Taking advantage of political opportunity: How major cigarette companies capitalized on historical events to sell cigarettes to women
By Alison L. Martinez

This project aims to understand the way major cigarette companies have capitalized on historical events in encouraging smoking among females. In particular, this study looks at Lucky Strike and Virginia Slims. The time periods in which cigarette companies had the most impact on women’s smoking habits include the post-World War I era (1920s and 1930s), the feminist movement (1960s and 1970s), and currently with the globalization of consumption.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the cigarette was adopted by female factory workers and college women as a symbol of rebellion, independence, and equality. Tobacco companies exploited this new market by directing advertising at women, including a notable campaign by Lucky Strike. In this campaign, women were convinced to stroll along Fifth Avenue during the Easter Parade, holding cigarettes that represented “torches of freedom”. Additionally, Lucky Strike positioned itself as a mechanism for weight loss. It’s slogan read, “Reach For a Lucky Instead of a Sweet”.

During the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, “women’s brands” were created, spearheaded by Philip Morris’ Virginia Slims. This campaign appealed to women through both aesthetics and emotional imagery. The Virginia Slims cigarette is thin, narrow, and white, representing thinness and cleanliness to women who strive to fit that image. The advertisements for Virginia Slims showed attractive, skinny, and fashionable young women, free from gender constraints. The famous slogan - “You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby” - embodies what women were striving for during the feminist movement - gender equality.

Now, the Virginia Slims campaign is focused on multiculturalism, as the world is becoming increasingly more interconnected through facilitated travel and the Internet. The new slogan, “Find Your Voice”, portrays women of different ethnicities smoking cigarettes. The campaign allows the female consumer to feel empowered, independent, and free from racial repression.

This project addresses major themes of our class, including: the increased participation of women in consumption, the public projection of one’s identity through one’s appearance and actions, the elevated importance of fashion and convenience, and the increased democratization and standardization of products. The significance of this project includes its close relation with what we have been studying about increasing consumption patterns and a historical understanding of the evolution of smoking.

Image source: Old Cigarette Advertising