Smoking in 1980s Advertising: The Era of “Freedom” and “Taste”

In an era of increasing health consciousness, tobacco advertisers responded not with facts, but with imagery that suggested health. This was accomplished through a sophisticated visual code [citation:1]:

• 🏔️ Pristine Environments: Ads frequently featured “pure and pristine” settings — snow-capped mountains, clear lakes, and sunny beaches. The goal was to associate the product with natural purity and cleanliness [citation:1].
• 🚴 Bold and Lively Behavior: Models were shown engaged in adventuresome activities: mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, canoeing in rapids, windsurfing, and even flying biplanes upside down [citation:1]. These “pictures of health” were designed to reassure smokers that their habit was compatible with a vigorous, active life.
• 📝 Descriptors of Safety: Verbal descriptors like “light,” “extra light,” “ultra light,” “extra mild,” and “special mild” appeared in 41% of ads, implying that these products were safer choices for concerned smokers [citation:1].

The 1980s saw an intense marketing war for the loyalty of young male smokers. Both brands relied on lifestyle advertising, but their visions of masculinity differed starkly .

🚬 Player’s: The “Modern” Man

Imperial Tobacco’s Player’s brand was positioned as the choice for “younger, modern smokers” [citation:2]. The goal was to convey “freedom and independence,” appealing to young men who were “maturing” and “setting their independent adult lifestyle” .

• 🎯 Target: “People ranging from starters of the smoking habit up to and through the seeking and setting of their independent adult lifestyle” [citation:2].
• 👤 Image: A “softer” masculinity — a man who is “masculine, but softer,” “able to show feelings,” and “can get along with women” .
• 🌄 Visuals: Scenes of the “Great Canadian outdoors,” with activities that were “accessible” and not “elitist,” featuring models who appeared to be between 18 and 25 .
• 📢 Slogan: “Player’s — A taste you can call your own” .

🚬 Export A: The “Rugged” Rebel

In contrast, Export ‘A’ projected a rougher, more traditional image of masculinity .

• 🎯 Target: “Young adult males who require the assurance of the Export imagery to promote their desired self image” — often “semi-skilled with below average education” .
• 👤 Image: “Macho, rugged, stern,” a “working class, blue collar” loner. This was described as “an instant badge of masculinity” for “very young starter smokers” .
• 🌄 Visuals: Images of truckers and blue-collar workers, reinforcing the “rough, tough and rugged” theme .
• 📢 Slogan: “Export ‘A’ — Made for the Few.”

Perhaps the most brazenly youth-oriented campaign of the 1980s was for Tempo, a brand introduced with bold, mauve and yellow packaging and a cast of “hip-looking young people” [citation:9].

• 🎯 The Accusation: The Canadian Cancer Society and other public health advocates immediately accused the campaign of targeting minors. “Clearly the style and the portrayal of the models in the ads is geared to reach the video generation,” said Douglas Barr of the Cancer Society [citation:9].
• 📢 The Agency’s Defense: The ad agency, JWT, waved off the criticism. Ron Kovass, a JWT executive, claimed his 14-year-old daughter and her friends thought the models looked “yucky” and “scuzzy,” but insisted that “there are some 25- and 26-year-old secretaries that really want to meet that guy” [citation:9].
• 🧠 The Strategy: The campaign was designed to be “clever” and impossible to prove as targeting youth [citation:9]. Its message of rebellion and coolness was tailor-made for a generation that prided itself on its own taste.
• 📉 The Outcome: The controversy, reported by outlets like CBC [citation:9], fueled the growing movement for a total ban. Federal Health Minister Jake Epp criticized the ads three times in early 1986, and by 1988, the Tobacco Products Control Act was passed, banning lifestyle advertising [citation:9].

No analysis of 1980s advertising is complete without mentioning the cynical co-option of the feminist movement. Philip Morris’s Virginia Slims campaign was a masterclass in linking a product to a social cause [citation:10].

• 🎯 The Slogan: “You’ve come a long way, baby.” This slogan directly tied the act of smoking to the progress of women’s liberation [citation:10].
• 👤 The Imagery: Virginia Slims ads featured the “modern” woman: tall, slender, unapologetically glamorous, and, of course, carrying a long, thin cigarette. The product was designed to be longer and thinner than brands marketed to men, reinforcing associations with sophistication and beauty [citation:10].
• 📈 The Consequence: The campaign was enormously successful but had a tragic outcome. By 1985, as the number of women smokers rose, lung cancer surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women [citation:10].

The 1980s ended with a dramatic shift in public policy. In 1988, the Canadian government passed the Tobacco Products Control Act, which included a ban on all tobacco advertising [citation:4][citation:9]. This was the result of mounting evidence and a powerful social movement [citation:4][citation:8].

• 📋 The Shift: By 1987, 67% of Canadians favoured a ban on cigarette advertising [citation:4]. The tide of public opinion had turned decisively against the industry.
• ⚖️ The Law: The Act banned not just direct advertising but also the “lifestyle” imagery that had been so effective for decades. This was later upheld in part by the Supreme Court, though point-of-sale advertising remained a loophole for a time [citation:4].
• 🌍 The Context: Canada was following the World Health Organization’s 1986 resolution that all countries should ban tobacco advertising, advertise health hazards, and provide protection against secondhand smoke [citation:4].