SuperSlim targeted at teenagers

// added October 19, 2008 // 6 comments //
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EclecticBadger

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http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-n...

Tobacco companies are increasingly targeting teenage girls, using cynical marketing ploys that tap into young women's fears about their weight, and introducing "female-friendly" packaging, campaign groups warned yesterday.

Silk Cut will next month launch a range of "Superslims", which will be sold in "perfume-shaped" boxes designed to appeal to image-conscious women.

"Silk Cut is using the terminology 'super slim' to make the link between smoking their product and losing weight," said Deborah Arnott, director of the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). "Like a dog whistle that is inaudible to humans, this message is only heard by those it's aimed at: in this case girls anxious about their weight and desperate to stay slim. It's despicable for the industry to target vulnerable young women in this way."

Silk Cut's new marketing ploy is just the latest device that tobacco companies are using to appeal to women. Research published in the US journal Tobacco Control last month revealed that stars of Hollywood's golden age also promoted smoking, with Clark Gable and Bette Davis paid the equivalent of £35,000 a year by tobacco companies. "These companies are trying to glamorise smoking, just as they try to get celebrities to be associated with their brand to boost sales," Ms Arnott said.

Many tobacco companies have tried to forge a link between smoking and slimness. The first ad which emphasised the "benefits" of smoking for weight control was brought out in the late 1920s, with the slogan "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet".

The popular US brand Virginia Slims hammers the message home with varieties Virginia Slims Super Slims Lights and Virginia Slims Super Slims Ultra Lights. In early 2009 the company will also launch sleek pink "Purse Packs" aimed at women.

Some believe that tobacco companies are using distinctive packaging to get around the restrictions put in place by the 2002 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act, which banned all cigarette advertising except alongside Formula One racing. "Wrapping cigarettes in attractive packaging is one of the last marketing tools left for tobacco companies," said Elspeth Lee, head of tobacco control at Cancer Research UK.

Gallaher Group, the company that produces Silk Cut, was unavailable for comment yesterday.
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    News and Politics,   Health,   Fashion
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    News and Politics,  Health,  UK,  Fashion,  4 more

6 comments // SuperSlim targeted at teenagers

  • diode
    • 0
      diode  

    • HEY, all you anti smokers who hate big tobacco companies, go smoke.

      people make decisions to smoke, the corporations don't shove a cig in your mouth and light it and then force you to inhale it for 5 minutes. you want to stop smoking, address the problem, the kids smoking.

      and, per federal mandates, every pack of cigs have health warnings posted on them. if stupid die because they can't read, good for us.

    • 1 year ago
  • hrhpod
    • 0
      hrhpod  

    • Badger - I am awestruck with the replacement photo.

      I lost half a cup of tea when the page loaded.

      Never underestimate the cynicism of fag companies - they do controversial things just to get news coverage of how rotten they are because there really is no such things as bad publicity when you're discussing such a revoltingly addictive product.

    • 1 year ago
  • EclecticBadger
    • 0
      EclecticBadger  

    • Fair points made about incidental product placement, therefore image dumped in favour of a representation of the target market :)

      However, are tobacco firms still correct with their assumption that teenagers and in particular young women, new to smoking, are so sufficiently ignorant to the health risks that they will still buy into their advertising promotion of cancer wrapped in pretty packages?

    • 1 year ago
  • BenK
    • 0
      BenK  

    • +1 The post above.

      To the people who said 'it's despicable': I think anyone who can get over the fact that it's their job to convince people to buy things that kill them, doesn't really care when the target audience just happens to change to teenage girls.

      Ben K.

    • 1 year ago
  • hrhpod
    • 0
      hrhpod  

    • The sad thing is, the very act of discussing it, is free advertising for them - along with that pretty photo.
      They don't get to advertise by normal means do they?

      VOTE IT DOWN!

    • 1 year ago
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