The Tobacco Industry & Women

Women are Actively Targeted by Aggressive Advertising Campaigns

How It All Began…

When smoking first came into vogue, it was considered a man's activity, and unfeminine. Therefore it became a vehicle for women's rebellion and for asserting a new, more independent, self-image. Tobacco companies capitalized on this. It is said that Edward Bernays, a master of public relations who was hired by the tobacco industry, employed women to dress like feminists and march in the Easter parade of 1929 in New York City. These women were also paid to smoke and, when they attracted the attention of the press, to refer to their cigarettes as "torches of freedom." This was the beginning of an association between women smokers and freedom or liberation that has been cultivated and promoted by the tobacco industry.

Source: Jean Kilbourne and Rick Pollay, Pack of Lies, 1992.

This was the first bold effort of the tobacco industry to recruit female smokers.

Although smoking remained a man’s activity for the first half of the 20th Century, smoking among women started to gain social acceptability around World War II. Easter Parade, 1929

During WWII, when many men were away fighting, cigarette companies began to target women more directly, appealing to the desire for independence, glamour and slimness.

As a result, smoking rates among women increased and, consequently, smoking among women started to gain social acceptability.

What Do Women Want?

Tobacco companies have conducted extensive market research on the attitudes of women and girls to better understand how to target their products and their advertising.

By focusing their research on how females view themselves, their aspirations and the social pressures they face, the cigarette companies have developed some of the most aggressive and sophisticated marketing campaigns in history.

Just For You!

In the 1970s, women’s cigarette brands, such as Matinee, Virginia Slims, and Misty started to emerge.

Why is Virginia Slims attractive to women?

Unfortunate Success…

In the US, the number of teenage girls who smoked more than doubled in the 6 years following the launch of Virginia Slims.

Thirty years later, these cigarette brands designed specifically for women are

commonplace.

In Canada, 26% of females aged 15-19 use tobacco industry products.

That is 6% more than males.

A 2001 report on women and smoking identified that nearly all women who smoke started as teenagers and that 30% of female high school smokers continue to smoke into adulthood.

Why Do Women Smoke?

Women smoke for many of the same reasons men do: because they are addicted; to enhance social acceptability; to improve self-esteem, or to relieve stress.

Weight Control…

But many more women than men use smoking as a form of weight control.

This is particularly true of teenage girls.

Many are afraid they will gain weight if they quit smoking.

“If I ran the world, calories wouldn’t count”

The tobacco companies exploit this insecurity in their advertising.

What insecurity does this

ad exploit?

Fashion and sponsorship

Cigarette brands sponsor fashion events to make an association between slimness, glamour, and their cigarettes.

Matinee Fashion Foundation

Each year, The Matinee Fashion Foundation organizes regional events across Canada.

Matinee is a cigarette brand owned by Imperial Tobacco.

Don’t fall for the tobacco industry’s devious marketing

tactics!