25 mai 2009
Rothmans Cigarettes
On one of the posters on display at Gatwick was the impressive image of a Rothman's logo embellishing the underbelly of a 
wide bodied jet. Pretty impressive stuff - but not as impressive as the embedded artwork in the bottom left hand corner. Regrettably it is obscured in the photograph on the right as the author's finger appeared in front of the lens. Fortunately, the same ad also appeared in flight magazines around the world. One of these ads is depicted in the illustration shown on the left. The inset image on the right is the figure of interest (actual size as in the magazine ad).
Geographers will note the distortion produced to the north east of England and the large 'chunk' bitten out of north Wales. This apparent reflection of the southern half of Britain on the body of the aircraft can also be perceived as Col. Saunders lookalike, with a faint but nevertheless notable, cigarette/phallic shape entering his mouth. Or it could be smoke being blown out. Take your pick. The 'chunk' missing from North Wales produces 'Colonel Saunders' eye. Whether what the Colonel is ingesting is intended to be perceived as an extremely large cigarette, a straw, a cigar or whatever, I will leave to the imagination of the viewer. Their judgement might, however, be biased by the other, sexually oriented, cigarette ads discussed on various other pages of the Subliminal World site
18 mai 2009
History Gitanes cigarette
The cigarette
Traditional Gauloises were short, wide, unfiltered and made with dark
tobaccos from Syria and Turkey which gave off a strong and distinctive
aroma. Some non-smokers likened this to burning tar or the smoke of
what King James I of England, in A Counterblast to Tobacco, called
"that pit which is bottomless".
Brand History
The brand name itself is interesting. In France, they say la langue
gauloise, mythologising the way in which the "Gauls" resisted Roman
hegemony — the more modern books and Paris theme park featuring
"Asterix the Gaul" continue the process. To name a brand as 'French' is
therefore to label it in a particularly iconic way, matching archetypes
of heroism and patriotism.
During its zenith between the World Wars,
the smoking of Gauloises in France was considered patriotic and an
affiliation with French "heartland" values. The brand was irrevocably
associated with the cigarette-smoking poilu (a slang term for the
French infantryman in the trenches) and the resistance fighters during
the Vichy occupation of France. During the wars, smoking was
characterised as "the soldier's breakfast" — a willingness to sacrifice
the ordinary comforts of daily life and to show solidarity with the
workers and soldiers in the war effort. The brand was also linked to
high-status and inspirational figure representing the worlds of art
(e.g. Pablo Picasso) and the intellectual elite (e.g. Jean Paul
Sartre). George Orwell also mentions that he smokes the brand in Down
and Out in Paris and London. This, together with the romantic
associations of France, makes Gauloises a popular brand among some
writers and artists.
The brand is also featured in the Roman Polanski
film The Tenant and the Robert De Niro and Jean Reno starrer Ronin,
where it is smoked by Jean Reno's character.Smoking Gauloises was also
promoted as a contribution to the national good: a proportion of the
profits from sale of Gauloises flowed to the Regie Francais Tabacs, a
semi-governmental corporation charged with both controlling the use of
tobacco, especially by minors, and directing its profits towards
socially beneficial causes. The designers of the traditional Gauloise
packet reinforced national identity by selecting a peculiarly French
shade of blue (like the blues used in the work of French artist Yves
Klein); this blue contains little compromise with other primary colors.
The legal environment
The cigarette was manufactured by Seita but 1999 proved to be a
landmark year. The legal difficulties crystalised when a French health
insurance fund filed a 51.33 million franc lawsuit against four
cigarette companies, including Seita, to cover the estimated and
continuing costs of treating the illnesses linked to cigarette smoking.
This was followed by an action filed by the family of a deceased heavy
smoker and the French state health insurer, Caisse Primaire d'Assurance
Maladie, claiming compensation for the cost of the deceased's medical
treatment and for producing a dangerous and addictive product.
Consequently, brand management was assigned to Altadis, with joint
French and Spanish ownership, and this company continues manufacture
and international distribution. This company is now facing legal action
in its own right.Following Ireland and New York State among others,
Spain has introduced a ban of smoking in nearly all public places,
which went into effect per January 1st, 2006. In Spain, smoking is
currently allowed only in special smoker's areas in bars. A similar
smoking ban in France, however, died in parliament in November 2005.
05 mai 2009
Longhorns Come to Marlboro Country Man
1967 Longhorns Come to Marlboro Country Man 100's Ad
The Longhorns come to Marlboro Country! The Longhorns. New Marlboro 100’s. Big gold pack. Big flavor, too! Extra long, so you can spend a little more time in Marlboro Country. NEW MARLBORO 100’S
1967 Longhorns Come to Marlboro Country Man 100's Ad - The Longhorns come to Marlboro Country! The Longhorns. New Marlboro 100’s. Big gold pack. Big flavor, too! Extra long, so you can spend a little more time in Marlboro Country. NEW MARLBORO 100’S
1967 Marlboro Country Double-Page Horses Ad
Come to where the flavor is.
1967 Marlboro Country Double-Page Horses Ad - Come to where the flavor is.
1967 Marlboro Country Man Cowboys Horse Ranch Ad
Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country. You get a lot to like with a Marlboro—filter, flavor, pack or box.
1967 Marlboro Country Man Cowboys Horse Ranch Ad - Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country. You get a lot to like with a Marlboro—filter, flavor, pack or box.
1967 Marlboro Country Man in Tack Room Ad
Famous Marlboro Red! And new extra-long Marlboro 100’s— The Longhorns! Either way, You get a lot to like. Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Man in Tack Room Ad - Famous Marlboro Red! And new extra-long Marlboro 100’s— The Longhorns! Either way, You get a lot to like. Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Men Smoking in Barn Ad
Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Men Smoking in Barn Ad - Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
“Darn right it’s a filter. But don’t knock the flavor.” “Who’s knocking? I’ve smoked Camels for 12 years. Straight!” Regular or Filter Have a real smoke…have a Camel
1967 Longhorns Come to Marlboro Country Man 100's Ad
The Longhorns come to Marlboro Country! The Longhorns. New Marlboro 100’s. Big gold pack. Big flavor, too! Extra long, so you can spend a little more time in Marlboro Country. NEW MARLBORO 100’S
1967 Longhorns Come to Marlboro Country Man 100's Ad - The Longhorns come to Marlboro Country! The Longhorns. New Marlboro 100’s. Big gold pack. Big flavor, too! Extra long, so you can spend a little more time in Marlboro Country. NEW MARLBORO 100’S
1967 Marlboro Country Double-Page Horses Ad
Come to where the flavor is.
1967 Marlboro Country Double-Page Horses Ad - Come to where the flavor is.
1967 Marlboro Country Man Cowboys Horse Ranch Ad
Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country. You get a lot to like with a Marlboro—filter, flavor, pack or box.
1967 Marlboro Country Man Cowboys Horse Ranch Ad - Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country. You get a lot to like with a Marlboro—filter, flavor, pack or box.
1967 Marlboro Country Man in Tack Room Ad
Famous Marlboro Red! And new extra-long Marlboro 100’s— The Longhorns! Either way, You get a lot to like. Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Man in Tack Room Ad - Famous Marlboro Red! And new extra-long Marlboro 100’s— The Longhorns! Either way, You get a lot to like. Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Men Smoking in Barn Ad
Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.
1967 Marlboro Country Men Smoking in Barn Ad - Come to where the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country.