Introduction
Advertisements have come a long way to enable businesses to position themselves in the evergrowing competitive and complex consumer market (Gardner and Brandt 222). Numerous studies suggest that businesses continue to spend billions of money in advertising. This is to enhance their objective of remaining relevant in the market while gaining leading-edge advantage over their immediate competitors. Cigarette advertisements are considered one of the leading advertisements that have seen companies spend colossal amount of money.
Studies indicate that the changing health concerns have caused significant shifts in the mode and nature of global advertisement appeals for cigarettes. In this analysis, the paper seeks to explore the advertisement appeal underpinning cigarette advertisements while focusing on the historical trends and shifts in appeals. The discussion will conclude by evaluating some of the advertisement appeals, and enlisting some of the most effective advertisement appeals that stand out today.
Comparison of the types of appeals underlying cigarette ads
Global cigarette manufacturers have continuously appealed to customers pointing at the ability of their products to enhance individual autonomy. The fundamental aim of appeals for autonomy is to create feelings of independence and integrity of an individual. Numerous slogans have been crafted to appeal to consumers in manners that seek to increase their sales.
A slogan such as Embassy’s slogan of “inhale to your Heart’s Content,” illustrates how a manufacturer would wish to appeal to users based on the need to attain what your heart desires.
Appeal for achievement
Appeals for achievement have also occupied the tobacco industry for many years. Players in the market have stepped up advertisements aimed at using persons deemed successful in the society. For instance, during the mid 20th century through the end of the century, tobacco manufacturers used medical professionals to champion their products (Pollay 32).
Cigarette manufacturers featured physicians in a bid to invalidate health claims, which were associated with smoking cigarettes. For instance, slogans like “Just what the doctor ordered” serves to demonstrate appeals that challenge the health fears that may hamper successful penetration of the product to the market (Pollay 32).
“The secret of life is in the filter,” and NewPort’s “Alive with pleasure” have shown how tobacco marketers have sought to use appeal for achievement for people who smoke cigarette. Although the slogans were not coded as health claims, they pointed at health of cigarette smokers. Although advertisements for achievements have little emphasis of health aspects, they contain health pointers that are far less from true.
Need for prominence
These appeals address the humanistic nature that makes an individual seek respect. The ads used in these appeals are not egalitarian, but are such appeals that have tags of trappings of high position (Gardner and Brandt 222). These ad types have been used for several decades, especially during the period of increased legislation and control of tobacco use around the world.
The advertisement featuring a medical doctor relaxing with cigarette in his fingers in a luncheon depicts the prominence that a person acquires as a smoker. An advertisement that used appeals for prominence uses physical elements and visual aspects to create proximity to tobacco smokers (Gardner and Brandt 222). The prospective users of cigarettes are taught that a person cannot be prominent unless he or she smokes a given cigarette brand.
Need for autonomy
The tobacco industry has continuously placed itself on a platform to preach autonomy and freedom. However, the truth is that smokers are deprived of elements of freedom, independence, and control. Although this is a clear show of doublespeak, people have fallen prey.
Significant shifts in appeal since 1940 to present
In the early 1940’s, tobacco became an ordinary phenomenon for both men and women. The rising public anxiety about risks associated with smoking received a boost from advertisements that featured physicians as smokers (Gardner and Brandt 222).
However, in the 1960’s research findings rendered these images as non-credible in the wake of growing health evidence that implicated tobacco products (Gardner and Brandt 222-232). This welcomed a new paradigm that sought to respond to the strict regulatory laws that banned ads that pointed at cigarettes as having no health implications. The period beginning from 2000 up to date has been marked by the growth of social media and global market.
Many advertisements developed capacities of leading manufacturers through endorsements from renowned athletes (Pollay 32). This period witnessed increased concerns about the effectiveness of people who used tobacco products. Tendencies to feature prominent people such as Mickey Mantle, Poncho Gonzales signaled how companies adopted achievement-driven appeals in advertising their products (Kilbourne n.p).
Currently, the tobacco industry and manufacturers of cigarettes have developed a remarkable attention toward women and children. An example is the recent campaign for Parliament Lights that utilize the ad, “The Perfect Recess,” a phrase that occupies a larger space in children’s communication setting than in adults. Images of young couples demonstrate that cigarette smoking will cause an individual to experience and achieve what he seeks (Richard 30-39).
Analysis of the most effective appeals
While many advertisement appeals have been used in the tobacco industry, few appeals stand out as the most effective in motivating sales. Research shows that social themes have preoccupied modern ads for cigarettes where tobacco has been likened with maturity, sex, personal capacity, and sophistication (Richard 30-39). Cigarette manufacturers have responded to the declining sales and market by targeting new segments such as children and women (Kilbourne n.p).
The cigarette has been used to offer images of autonomy and nonconformity. In this case, a smoking person is featured as a man or woman that has courage and stands on his own. For instance, the “No compromise” that featured Winston reveals how many ads have tended to create images of autonomy (Kilbourne n.p).
Is it more likely that people will buy cigarettes because they want to feel autonomous or because cigarettes will make them more attractive to the opposite sex?
Cigarette smoking has for many years been perceived as an act that helps attract people of the opposite sex. Studies have documented the extent to which cigarette prompted people to feel attracted to their opposite sex (Calfee 45). Although research has shown that autonomy ads have influenced people’s buying behavior, considerable evidence suggests that affiliation is more influential than the need for autonomy.
While it is arguable that the early period was characterized by ads full of individualism and personal integrity, today’s scenario has welcomed a new phase that supports social advertisement (Richard 30-39). The current world continues to move from individualism toward socialism, which means that people will be motivated to buy cigarette so that to get attracted to people of opposite sex (Kilbourne n.p).
Works Cited
Calfee, John. “The Ghost of Cigarette Advertising.” Regulation, 1986. Print.
Gardner, Martha N., and Brandt, Allan M. “The Doctors’ Choice Is America’s Choice: The Physician in US Cigarette Advertisements 1930–1953.” American Journal of Public Health 96.2 (2006): 222–232. Print.
Kilbourne, Jean. Targets of Cigarette Advertising. Web.
Richard, Pollay. “Filters, Flavor and Film-Flam, Too: On Health Information and Policy Implications in Cigarette Advertising.” 8. (1989): 30-39. Print.