There has always been talk surrounding the nature of marketing in regards to ethics – what values are we willing to sacrifice in order to make another dollar? An ad campaign that recently caught my eye was one for the ever controversial product: cigarettes. 

I feel like this cigarette campaign along with the article- Graphic warnings on the back of cigarette packets will not deter teenage smokers, study warns , is different than the usual anti-cigarette ads. The negative effects of cigarettes are actually advertised on the actual product and not within another poster campaign. This marketing campaign brings a little faith back into the marketing industry, in which it’s said that in order to make money, values and morals are thrown out the window. It shows that the tobacco companies haven’t completely forgotten their values and are showing the negative effects of their product to the consumers. The decision, in the end, is made by the consumer who is now informed of the detrimental effects of cigarettes. Socially, it pushes toward the end of an era where cigarettes are seen as glamorous – because try as we may to deter it, the glamorous presence of cigarettes is still present. There are many other points I could write about but to conclude, I felt like this campaign was important because it shows a drastic shift in the tobacco industry- from being known as one of the most unethical businesses to actually showcasing the negatives and the downside of their product entirely. It’s definitely a huge step in regards to ethics in marketing within the tobacco industry.