If you don't think tobacco companies target young girls with their marketing, check out the latest offering from the R.J. Reynolds Company.
A Completely Different Camel. The New York Times announced today that the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company is introducing a new variety of Camel cigarettes designed for female smokers. The new “light and luscious” Camel No. 9 comes in a pretty black box with pink and teal accents. Camel has traditionally been thought of as a predominantly “male” cigarette. With this new marketing strategy, Reynolds claims to be attempting to capture some of the female smokers who usually purchase cigarettes like Virginia Slims and similar brands. Putting out variations on an already popular brand is nothing new. New names, flavors, designs, and package styles can provide a boost for slow products. In this case, women are being targeted with marketing strategies specifically designed for them.
Getting Kids’ Attention. However, these marketing strategies clearly reveal an attempt to attract new, younger smokers as well. The fact is that very few smokers begin as adults. That means that kids and teenagers are, by default, prime targets. Ads in adult magazines with large teenage readerships, as well as promotions tied to concerts and other youth oriented activities, belie claims that tobacco advertising’s sole purpose is to encourage adult smokers to switch brands. And products with an emphasis on coolness, fun, and sexiness are certainly going to have appeal for teenage girls.
Pretty In Pink. The packages are very pretty. With a hot pink camel emblazoned in the middle of the slick black box, and even a hot pink foil cover, they essentially shout “cool and hip” to any young woman walking by looking for something to match her new pink Razor phone. The ad is equally eye-catching, with the boxes surrounded by flowers against a watercolor background. Yes, they did a nice job. But don’t let anyone fool you for one minute. These are not being packaged for thirty and forty year old women. They are clearly for a much younger crowd.
Just Us Girls. Tobacco advertising has targeted women and girls with special strategies for a long time. Touting cigarettes as weight loss aids, symbols of sexiness, and even markers of independence, marketers have tried to focus on themes they thought would appeal to the female mind. The reality is that more women die of lung cancer than breast cancer. Virginia Slims old motto, “You’ve come a long way, baby,” seems somehow sad and ironic. Now, marketers seem to be focusing on "girl power" as a way to attract young women.
How You Can Help. So what about our girls? How do we get them to see this not as another cool new accessory for their purse, but as the unethical, manipulative bid for their money and their health that it truly is? The answer is education. Talk with girls about how product packaging, advertising, and promotions can alter the appearance and impact of almost any product. Discuss the difference between style and substance. Explain to them how and why they are targeted, and have them search for and point out examples of this targeting as they encounter them. Make sure girls know about the addiction and health risks associated with tobacco, and set a positive example.
Also check out Teen Tobacco Prevention and Advertising to Teens for more info on this topic.
