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

As feeds become entertainment hubs, marketers rethink social’s role

As social platforms become entertainment hubs, brands are acting more like media companies to capture attention and drive sales.

How Olly is updating its product detail pages for the AI era

As more shoppers use AI chatbots for recommendations, supplement brand Olly is updating its product pages with clearer descriptions and FAQs to boost AI-driven sales.

In Graphic Detail: Why the best brands are relearning how to entertain first, advertise second

Read on to learn more about the factors driving that shift, in graphic detail.