How Cigarettes Were Advertised in Canadian Magazines
1950s vs. 1980s vs. Today – A Visual History of Tobacco Marketing
📰 From doctor endorsements to rock stars, and finally to plain packaging – cigarette advertising in Canada has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations in marketing history. This article takes you through three distinct eras: the unregulated golden age of the 1950s, the edgy and rebellious 1980s, and the heavily restricted present day.
In the 1950s, cigarette ads were everywhere – in Maclean’s, Chatelaine, Time (Canadian edition), and The Saturday Evening Post. There were no health warnings, no age restrictions, and no limits on where or how you could advertise. The messages were bold, aspirational, and often medically deceptive.
- 🎬 Celebrity endorsements: Hollywood stars like John Wayne and Lucille Ball appeared in print ads.
- 👨⚕️ Pseudo-scientific claims: The infamous “More doctors smoke Camels” campaign (1946–1954) claimed that a survey of 113,597 doctors found Camels were the preferred cigarette.
- 👩 Women as target audience: Brands like Player’s and Export A created “light” and “slim” versions marketed to women with slogans like “For the modern woman.”
- 🎨 Visual style: Glossy, full-page illustrations of glamorous people – often skiing, sailing, or at cocktail parties.
Headline: “For a moment of pure pleasure – Craven ‘A'”
Image: A elegantly dressed woman holding a slim cigarette
Body text: “Cool as a Canadian morning. The cork tip keeps the taste clean.”
(No warning label anywhere on the page.)
The 1980s brought mandatory health warnings (1989: first Canadian law requiring warnings on print ads) but also saw the rise of edgy, youth-oriented campaigns. Advertising shifted from glamour to rebellion, independence, and “cool.”
- 🏔️ The “Marlboro Man” in Canada: Philip Morris marketed rugged independence – cowboys, mountains, wide open spaces.
- ⚡ Export ‘A’ – “Made for the Few”: An exclusive, almost elitist campaign targeting sophisticated smokers.
- 🎸 Sponsorship of events: Cigarette brands sponsored rock concerts and sporting events (even after broadcast TV bans in 1972).
- 🎨 Visual style: Gritty photography, bold typography, black-and-white spreads with pops of red.
Headline: “Du Maurier. For people who know the difference.”
Image: A man in a leather jacket leaning against a vintage car
Body text: “Some smoke for taste. Some for tradition. Du Maurier gives you both.”
(Small warning on the bottom: “Health and Welfare Canada advises that smoking is harmful.”)
📊 Visual Comparison: Then vs. Now
| Aspect | 1950s | 1980s | Today (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warnings | None | Small text at bottom | Large graphic warnings (plain packaging) |
| Target audience | Everyone (including implied minors) | Young adults, “rebels” | Adults 19+ only, no direct ads |
| Where shown | Magazines, billboards, TV, radio, movies | Magazines, billboards, event sponsorship | In-store only (Canada’s Tobacco Act) |
| Slogans | “Milder, cooler, kinder” | “Challenge everything” | No slogans allowed in many provinces |
| Imagery | Doctors, movie stars, elegant parties | Cowboys, leather jackets, rock concerts | Plain brown packaging, product only |
What’s left? In-store displays are the only remaining “advertising” – and even those are heavily restricted. Since 2019, Canada has required plain packaging: all cigarette packs must be drab brown with identical fonts and large graphic health warnings covering 75% of the front and back.
- 📦 No brand colours: Du Maurier’s gold and red, Export A’s distinctive design – all gone. Only uniform brown.
- 🖼️ Graphic images: Warnings include diseased lungs, mouth cancer, and impotence – actual photographs.
- 🔞 Age verification online: Websites like Cigstore.ca require age checks before browsing.
- 📧 Email marketing: Still legal? Only for existing customers with opt-out – no cold outreach.
Drab brown background. “BB FULL ORIGINAL” in standardized 12pt Arial font.
75% space occupied by: “WARNING: Cigarettes cause lung cancer.”
(No image. No slogan. No colours except brown.)
Where do people buy cigarettes today? Most Canadian smokers have switched to Indigenous-owned online stores like Cigstore.ca, where prices are lower ($29–$50 per carton) and the focus is on service, not flashy ads. Word-of-mouth, price, and reliability have replaced million-dollar campaigns.
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📍 A Note on Quebec’s Advertising History
Quebec has always had a unique relationship with tobacco advertising. Until the 1990s, many cigarette ads appeared only in French-language magazines (La Presse, Le Devoir) with different slogans. Today, Quebec follows the same federal plain packaging laws, but Cigstore.ca delivers to Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, and Gatineau with $29 flat shipping (free over $290).
📚 You Might Also Find These Articles Interesting
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1994 Tax Cut Story
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Why Cigarettes Are Expensive
Complete tax breakdown.
Forgotten Canadian Brands
Craven ‘A’, Sweet Caporal, Rothmans.
💨 No flashy ads. Just honest prices.
Today, we don’t need million-dollar campaigns – our customers save up to $7,000/year by switching to native cigarettes. $29 flat shipping anywhere in Canada. FREE shipping on orders $290+.
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