This January 1, 1970, French ad for Benson & Hedges cigarettes has a very simple message. Consumers are supposed to say “Yes” (or “Oui”) to smoking B&H cigarettes. Sadly, high visibility warning labels were not even required on cigarette packaging back then, something which is now required by law. Only in 1987 did France require “front of package” labels warning smokers about the health hazards of these “cancer sticks” (Hiilamo, Crosbie & Glantz, 2014, p.3). Close examination of the packaging reveals no warning labels about the extreme health hazards of smoking and second-hand smoke. Today packs must-have pictorial warning labels about cigarettes causing lung cancer and other health issues (Hiilamo et al., 2014).
In this ad, a handsome white man in stylish clothing lights up his B&H cigarette while a beautiful white woman is gratuitously inserted in the background as “eye candy” since marketers know “sex sells.” She is not presented as very intelligent. Like a cat or dog, she seems mesmerized by the flames and gold packaging as her beautiful eyes present a “sexy” gaze aimed at the cigarettes. The message is that smoking Benson & Hedges cigarettes are high class. Members of high society or those wishing to be associated with high society should smoke this brand of cigarette and attract “eye candy” women. The bright metallic gold packaging is used symbolically to imply this is an exclusive, high class brand. The cigarette company obviously has no desire to warn its customers about the extreme health hazards of smoking and the deadly effects of second-hand smoke. This lovely woman is inhaling a lot of toxic second-hand smoke, yet the man does not care about her health. Furthermore, the awkward way he holds the cigarette pack up to his lighter is simply to showcase the brand and its “rich” gold packaging in the light cast by his lighter’s flame.
In my culture jam version, the textual message has been changed from “Yes” to “Say Yes to Lung Cancer”. The altered text proclaims the truth, which is saying yes to buying and smoking cigarettes (like B&Hs) means saying yes to increasing your risk of getting deadly lung cancer. The added text is in gold because that is Benson & Hedges’ preferred packaging colour. I also greatly increased the size of their name at the bottom so everyone will know which tobacco company to blame if they get lung cancer from smoking B&H cigarettes.
Imagery-wise, I replaced the handsome rich white man’s head with a skull, to convey the message that death is what waits for people who choose to smoke cigarettes. Instead of imitating the wealthy white male, low-income smokers are being marketed as a false dream responsible for the deaths of seven-plus million smokers and 1.2 million non-smokers from second-hand smoke (World Health Organization, 2019). I altered the woman’s eyes because her proximity to his lit cigarette has irritated her eyes, making them bloodshot. Her hand is over her mouth as she coughs, reflecting her respiratory problems caused by inhaling his second-hand smoke. Her altered appearance negates the marketer’s original use of her presence as “eye candy,” a stereotypically gendered role perpetuated by advertising companies and society in general. Finally, I replaced the pack’s B&H logo with a skull and crossbones image, the universal symbol for poison since cigarettes are basically inhalable poison.
As for why I chose this ad to alter, a few years ago, my father was told by his doctor that he would have only six months to live if he continued smoking. Like millions of men (and women) in China, he was a heavy smoker, with a deadly two-pack-a-day addiction. Fortunately, he is also very strong-willed when he wants to be and was able to quit completely after his visit to his doctor. Some of our relatives and family friends were not so lucky.
I hope my Culture Jam assignment highlights the truth about these “cancer sticks” and the gratuitous use of women as “eye candy” in advertising. Smoking is neither “cool” nor makes you look wealthy or sophisticated. Over half a billion smokers in developing countries live in poverty and cannot really afford this expensive, deadly addiction (WHO, 2019). Including and using women as “eye candy” must also stop, which is why a hand now covers her mouth and her eyes are bloodshot, rather than “sexy.”
References
Apic/Getty Images. (1970). Advertising for Benson and Hedges cigarettes in February 1970. Retrieved from https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/advertising-for-benson-and-hedges-cigarettes-in-february-news-photo/89862533
Hiilamo, H., Crosbie, E. and Glantz, S.A. (2014). The evolution of health warning labels on cigarette packs: The role of precedents, and tobacco industry strategies to block diffusion. Tobacco Control, 23 (no.2).
World Health Organization. (2019). Tobacco. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco