The Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign Essay -- Essays Papers

The Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign Traditionally, many advertisements released by cigarette brands under the Philip Morris label have depicted happy people joined together in friendship (supposedly due to their common habit). Other advertisements attempted to associate cigarettes with sleek mystical figures, sometimes even sexually desirable ones. All this has changed, however, due to recent legal developments in which the cigarette giant was pressured to offer anti-smoking ads, in addition to the usual fictional ones depicting happy mannequins. In no way were they to advertise cigarettes, and they were mandated to help stop youth smoking. These requirements placed Philip Morris in a difficult situation. They needed to satisfy the courts, but at the same time also make their advertisements as unsuccessful as possible. To the joy of Philip Morris, Ogilvy explains that "the consumer perceives that the product is inferior and never buys it again" (103). The product is of course not a cigarette, in this case, but rather the message of the advertisement, "don't smoke". Through the use of dull visual features and two reversed advertising tactics, Philip Morris has successfully designed a campaign certain to reach no one. The side benefit of positive PR for the company, of course, was guaranteed regardless of the ad content. The first goal of this article is to attract as little attention as possible. At first glance, the eye finds no special focus point. We see two silhouettes seated at the far opposite ends of a small fishing boat out on a motionless river. It looks more like a mournful life insurance advertisement than anything else. The reader almost expects it to ask "Who will take care of your children?". There are no ... ...hat this awkward conversation was in fact their responsibility. The viewer is left feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and unhappy. What better solution than to turn the page and gaze instead at a graceful Dorothy Hamill figure skater telling them to purchase a wonderful mysterious product named Vioxx? * Gramatically incorrect sentences used for style Works Cited Fowles, Jib. "Advertising's Fifteen Basic Appeals." Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 60-77. Ogilvy, David. "What's Wrong with Advertising?" Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 95-104. Solomon, Jack. "Masters of Desire." Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 46-59. The Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign Essay -- Essays Papers The Philip Morris Anti Smoking Campaign Traditionally, many advertisements released by cigarette brands under the Philip Morris label have depicted happy people joined together in friendship (supposedly due to their common habit). Other advertisements attempted to associate cigarettes with sleek mystical figures, sometimes even sexually desirable ones. All this has changed, however, due to recent legal developments in which the cigarette giant was pressured to offer anti-smoking ads, in addition to the usual fictional ones depicting happy mannequins. In no way were they to advertise cigarettes, and they were mandated to help stop youth smoking. These requirements placed Philip Morris in a difficult situation. They needed to satisfy the courts, but at the same time also make their advertisements as unsuccessful as possible. To the joy of Philip Morris, Ogilvy explains that "the consumer perceives that the product is inferior and never buys it again" (103). The product is of course not a cigarette, in this case, but rather the message of the advertisement, "don't smoke". Through the use of dull visual features and two reversed advertising tactics, Philip Morris has successfully designed a campaign certain to reach no one. The side benefit of positive PR for the company, of course, was guaranteed regardless of the ad content. The first goal of this article is to attract as little attention as possible. At first glance, the eye finds no special focus point. We see two silhouettes seated at the far opposite ends of a small fishing boat out on a motionless river. It looks more like a mournful life insurance advertisement than anything else. The reader almost expects it to ask "Who will take care of your children?". There are no ... ...hat this awkward conversation was in fact their responsibility. The viewer is left feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and unhappy. What better solution than to turn the page and gaze instead at a graceful Dorothy Hamill figure skater telling them to purchase a wonderful mysterious product named Vioxx? * Gramatically incorrect sentences used for style Works Cited Fowles, Jib. "Advertising's Fifteen Basic Appeals." Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 60-77. Ogilvy, David. "What's Wrong with Advertising?" Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 95-104. Solomon, Jack. "Masters of Desire." Common Culture, 3rd Edition. Ed. Petracca, Michael, and Sorapure, Madeleine. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2001. 46-59.