Winfield    West   

Western Values

 Various German cigarette brands make use of semi-subliminal content in their advertising.   Davidoff and Marlboro use this technique ad as does Winfield (see below).  West also seems to be another brand that draws upon semi-subliminal content to enhance a particular interpretation of an ad or to add additional meaning.   

Despite the ad on the right being a German ad, the caption is in English.  'Test it' would clearly make sense to literate, English speaking Germans.  But would they be sufficiently sophisticated or ad-literate to appreciate that what is to be tested is not simply West cigarettes? 

A closer look at the legs of the horse reveals a clear phallic shape embedded in the upper portion of the horses leg. Note that I am not referring to the space between the horses forelegs. That aspect of the ad may be considered a subsidiary element but it is not semi-subliminal  Additionally, the male model in the ad is nonchalantly pointing at the horses leg with the object in his left hand.

On its own a phallic shape would mean very little, even if characters in an ad were apparently pointing at them. It is only when a theme can be discerned across a number of adverts that it becomes possible to appreciate its meaning. The phallic shape, in this instance, with all the connotations associated with it, is intentional.  What makes it of relevance in this instance is the posture of the female smoker and her relationship with the male model in the ad.  Her left and the cigarette pack she is holding are undoubtedly intended to be perceived as a phallic substitute.  Whether she is perceived as the person to Test, or be Tested, will depend upon the perspective of the viewer. Note also that the upright phallic shape is placed above the West logo. The brand name is placed over a series of coloured lines. This would not be accidental. If it is part of an overall marketing plan then this alignment is intended to convey some meaning, either on its own or in conjunction with other factors. In this case, if one smokes West (or more accurately by perceiving the meaning inherent in the positioning of the models) then one can expect see a physiological change occurring. The type of change is indicated by the phallic shape on the horses leg.

The sexual interpretation of this second Test It ad is very similar to that evident above. In this ad, published shortly after the ad discussed above, a woman in a red dress is clearly sitting in a suggestive pose. This is more overtly suggestive than the pose of her predecessor. However the message is pretty much the same.

The elderly gentleman on the right might not be in quite the same physical condition as the young model above but nevertheless he can expect to respond physiologically in the same manner to attractive young women, posing suggestively and smoking West cigarettes. But regrettably, all he will be able to do is massage himself as is indicated by the illustration on the right.

West cigarette advertising, once again maintains a long tradition of attempting to maintain an association with cigarette smoking and sexual behaviour. The cannot present their message as overtly as they would like so they have to resort to covert means of presenting their message. Viewers appreciate the contribution of the models and their meaning but this can be discounted. It is after all pretty obvious. However, what they do not appreciate are the supplementary, semi-subliminal, elements that also present the same type of message. If these are attended to uncritically and become part of the store of mental imagery that viewers relate to cigarettes it is not surprising that cigarettes are deemed sexy.

Future Developments

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.