Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign Essay

The Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign

Traditionally, many advertisements released by cigarette brands under the Philip Morris label have depicted happy people joined together in friendship (supposedly due to their common habit). Other advertisements attempted to associate cigarettes with sleek mystical figures, sometimes even sexually desirable ones. All this has changed, however, due to recent legal developments in which the cigarette giant was pressured to offer anti-smoking ads, in addition to the usual fictional ones depicting happy mannequins. In no way were they to advertise cigarettes, and they were mandated to help stop youth smoking. These requirements placed Philip Morris in a difficult situation. They needed to satisfy the

Of all the tasks in the world, this is not one which will draw crowds. Parenting is said to entail a list of extra-unpleasant tasks. Among them are diaper changing, discipline, and "THE TALK". In no way, shape, or form could this reminder possibly encourage parents to discuss nicotine use with their children. Philip Morris has severely infringed on our need to escape. "Nobody in their right mind wants to be intimidated, menaced, battered, poisoned... We want to feel safe and secure; buy these products, advertisers are saying, and you'll be safer than you are without them" (Fowles 72/73). Fowles' description, of course, is crafted for an advertisement which is attempting to attract customers rather than repel them. Nevertheless, the concept is identical. In normal ads, the viewer might be shown that without product 'x', he/she will be caught in a socially awkward situation. Fowles lists a few examples:

As well as presenting positive images, advertisers can play to the need for affiliation in negative ways, by invoking the fear of rejection. If we don't use Scope, we'll have the "Ugh! Morning Breath" that causes male and female models to avert their faces. (Fowles

As we have seen, two of Fowles' needs were directly violated: the "Need to escape" (72), and the "Need to feel safe" (72). Firstly, the viewers' desires for freedom and socio-economic relief were shot down by fear of being isolated on a boat, faced with the task of talking to one's offspring about the effects of nicotine. Next, the reader was even more turned off when he/she received the reminder that this awkward conversation was in fact their responsibility. The viewer is left feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and unhappy. What better solution than to turn the page and gaze instead at a graceful Dorothy Hamill figure skater telling them to purchase a wonderful mysterious product named Vioxx?

* Gramatically incorrect sentences used for style

Works Cited

Fowles, Jib. "Advertising's Fifteen Basic Appeals." Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 60-77.

Ogilvy, David. "What's Wrong with Advertising?" Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure,