Flushed Away From Memory
For this incredibly bleak dump Ryan is joined by comedian and smoker Ian Fidance to discuss the backwards world of anti-smoking ads. Big Tobacco has a long history of questionable advertising but none more questionable than their “youth prevention” programs. How does one advertise how bad a product is while simultaneously advertising how cool that product is? Tune in to find out!
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Smoking cigarettes is bad for you… unless you make it look as good as Joe Camel did! In the early 90s, images of this anthropomorphic bad boy, leather jacket, cig smoking camel were everywhere. Donning a range of costumes, from James Bond-esque tuxedo to recently divorced dad on a motorcycle, this ad campaign was a huge success. Funny thing is, kids love cartoons. Studies showed that the Joe Camel ads created a strong brand recognition with cigs and the cartoon in children. Was Big Tobacco trying to get kids to smoke? If you had to guess, it seems pretty obvious.
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