 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Cigarettes and Bling? By: Emily Long Smoking is harmful to your health. Smoking will make you popular. Smokers are bad people. Everyone’s doing it. Just one cigarette won’t hurt. All it takes is one and you’ll be hooked. With all these mixed messages about smoking, how’s a girl supposed to know what's true? Tobacco companies know how challenging this conflict can be for young women today, and they are determined to help you choose their products. In recent years, many, including Camel, Virginia Slims, and Winston, have begun to target teenage women with their brand marketing. Gone are the days of male-centric cigarette ads: you can now find cigarettes and smoking portrayed with characteristics that girls find attractive, such as rebelliousness, sophistication, weight loss, popularity, or beauty. Open up a magazine, and you will probably find images of skinny, fashionable young women looking carefree and happy, all while smoking. In January 2007, Camel launched their No. 9 brand along with a new marketing strategy: fun accessories and extravagant events. At bars all over the country, the company invited women to enjoy spa treatments, signature drinks (the Divine 9 pink martini), full goodie bags, and, of course, free packs of Camel No. 9 cigarettes. Although only of-age women could attend these events, the companies wanted them to appeal to girls like you. Goodie bags contained cell phone crystals, jewelry, lip-gloss sets, and bottles of hand lotion, which women of all ages can enjoy. Teenage girls may not be able to go to bars or purchase cigarettes, but they can find the concept of smoking attractive, particularly if cigarettes come with bonus products. “Any marketing effort that increases the desire to smoke is going to benefit the companies in the long run,” said Victoria Almquist, who serves as Outreach Director at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “The companies want young women and girls to try cigarettes – even if they aren’t able to get the exact brand whose marketing has attracted them - so that they will become committed/addicted smokers.” Another way that companies try to catch your eye is with well-placed ads and displays. You may have seen cigarette ads in magazines, but next time you stop at a convenience station for a soda, look around for tobacco advertising. Ms. Almquist reported that nearly 75% of teens visit a convenience store at least once a week, so this is an effective place for companies to market their products. You may find bright displays beside the cash register or on the walls. Some companies have started to produce flavored tobacco in order to attract teenagers that may not like the taste of a plain cigarette. Camel’s Exotic Blends include Twista Lime, Warm Winter Toffee, and Winter Mocha Mint. Many brands come in colorful or patterned packages that look like candy. Tobacco companies have realized that this kind of packaging targeting youth, and young women in particular, will increase the number of people who buy their products. Why is this new type of marketing so important? A recent study suggested that youth who smoke only rarely may still feel cravings for tobacco. If compa- nies can tempt girls to try their products once or twice using cell phone bling or colorful displays, there is a pretty good chance that those same girls will continue to buy cigarettes in the future. If they can get you hooked now, they will make money for years to come. With all these glossy magazine ads and pink goodie bags and colorful packaging, it’s hard not to think smoking is glamorous and cool. Tobacco companies have spent lots of time and money on making sure you feel that way about their products. Next time you open a magazine or stop in a convenience store, think carefully about the message tobacco ads are sending. These companies are hoping to catch your attention, and you can - and should - make the decision not to fall for these tricks. |
| Tobacco companies package their cigarettes in pink to attract girls to their killer products. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |