Connor Fogelstrom
Candice Mason COM416 - Propaganda LEAP 3 Propaganda in the Cigarette Industry The “Real Cost” Commercial “Your Skin” vs. Winston Cigarettes Flintstones Commercial Click Here for Google Doc Abstract The cigarette industry has long dominated the United States and world economy. For many years the general public did not know the dangers of tobacco use, and therefore propaganda was always in the public eye. Large companies vied for customers, so advertisements, whether print or television, were constantly a part of people’s lives. In order to illustrate the availability of cigarette propaganda, we chose a commercial by Winston, a cigarette company, sponsoring The Flintstones, a popular family show in the 1960’s. This ad epitomized cigarette propaganda in the 1960’s because at the time there were no restrictions from the government because the harmful effects of cigarettes were not yet known and accepted by the general public. Cigarette companies could get people to start smoking without a second thought from the consumers. Then the Surgeon General released a study that found that smoking cigarettes had a direct link to cancer. It took some time to be accepted, but today just about the entire US population knows and accepts that tobacco products lead to various health problems, including cancer. Because of this, various campaigns have been started, some by the US government, to continue educating and spreading awareness about the dangers of smoking. The example of one of these campaigns that we chose is Real Cost, specifically their commercial called “Your Skin”. The campaign and this commercial in particular aim to “prevent youth who are open to tobacco from trying it and to reduce the number of youth who move from experimenting with tobacco to regular use” (Center for Tobacco Products). This campaign can be considered positive propaganda because it aims to change the ideas and values that young people have in regards to smoking cigarettes, which have been proven to be harmful, especially to teens. This essay will go into more details about each of the pieces of propaganda mentioned above, and then will compare and contrast the two in regards to the composition of the videos, the target audiences, possible reactions, campaign strategies and doctors recommendations at the time that each piece was produced. Case 1: Flintstones Winston Cigarettes Commercial “The Flintstones” became the modern stone-age family when the show debuted on September 30, 1960. The show, created by William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, and produced by Hanna-Barbera productions studio, had a six-season run, conquering prime time (WatchMojo). The show became the first program ever to have one storyline take place in each half-hour episode. The story followed the lives of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble in the town of Bedrock. It centered on the modern working-class life of the two characters and their wives. Often schemes ensued from the two men, which would get hem into trouble with their wives. Originally, the program was made for the entire family. However, the advertisements that were shown during the show times were evidently not for children. The primary sponsor of the program was Winston Cigarettes. Towards the end of the series, the show was refocused more towards children. The advertisements for Winston Cigarettes were pulled in 1963 when the show became under fire for the advertising of cigarettes. Winston officially pulled its involvement after Pebbles Flintstone was born (Wikipedia). The show was then rebroadcasted by NBC in 1967. “The Flintstones” characters have since become staples for cartoons. Since the debut of “The Flintstones,” the show has become a “multi-million dollar merchandising machine, with hundreds of toy and products released each year, including cereal endorsements and children’s vitamins. There were also several specials and animated feature films, including two live-action Hollywood” movies (WatchMojo). “The Flintstones,” since its inception, has always had the perfect mix of satire and slapstick comedy, which continuously draws fans in. Several decades later, “yabba dabba doo” is still loved by a wide audience today. Case 2: The “Real Cost” Commercial “Your Skin” The “Real Cost” is a campaign created by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014 to prevent the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products, especially among teenagers. The campaign “seeks to educate at-risk teens about the harmful effects of tobacco use” (Center for Tobacco Products), which it seems to be doing a good job of, according to recent research studies. The FDA hired a private research group to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the “Real Cost” Campaign, and in the 3 years since the campaign started, exposure to the campaign has yielded a 30 percent decrease in the risk for smoking initiation. This means that approximately 350,000 U.S. teenagers decided not to start smoking because they were exposed to the “Real Cost” in some way, shape, or form (Center for Tobacco Products). These results are considered a major success for the FDA as they have begun to accomplish their goal of educating teens on the dangers of tobacco products. In fact, the “Real Cost” Campaign has expanded in the past few years, not just focusing on cigarettes, like when the campaign started, but also including other forms of harmful tobacco products such as smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes. They also keep their advertisements up to date in order to appeal to the younger demographic that they seek to influence. A specific example of one of these advertisements is entitled “Your Skin”. It is a 30 second commercial in which a teenage girl wishes to purchase a pack of cigarettes from a convenience store. The cashier asks for “a little more”, referencing the teenages smooth skin (USFoodandDrugAdmin). She decides to literally peel her skin from her face, as the narrator tells the audience that smoking causes premature wrinkles and aging of the skin. The message of the commercial is that the cost of smoking is more than just the price listed on the label, it is the health price you pay in addition. This advertisements was part of a series that focused on the health costs of smoking, especially at a young age. Another commercial in the series was called “Your Teeth”, in which a teenage boy literally pulls his tooth out of his mouth in order to fulfill the “cost” of a pack of cigarettes. These similar commercials show that the campaign is dedicated to drilling in teenagers heads the dangers and costs of smoking, especially at a young age. Interesting, all of the commercials in this series end with the cashier uttering the phrase “see you again”, indicating to the viewer that even though the cost is high, people addicted to cigarettes will see the cost as reasonable, when it clearly is not (USFoodandDrugAdmin). The “Real Cost” Campaign, and this advertisement in particular, bring about various issues and topics related to propaganda, which will be further analyzed in the following sections. Comparing and Contrasting the Cases Video Both advertisements were aired through a medium that focuses on youths and their families. Evidently, both were aired with the primary focus being cigarettes and smoking. It is very clear in “The Flintstones” and in the “Real Cost” commercial that each has a specific and tailored message. “The Flintstones” Winston Cigarettes promotional advertisement was released in a much different time than the “Real Cost” advertisement. The first came about in the ’60s when advertising cigarettes was not considered taboo. At this time, smoking was even recommended by doctors, unlike now when it is well researched and warned against for its poisonous qualities. Looking at both videos, the quality and color of each also greatly separate the two. “The Flintstones” is a poorly made cartoon with no color. The cartoon’s low quality is a representation in the time in which it was released. The “Real Cost” video is of a high quality with stage makeup to emphasize the message. The message of each video is also vastly polar from one another. In one, families are recommended a cigarette that Fred Flintstone says is the best while the other says by continuing to smoke, you will pay not only money but with your skin. “Real Cost” is meant to deter and scare the audience from ever smoking while Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble are there to show families that smoking is the way to go and “Winston’s tastes good like a cigarette should.” Target Audience The target audience of most cigarette advertising both in the past and today is young people specifically teenagers, but for entirely different reasons. Teenagers tend to have the most impressionable minds so they are more likely to have their minds changed more easily. Also, specifically in regards to tobacco use, their minds are still developing, so they are scientifically more likely to become addicted to nicotine. All of these factors lead to both teenagers being targeted by cigarette companies in the past and non-smoking campaigns of the present. The Winston Cigarettes Flintstones commercial targets a young audience because of its choice to advertise with a cartoon. Although the show, when it was sponsored by Winston, was aimed at a more adult audience, it clearly had many child and teen viewers, since the show adapted and became more directed at a teenage audience. According to the Nielsen ratings found at tviv.org, the Flintstones was the 18th most viewed show of 1960, showing just how popular the show was, and along the with that, the wide scope of its target audience. With the impressionable minds of the audience members it makes it easy to see why Winston would chose to advertise with the Flintstones. The commercial also stresses the taste of the cigarette being very flavorful, something that would certainly appeal to a young, inexperienced smoker. By stating that a Winston “tastes how a cigarette should”, they are differentiating themselves as a cigarette aimed toward the youth who might not know how a cigarette should taste (Winston Cigarettes). This leads to the young audience choosing to smoke Winstons to see how cigarettes taste, thus getting addicted to the nicotine inside. While Winston targets a younger demographic because they have impressionable minds more likely to succumb to their pro-smoking advertisement, the “Real Cost” Campaign targets the same audience because they are most likely to have their opinions changed. “Real Cost” mostly advertises on stations like MTV, where their target audience can most easily be reached. By reaching the young demographic they seek, they can stop non-smokers from trying tobacco product and influence casual smokers from becoming addicted before it's too late. It is the goal of the campaign to educate and influence young people, and by specifying their target audience, they have been able to accomplish this. In summation, both in the past and in the present the teenage target audience has been extremely important to the cigarette industry. The young demographic is most easily to persuade in terms of either starting to smoke, thus becoming brand loyal, or never beginning to smoke, thus being influenced by the FDA’s campaign to end smoking. Possible Reactions Originally, “The Flintstones” didn’t receive harsh criticism for airing advertisements in its episodes. A few years into the shows running, Winston cigarettes became the show’s primary sponsor. After this, the viewers began to bring the show under fire because it was predominately for children. Winston’s was finally pulled when the show introduced Pebbles Flintstone, the daughter of Fred and Wilma. The perception of the show greatly changed throughout the years of its running until the show was refocused and no longer showed advertisements for brands inappropriate to its children viewers. It is speculated that “The Flintstones” may be the reason for many children smoking as adults (Heintjes). The “Real Cost” commercial, however, was created with the sole purpose of creating awareness of what smoking cigarettes do and to encourage those watching to stop. This commercial was not trying to make not smoking look glamorous but to instead show how unfavorable the effects of smoking can be on the body. This commercial shows the truth, dramatized a bit by the pulling of the skin as a form of payment for a pack of cigarettes. Viewers are supposed to feel disgust and therefore not partake in smoking or purchasing said cigarettes. Doctor Recommendations One of the biggest differences between these two pieces of propaganda is what was known at the time about smoking and dangerous effects it could have on the human body. At the time when the Flintstones advertisement was released around 1960-1961, there was little nothing known about the health effects of smoking cigarettes and using tobacco products in general. Therefore, Winston had no qualms at the time about advertising to a younger demographic, for all they knew there was nothing seriously harmful to smoking cigarettes. It was common for people to smoke very often for example, a “study showed that in the 1960s, 56 percent of smokers had more than 20 cigarettes a day” (US Smoking Rates). Smoking was a normal and common thing for people of most age groups to take part in. That all changed in 1964, when the Surgeon General released their first study regarding cigarette smoking leading directly to certain forms of cancer. People were skeptical at first, but eventually as more facts came in, people began to cut back on their smoking habits. It became less acceptable, and eventually illegal for tobacco products to be advertised in certain forms, and campaigns began trying to inform the public to an even greater extent. The Winston commercial had no mention of health effects, because people weren’t concerned about them. That’s where the second piece of propaganda comes in. With new knowledge about how terrible smoking is for you, campaigns such as “Real Cost” are able to state that smoking causes premature aging and wrinkles. It causes a lot of other side effects as well, but this ad is dedicated to very specific side effect which is interesting. Most people are aware that smoking can cause cancer and many other terrible health effects, yet young people are not so concerned about what might happen to their bodies years from now. For this reason, the commercial decides to focus on an effect that can be seen now by the young viewers. The teenage demographic, most of which will be concerned with their appearance, could be more concerned with maintaining their image, which could help them choose to live healthier lives now. Campaign Strategies When it came to campaigning, both advertisement chose to run by way of the television. “The Flintstones” commercial was aired during a popular show at prime time while the “Real Cost” commercial airs on channels in which teenagers will be watching. Both are aimed towards youths, and the friends and families of said youths. The biggest difference is that one is being pushed by a beloved character. The cigarette company took advantage that Fred Flintstone can say anything and others will want to do the same. This is the same technique that sports companies use when selling anything related to athletics. If it gets someone who is well respected and a thought leader, the mass will follow this popular opinion (Bernays). Meanwhile, the “Real Cost” advertisement is eerie and scary in contrast. The producers of this advertisement want to make the audience feel disgust, scared, and uncomfortable, all the polar opposite feelings from Fred Flintstone. The “Real Cost” promotes the truth while “The Flintstones” works to hide the truth with sales. Conclusion From 1960 to today, the cigarette industry and the stigmas surrounding it have greatly changed. What used to be okay for television is no longer accepted. It is important to know the context in which propaganda is created so that the audience can better understand the world in which it was released. Without this knowledge, propaganda, whether good or bad, cannot be appropriately studied for academic or sales purposes. The cigarette industry, as well as most other industries, have taken a dramatic turn in the opposite direction of what used to be considered appropriate to publish. Understanding this is what can help the future propaganda in the industry either succeed or fail, regardless of the stance being taken. Citations Bernays, E. (2005). Propaganda. Ig Publishing. Blake, H. (2010, September 30). The Flintstones' 50th anniversary: 15 things you don't know. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8034627/The-Flintstones-50th-anniversary-15-things-you-dont-know.html Center For Tobacco Products (n.d.). The Real Cost Campaign. Retrieved November 06, 2017, From https://www.fda.gov/tobaccoproducts/publichealtheducation/publiceducationcampaigns/therealcostcampaign/default.htm Excavating Bedrock: Reminiscences of. (2017, September 14). Retrieved November 03, 2017, from http://cartoonician.com/excavating-bedrock-reminiscences-of-the-flintstones/ Kent, M. M. (n.d.). Not All Americans Are Smoking Less. Retrieved November 03, 2017, from http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2011/us-smoking-trends.aspx Nielsen Ratings/Historic/Network Television by Season/1960s. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from http://tviv.org/Nielsen_Ratings/Historic/Network_Television_by_Season/1960s USFoodAndDrugAdmin. (2014, February 04). The Real Cost Commercial: "Your Skin". Retrieved November 06, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixMEEI0Zq9g U.S. Smoking Rates Down From 1960s. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2017, from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/16/smoking-rates-160s.html WatchMojo. (2017). History of The Flintstones. Retrieved November 03, 2017, from http://www.watchmojo.com/video/id/10836/ Winston Cigarettes. (2007, January 18). Flintstones Cigarette Commercial. Retrieved November 06, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAExoSozc2c Winston tastes good like a cigarette should. (2017, October 05). Retrieved November 03, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_tastes_good_like_a_cigarette_should
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