AMERICAN
SMOKE SCREEN
Jeremy Estus
University of Phoenix
Rise And Fall Of Tobacco Ad
Campaigns
• The tobacco industry in America is evidently the world’s
largest.
• It is estimated that the top six players in the industry
netted a profit of 35 billion dollars back in 2010; this is in
line with the fact that America is the leading global
producer of tobacco.
• The industry players, such Phillip Morris USA and
Lorillard have consistently used advertising to lure people
into using cigarettes.
• This presentation aims to analyse the trends observed
since the 1920’s.
1920’s Consumption
• During this time, America is engaged in the First World War. A
General J.J.
• Pershing is on record claiming that cigarettes are just as necessary
as bullets to win the war.
• The decade foresees the formation of major partnerships in the
tobacco industry such as KTG (Korea Tobacco Ginsen) and acquisition
of Brown and Williamson by BATco (British American Tobacco Co.).
• State bans soften as taxes on tobacco is introduced. Ads by major
players targeting women emerge.
1930’s Consumption on the Rise
• The per capita smoking rate in America doubles to 977
cigarettes as Britain attains the highest rate of cancer.
• A statistical correlation between cigarette smoking and cancer is
established in Germany.
• To counter objections from the medical community, tobacco
manufacturers advertise the alleged medical benefits of
cigarette use.
• Advertisements of cigarettes are published in the Journal of
American Medicine claiming cigarettes have medical uses.
1940’s
• The number of cigarettes consumed in America per capita soars to
2500, more than twice the rate a decade ago.
• Cigarette manufacturers increasingly become creative with ads and
even strategically positioning themselves with major media houses
such as The Times.
• An increasing number of articles citing cigarettes as harmful are
published in major journals such as Reader’s...