Puff, puff, puff . . . ummm the cool fresh taste of smoke in your lungs. Doesnt that taste good??? Well, depending to whom you talk to, a variety of answers are possible. It is interesting though, that we, as a society, actually are still deceived into believing the false promises of happiness and bliss from smoking cigarettes. In our society people still deny and forget the fact that smoking causes lung cancer and directly kills over a million people every year, and that is just what tobacco advertisement departments would like to have you forget.
Nowadays, advertising has become a major part of American society today. Everywhere you go there is advertising to be seen and absorbed by the consumer population. Nowadays, every company has a specific company inside the big business thats sole purpose it to come up with interesting and new ways to promote its product. One industry that has been under fire for the types of advertising done during the last ten years is the tobacco industry.
Major tobacco companies, specifically the R. J. Reynolds and Laramie corporations, spend millions of dollars each and every year, selectively advertising to older audiences in the Camel ad and to people who are socially active like the ones in the Newport ad, by intentionally using popular icons like Joe Camel and American ideals like the red, white, and blue coloring in the Camel ad, and by using human emotions like desire and popularity that everyone can relate to as found in the Newport ad, all in an attempt to sell a specific idea . . . cigarettes are pleasurable and enjoying to smoke.
In the advertisement put out by the R. J. Reynolds Company showcasing its Camel cigarettes, the attempt is made to seduce the customers into believing that it is hip and cool to smoke cigarettes. The first thing you notice in this particular advertisement is the large puffy red Afro donned by the man perfectly centered in the ad. He seems to be a throwback to the seventies when there was a collective feeling of freedom and invincibility enjoyed by the youth growing up in that era. It seem this man is living a surreal world full of bliss and happiness.
His long smooth sideburns, small golden sunglasses tinted with a fresh color of purple, and attention-grabbing starred blue suede shirt with the leather pullover are a representation of the careless attitude the majority of people had during that time period. Then, what the ad does is bring attention to the digital telephone the man is wearing. The ad mixes the old, the retro Afro, with the new, a video telephone, to show that Camel cigarettes are an older respectable company that is still evolving and stylish.
The man may look as if he is living in the seventies, but he is fashionable enough to be with all the new technology that is coming out today. Moreover, it is visible that the man is smoking a cigarette on which appears the old popular icon of Joe Camel on the cigarette. Also, placed in the bottom right corner of the ad is the picture of the signature camel and the words since 1913 showing the audience that this company has been around for a while and is respectable. Respect and reverence is seen once again in the advertisement with the use of the patriotic red, white, and blue coloring scheme.
Even the mans blue outfit has stripes on it to complete the whole U. S. A. loyalty theme. The blue coloring in the background of the advertisement adds to the trendy style of cigarette the company is trying to sell. It helps the ad to make cigarettes more pleasing to the eyes in comparison to a red or orange background. Next, it is noticeable that the surgeon generals warning is in the bottom left corner of the ad. The funny thing about the warning, though, is that it has to be the least dreadful of all the warnings. Its main focus is on pregnant women, which is probably a small minority of the people viewing the advertisement.
Finally, the words in the advertisement are strategically placed in the center of the top part of the page. Camel is noticeably larger than all the other words and is the emphasis of the whole ad. Underneath Camel are the words Pleasure To Burn which relate to the fact that the company wants people to believe that it is actually fun and relaxing to smoke cigarettes. In contrast to the Camel cigarettes, the Laramie Company displays its Newport cigarettes as an exhilarating and exciting cigarette that is not to be smoked alone.
In their advertisement, a striking man and his stunning girlfriend are having the time of their lives dancing at a party. They both have great smiles and are dressed to impress. It is also interesting to note that the girl in the ad is staring right out towards the viewer enticing him/her to have a cigarette and join the party. Also, the background of the advertisement is purposely blurred so as to better showcase the main part of the ad, the couple and their love of cigarettes. That same marketing scheme is seen again as we look closer and find the trademark green color of the Newport cigarettes.
Its seductive glow entices the consumer to crave the cool mint menthol flavor of the cigarette. Adding the human facet of wanting to fit in, this advertisement invites you to be a part of it. The cigarette company will allow you to fit in and be part of a group by simply smoking its cigarettes. Then, as a final attempt to let the consumer be part of the group, the Laramie Company is sponsoring a dance contest. You could be just like the people in the advertisement and be dancing the night away. The Newport Rhythm and Sound Dance Contest is just another ploy to let the consumer be part of a larger crowd and to finally fit in.
Another interesting detail not to overlook is the fact that the people in the ad look so healthy. In fact they are so active and healthy that they can participate in a dance competition. Finally, this advertisement has a short questioner to allow them to get to know their customers better and how to better target and reach out to the general population. In conclusion, both of these advertisements have a very cunning way of anticipating and targeting what kind of person the company wants to carry on the tradition of smoking cigarettes.
In the Camel ad, they concept is mixing the old with the new, while in the Newport ad the whole idea is having fun and being part of a larger group. Also, both of the ads use specific coloring to enhance the product. The American red, white, and blue in the Camel ad, and the trademark green in the Newport ad. It is also interesting to compare what the Camel ad has that the Newport ad does not. For one the Camel advertisement actually has a man smoking a cigarette in the ad in comparison to no cigarette shown in the Newport ad.
Also, on the Camel ad it is noticeable that there is a surgeon generals warning on the bottom left corner of the ad, informing people on the risks of smoking cigarettes. This is not found anywhere on the ad for the Newport cigarettes and possibly lets the prospective consumer be at ease not seeing the awful risks of smoking and what it actually does to people. Finally, in comparing both of these advertisements, both of them are effective ads that clearly convey the intended ideas of both companies, respectively.
