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Tag: cigarettes

Aug202013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Celebrity Smokes: A Gallery of Star-Powered Cigarette Ads

Celebrity Smokes: A Gallery of Star-Powered Cigarette Ads

Featured Posts, Retrotisements
It seems inconceivable now, but until about the mid-1960s it was quite common to see celebrities hawking cigarettes like it was no big deal. In fact, many radio, TV, and movie stars literally owed their livelihood to sponsorship from tobacco companies. Imagine seeing someone like George Clooney or Angelina Jolie smiling widely in cigarette ads exhorting you to pick up a carton of Marlboro. Weird, isn't it? Anyway, here's a gallery of 20 such ads from the 1930s through the early 1960s featuring movie and TV stars, as well as famous athletes, using their star power to get you to buy cigarettes and cigars. Most of these ads are courtesy the Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising site.
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Apr162013 by Chris Holmes2 Comments
Let’s See Fred Flintstone Smoke Winston Cigarettes in Color

Let’s See Fred Flintstone Smoke Winston Cigarettes in Color

Advertising, TV & Radio
Hang around the internet long enough and you'll stumble across one of the classic TV commercials for Winston cigarettes, starring the Flintstones. Those spots from the early '60s are practically advertising legend at this point. If you haven't seen them, click on the link above and prepare to be amazed. Well if you thought that was cool -- or even if you didn't -- then you'll really enjoy this find. It's an original production animation cel from the second spot in that clip; a closeup of Fred Flintstone sparking a Winston and loving every second of it. Oddly enough, the animation is in glorious color while the cigarette appears to be a black and white photograph. Now that's responsible marketing!
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Jan82013 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Ads from the Open Road, Volume 1

Ads from the Open Road, Volume 1

Retrotisements
I don't really pay much attention to billboard advertisements while I'm driving, unless it's something fairly snappy or unique. And as much as I'd like to romanticize old billboard ads, I think the medium as a whole has been fairly bereft of great ideas. And if you think about it, it makes sense. You're only going to see a billboard ad clearly for what, four or five seconds? So it's all about economy of ideas and design. Anything too complicated and you either lose a driver's interest or cause a 20-car pileup. Neither is good for business. I'm not holding this group of classic billboard ads up as the best ever, but I think you'll enjoy them nonetheless. These are all courtesy the Duke University Libraries Digital Collections advertising series. I can't decide which part of...
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Nov142011 by Chris Holmes5 Comments
Smoke your way to luxury with Raleigh and BelAir cigarettes!

Smoke your way to luxury with Raleigh and BelAir cigarettes!

Advertising, Retrotisements
What's this, another post with cigarette ads? Why yes it is, thanks for asking! Actually there is a bigger reason why I'm posting this -- the latest addition to my Ephemera project is now up. It highlights the wonderful merchandise and retro styling found in the 1968 Raleigh/BelAir cigarette coupon catalog. New sections will be published as quickly as I can scan them, so check back here (or on my Facebook page) for updates. We've got four late 1960s ads in this clip, featuring a pair of Brown & Williamson brands -- Raleigh and BelAir. The first two ads showcase the kind of natural, easygoing dialogue seen in dozens of commercials like them. The first BelAir spot was filmed in Palm Springs, California on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Since they're pushing a menthol brand, t...
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Oct312011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Retrotisement: Lucky Strike’s square dancing cigarettes

Retrotisement: Lucky Strike’s square dancing cigarettes

Advertising, Retrotisements
Yeah yeah, smoking's bad for you. But this stop-motion, square dancing classic from 1948 is very, very good for you. Seriously, what's not to love about this commercial? Well, other than the fact that it's promoting a deadly product of course. Oh yeah, speaking of Lucky Strike, they've got their own section on the main site. To see the rest of my Lucky Strike ads (including this one) and to find out how this commercial was inspired by a German abstract artist, check out the Tobacco Retrotisements home.
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Sep82011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Say hello to Elektro, the Westinghouse Robot

Say hello to Elektro, the Westinghouse Robot

History
He's all but forgotten today, but at one time Elektro was king of all robots. He was assembled by Westinghouse at their Mansfield, Ohio facility in 1937/38 and made his public debut at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Elektro stood at a height of seven feet, six inches and weighed 260 pounds. 60 of those pounds were his brain, which was comprised of "48 electrical relays." At the Westinghouse Pavilion of the World's Fair, Elektro the Moto-Man demonstrated a wide variety of skills such as speech, counting, stand-up comedy, and of course, smoking! Witness the marvels of modern 1930s technology in this excerpt from the 1939 promotional film The Middleton Family at the New York World's Fair. "Stand aside puny human, as I enjoy the mild, refreshing tobacco flavor of Philip Morris!" ...
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May32011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment
Retrotisements — Classic PSA edition

Retrotisements — Classic PSA edition

Advertising, Retrotisements
I don't know if the social consciousness of the average American is lower than it was back in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, but it sure seems like it sometimes. I remember seeing a public service announcement (PSA) at least once or twice an hour while watching TV as a kid. These days, not so much. And the ones that are around don't seem to have much heart or soul. They're every bit as cynical and cold as regular ads if you ask me. So if you feel the same way -- or even if you don't -- let's take a look at some of the more memorable PSAs of the past... Johnny Smoke Cigarette advertising on TV in America was everywhere until it was pulled off the air for good by an act of Congress. But in the final years of tobacco ads, there was no shortage of anti-smoking ads meant to counter th...
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Dec202010 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
2010: The Gray Flannel Suit Year That Was

2010: The Gray Flannel Suit Year That Was

Blogstuff
It's been another fun year for me in running this site, and I'd like to thank all of you who visit regularly, irregularly, or even once.  I'd also like to thank everyone who has helped by contributing comments and post ideas.  It's good to know there's at least a few people out there who enjoy my little corner of the intertubes.  Since we're in the midst of year-end review season, let's take a quick look back at the posting year that was 2010 for The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. Most Popular Posts This is really what it's all about right?  It's always interesting to me to see what content takes off and what content gets largely ignored.  Since I want to stay positive I'll focus on the former.  So here are the eleven most-popular posts on the site for 2010. #11. Happy Hoff-Day! - Davi
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