Here is an article from Brand Channel posted this morning talking about the new graphic warning labels for cigarette packaging. The article can be found at this link:
The FDA has created nine new warning labels for cigarette packages that graphically show the effects of smoking instead of just printing the warning in small print. The ads show everything from rotting teeth, a dead body, diseased lungs, a baby surrounded by smoke, and other visuals that are disturbing to see. Obvisouly the purpose of the new labels is to scare people and shock people and hopefully get them to quit smoking.
Discussion Questions:
1. The FDA is obviously trying to convey the harmful effects of smoking to everyone. However, do you think that the new labels will be more effective to a specific age group?
2. Do you think people who smoke will be less likely to smoke after viewing the pictures on their cigarette packaging? If you currently smoke what is your take on the new labels? Do you think viewing those pictures will make you quit smoking?
3. There is no way to market cigarettes as being healthy. If you were in-charge of marketing for a cigarette company how would you market cigarettes now with the new label?
I believe the labels may deter children and young teen from starting to smoke or even helping them quit if they have already started. However, I dont think this will make a difference to the people who have already been smoking for years. I am a current smoker and I know that I should quit but the ads do not make me want to throw my cigarettes in the trash.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is no good way for cigarettes to be marketed with these new ads but I believe people will continue to purchase them.
I think that these new labels will be more likely to deter younger individuals from smoking. I feel like the majority of adult smokers are well aware of the consequences that smoking has and are in part, apathetic. They realize what they are doing to themselves are unwilling or for some reason, unable to quit. I believe that younger people are more likely to be emotionally affected by the images. Honestly, I think that cigarettes often market themselves, especially with younger kids and young adults. These individuals receive so much exposure to cigarettes within their social lives that marketing is almost completely unnecessary in my opinion. Otherwise I really have no idea how I would market a product that so obviously is horrible for oneself.
ReplyDeleteI think the new labels will have more of an effect on younger individuals, but the people who have smoked for many years will not quit because they see these pictures. I feel it is already well known that smoking can kill you, but people still smoke, so these pictures are not going to stop the adults. Like Maggy said, cigarettes mostly market themselves. It seems to me the people that start smoking usually are surrounded buy it or they grew up to their parents smoking, so they don't think it is so bad. I do not think there is a good way to market cigarettes, but that definitely does not hurt their market.
ReplyDeleteAs a former smoker I can say smokers will ignore the new labels and they will probably find ways to hide the label. They know the risks they are taking. They also know how hard it is to quit smoking.
ReplyDeleteI wish that label was in place when I was 13! I might never have started smoking. We all know smokers begin smoking by peer pressure. With that in mind, I believe the new labels would have a positive effect by preventing young teens who would just be starting to smoke.
As a former smoker and knowing the horrible side effects of smoking and how hard it is to quit, I don't think I would even want to work for a tobacco company so my brain would not even allow me to come up with an ad campaign to acquire new customers. I think the tobacco companies know they're coming to the end of a long era, much like typewriters and phones that actually plugged into the walls, and will need to evolve to something else to survive.
I believe the creators of this latest campaign know they may not be very successful in getting people to quit, but rather are looking to prevent new smokers and with that in mind, I believe the campaign is successful.
These graphic photos may be enough to scare a few young people who are thinking about buying their first pack, but there have been warnings for many years and people have seen the consequences and in the end choose to do what they want rather than what is good for them. As a smoker these ads wouldn't stop me from buying. I understand the risks, the new labels just make me nauseous and to color over the photo. The new label should be on one side of the box so that the brand can still be seen; however, even if the warning label covers half of the front people who have been smoking for years know what brand they want without having to see a clear brand label. I don't see this new label leading to very many people quitting.
ReplyDeleteI actaually caught the tail end of this on the news the other when I was visiting my mom (who is a long time smoker). I think it will help prevent younger teens and children from starting the habit, but I don't think it will makes someone who smokes quit. My mom thought that it was kind of silly to be putting those pictures on the boxes and didn't seem to think that it would help with anything.
ReplyDeletei saw this on the news and they said that the other countries that have tried it they have seen a decrease in smoking teens. i think they are there to help prevent young people from smoking. i personally don't smoke. i think it is absolutely disgusting and should be banned altogether. if i was in charge of marketing the business would go out.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think it may not really help current smokers, but I think it will do a lot for teenagers who are getting introduced to smoking. As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words," and I think a picture of rotting teeth, a dead body, diseased lungs, or a baby surrounded by smoke can say much more than just text. I think the pictures will scare teenagers more than just not being accepted into a group.
ReplyDeleteI also know from past research experience individuals tend to have stronger emotional reactions to color and visual images than just black and white text. I also think that having the images will remind smokers several times a day about the risks they are taking for the cigarettes. I think it almost like sending the guilt message multiple times a day, instead of just once or maybe twice a day like the non-smoking commercials.
Honestly, I don't think I could ever market cigarettes because I don't think these companies should even be selling them.