As I was walking through the Sofia metro, the simplest ad caught my ad. It was of a young woman on a rooftop. The carefree nature of her pose suggests her confidence. The fact that she’s leaning on a rooftop wall increases her appeal by suggesting that she is literally on top of the world. The woman is looking at the caption that reads “What do you care?”. This ad appeals to the rebels and the independent thinkers of society. People may tell you all sorts of negative things about smoking but what do you care?. The important thing is that you are entertaining yourself.
The tagline of the print ad campaign is “You decide.” This is a direct challenge to the mandatory tobacco warning label. The ad is leveraging the rebel attitude to convince potential smokers not to be influenced by the government. The government may require tobacco companies to include the warning on their products but you decide whether you’ll let that affect you. If you want to blow off some steam and relax on a rooftop with a cigarette, that is your prerogative.
The genius of this advertisement is the simplicity of the advertisement. That simple two-word tagline placed right above the warning label creates a conversation. The woman portrays calm and relaxation. The print advertisement contains the iconic sex appeal and cool factor that cigarette marketing campaigns have always had. It’s so simple that it almost looks unbranded until you notice the red chevron underneath the caption. Marlboro has so much brand awareness that they don’t have to push their brand name. Viewers will instantly recognize it. This advertisement is simply a reminder ad to show you that you enjoy smoking and that you shouldn’t have to give it up simply because the people around you tell you that you should.
Upon further research, I found out that this commercial was originally used in Germany and was likely just translated to the Bulgarian public. Have you seen cigarette commercials or advertisements anywhere else? If so, what value did those ads appeal to?