By Harvey Simmons: “I am a Junior at Boston College majoring in Philosophy and Communications. I originally hail from Upstate New York in a small town named Skaneateles (good luck pronouncing that). My interests include branding, creative writing, travel, politics, student government and marathon running. The realm of marketing and advertising is a place where I believe my talents and interests collide, and I am eager to continue the conversation and explore the field.”
I recently arrived back from a ski trip in Canada, and upon crossing the border decided to make a little stop at duty free. After making several selections on the tax-free items, I bumped into a wall of tobacco. I could not tell if I was looking at an anti-smoke ad, or cartons of cigarettes. Blatant and loud covers were on the cartons expanding upon the dangers of smoking with quite graphic pictures of damaged lungs and throat cancer.
Tobacco commercials have not been around in my lifetime back here home in the US, and the only outward endorsement I have ever come upon is in small spots in ESPN Magazine and in old classic films. I consider myself at best a casual smoker—I like a good cigar once or twice a month, but have never smoked a pack in my life.
In a health conscious age it is not to much surprise that it has been frequently deemed “not cool” to smoke on college campuses. Beyond simply the way many college students look at people who smoke, many universities have instituted laws that make campuses smoke free or at least push smokers away from buildings. The D.A.R.E. campaign in elementary school was in some respects effective, and at such an impressionable age left me with some valuable knowledge about the dangers of drugs and tobacco.
However, when I came of age to buy tobacco products I really believe that it was the lack of advertising that played more of a crucial impact on my decision to not be a smoker. As many things in this world, smoking for the first time at a young age makes smoking seem more natural; and once your at this point there is no return. Smoking can be easily portrayed as a cool thing to do—it is a direct negation of logic for teenage youth and runs directly with the rebellious spirit. Beyond its social aspect as well, tobacco (if properly advertised) can be a gift of identity and corresponding “happiness”.
I think in a large part, both movements have been effective but that European trends of smoking are trickling over the Atlantic along with the rest of many European trends. Additionally, in certain parts of the US smoking is like breathing or eating and is almost unavoidable culturally.
The most effective anti-smoking ads, however, lie right within our own stories. At a very young age, I decided I would never become a smoker and would not risk starting; this is because my grandfather, who shares my name, passed away from lung cancer when I was about 9. It is this kind of emotive guilt, and as displayed in the effective “truth” campaign, type of emotive fear that I believe really push people away from the cigarette and tobacco counter.
Image: source
