Oct 18 2012
Branding: Gone in a Puff of Smoke
Time and time again, smokers use the same old excuses to put off quitting.
“I’ll stop soon, promise.” “It’s just the stress!” “I’m going to quit eventually.”
Australia, however, has implemented a legislation that aims to make ‘soon’ and ‘eventually’ an immediate reality. It requires grotesque images ranging from cancerous lungs to diseased limbs to be displayed on cigarette packages, as well as other health warnings. Most notably, a particularly interesting feature of the constraints imposed is how brand trademarks have been banned from appearing on the boxes. Even details such as the font, size, and color of all brand names are standardized and identical, which is a more drastic step than any other nations have currently taken.
What does the government hope to achieve with this removal of branding? According to Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, a main focus of these restrictions is to dissuade the younger generation from smoking. With a package that is far from glamorous and that removes brand association, they hope to eliminate the ‘coolness’ that many teenagers associate with smoking. It’s certainly a logical argument in theory, so only time will tell how successful this law proves to be.
Related Links:
Bloomberg Businessweek: Australia’s Gross-Out Cigarette Warnings