Our best offer:

Lock in a year of Digiday+ for 35% less. Ends May 29.

SUBSCRIBE

Throwback Thursday: Blowing smoke in cigarette ads

This week’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to a time when Madison Avenue minted money glamorizing cigarettes, blowing smoke in the face of mounting medical research and targeting kids. Oh, there’s no shortage of sexism, either.

What a time to be alive: Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble could share a Winston with your kids, and Lucille Ball told women that Phillip Morris cigarettes will make their husbands happy. York cigarettes apparently gave you mad flirting game, and collecting Raleigh cigarette coupons could get you a watch — and a transistor radio for your son. Three out of four doctors agree, nothing beats a smoke in your downtime — and women’s lib means ladies get their very own brand. So, smoke ’em if you got ’em.

More in Marketing

Premier League gambling ban gives brand sponsors an open goal, but CMOs must still prove value

An exodus of betting brands from the Premier League means there’s a chance for marketers to bag cut-price soccer partnerships. But proving the worth of that investment is another concern.

In Graphic Detail: Why OpenAI’s ad business is still a work in progress

As OpenAI is reportedly gearing up to go public as early as September, Digiday has charted the promise, and early tensions behind its ad business.

The AI paradox: Marketers trust AI to buy media, not build brands

Some executives are wary of AI-generated creative ideas while using automated tools to brainstorm campaigns.