Cigarette Ads

One of the most vivid memories for me was the Marlboro Cigarette commercials. Yes television had cigarette ads on them up to 1971, when they were banned from TV. There were other ads for smokes but this was the one that caught my eye a handsome cowboy in a white hat, wearing a red shirt squinting into the sun, lighting his Marlboro cigarette. He was what they would call a “hottie.” They used other manly rugged guys ball players, race car drivers etc. but he is the one I remember. He was created in the 1950’s and was Philip Morris best selling brand. At that time cigarette smoking was accepted by all and was not known to be harmful. Along about the mid 1960’s we were in Marlboro Country. And in the mid 70’s Marlboro was the number one brand in the world. I remember vaguely some other commercials, like the dancing Old Gold Cigarette Box, and the Hotel Bell Boy calling for Philip Morris. Camel’s ad says I’d walk a mile for a Camel. Winston taste good Like a Cigarette should. I remember friends of my parents smoking Raleigh cigarettes for the coupons that they saved for premiums.

A Gallup Survey conducted in 1958 found that only 44 percent of Americans believed smoking caused cancer, while 78 percent believed so by 1968. In the course of a decade, it had become common knowledge that smoking damaged health, and mounting evidence of health risks. In 1965, Congress required all cigarette packages distributed in the United States to carry a health warning, and since 1970 this warning is made in the name of the Surgeon General. In 1969, cigarette advertising on television and radio was banned, The last cigarette TV commercial (for Virginia Slims) was broadcast on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show at 11:59pm on January 1, 1971. By this time I was hooked. I started smoking after I graduated high school and before I got married. Everyone smoked back in the day. I smoked thru all 3 of my pregnancies. My babies were born healthy and whole. They all did well in school, and one of them smokes. My oldest son has moved to Australia and tells me smokes are $10. a pack. My poison of choice was Kent Cigarettes with the micronite filter. And as I remember they cost about 35¢ a pack.