Holy shit! What’s this? Cigarettes are bad for me? I had no fucking idea! Sure, advertising by tobacco companies insults the intelligence of consumers. Not because they are inherently evil, but because it’s fucking advertising. 97.9% of all advertising I’ve ever seen insults the intelligence of its target audience.
And your stupid commercials are even worse! Oh, wow, the tobacco companies are so evil! Smoking causes 800,000 cases of illness a year, or somesuch statistic. Yes, smoking is bad. Yes, it’s a burden on society. But I’m sick of your fake indie-hip-stick-it-to-the-man righteous attitude.
I don’t smoke much anymore, but just for that, every time I see one of your commercials, I’m going to light up out of spite.
The ads are aimed at minors. Was this not apparent to you? (It’s hard to insult the intelligence of your average teen, at least when it comes to judgment calls like “should I take up smoking 'cause the kids will think I’m not cool if I don’t?”)
They are simply stupid, stupid, stupid commercials. Pointless, senseless, and idiotic. They are, believe it or not, even more inane and useless than the “war on drugs” commercials. If any of the tobacco settlement money is going to these, Brown & Williamson execs must be falling on the floor every time one of them shows.
Tell me about it. I find them so intensely grating, in fact, that despite having quit successfully nearly three years ago, I have a nearly overwhelming urge to go light up, just out of spite. I would almost seriously wager that these ads have caused more teens to take up smoking than, than not.
They are incredibly stupid, and look like they were put together by people who asked “Now, what’s the hip new attitude that the youngsters today have, and how can we include it?”
Now, one of the anti-smoking PSA organizations I like can be found at www.ydoyouthink.com It’s paid for by the Virginia Tobacco Settlement fund, so I’d imagine the ads only run in Virginia. But the ads are actually funny, and make a point.
While the average teen may not be the sharpest tool in the drawer they are not as dumb as you think. They recognize this sort of thing for what it is. Heavy handed propaganda from the man.
Frank I think these ads are funded either by the tobacco companies as part of the settlement or with the settlement money.
Tobacco company executive: “Holy crap, the game is up! They’ve figured us out! (beat) What the hell, they’re addicted anyway. Ain’t nothin’ they’re gonna do about it now. (evil cackle)”
They are, but in case anybody thinks this is some Machiavellian attempt to make deliberately bad anti-smoking PSAs so that everyone will ignore them, I’ll point out that the tobacco companies don’t have any control over the ads themselves.
I think you are all overestimating the intelligence of the average teenager. Have you seen the crap they buy? Advertising, even bad advertising, works. All too well.
What I find funny about most of these commercials is that they aren’t really attacking cigarettes at all. They’re pointing out how eeeeeeeevil the tobacco companiees are.
Case in point: the most recent commercial that I remember seeing talks about how some tobacco company donated $125K to charity, then spent $20 million telling people about it.
How is this supposed to affect teens who are smoking because it’s “cool” or because they want to look older? Answer: it’s not.
I remember an anti-smoking ad that showed a rolled up dollar bill being lit & dragged like it was a cigarette. Instead of realizing I spent a few bucks a day on Camels (as was intended), I went to my porch because the ad gave me the hankering.
Anyway, Gabe, I’m there with you. We should find their headquarters and stage a smoke-near. It’d be hilariously enjoyable…that is, if I wanted pointy things thrown at my head.
I think you are underestimating the average teens ability to tell the difference between cool and an authority figure trying to be cool to convince them do something that is good for them.
Benjamin: If I may, speaking from a producer-director standpoint, kids can relate to these guys, they’re not phonies. Kids can spot phonies, they’re very smart.
Noah: Kids know dick. I watch 'em in my arcades. They stand like lab rats hitting
the feeder bar to get food pellets. As long as they pump in quarters,
who gives a shit?