It doesn’t seem that long ago when cigarette advertising was the norm: they were seen on billboards, in magazines, in cinemas, in newsagents, on Formula One racing cars (remember the eye-catching Lotus with the striking black and gold of John Player Special?) and even in the world of professional tennis!
Recently, I came across three magazine adverts from 1987 that reminded me of how prominent and creative cigarette advertising was. With so many cigarette brands attempting to entice, creativity was paramount – subtle, bold, colourful, stylish, elegant, playful, cool, sporty – all elements tapped into to create memorable adverts.
Current state of play for cigarette advertising… non-existent! No colourful ads in magazines, no billboards, no cinema advertising, no newsagent advertising and completely gone from the sporting worlds of Formula One and professional tennis.
Health warnings are at the forefront of cigarette packaging and branding has been severely watered down. The days of smoky pubs and nightclubs resulting in our clothes stinking of cigarette smoke, whilst probably bringing back some of the best times of our lives, are distant memories that have absolutely no chance of returning.
I’m leaving you with a photo of me taken around 1977 (posing whilst clutching a pack of Opal Fruits). Behind me is a billboard that shows how prominent cigarette advertising was back in the day.
