased if you would contact him. |
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Last Revised: 3rd January, 2003 |
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