Ads for Cigarettes

Tobacco companies often rely heavily on sexual images to sell their products. The cigarette itself is used by other companies as a symbol, and yet cigarette ads still include sexual images in order to keep that reputation alive. Camel cigarettes once used a cartoon camel in their ads, but they got in trouble for allegedly trying to sell their product to kids using that mascot. They now have a much more adult spokesperson: their new campaign features illustrated men and women, drawn in sexually suggestive poses, outfits, and situations with the caption, "Pleasure to Burn." In one of these ads, a woman lies in a provocative position, wearing a short, revealing dress while she holds a cigarette. The woman in another ad wears nothing but a pair of gloves, fishnet stockings, and a bra as she smokes her Camel. This woman looks like a showgirl or a prostitute, as the few articles of clothing that she does wear have a tawdry connotation. These women are meant to be seen as sexy, pleasure-loving girls- the kind of girls who smoke Camels. In a third ad, a man is depicted as a sailor, and the typical sailors' reputation is evident, especially when he is pictured with a woman who lights his cigarette; this action suggests that an intimate relationship has taken place or is about to. Back to the Main Page
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