Advertisers use various, sophisticated appeals to persuade customers/ consumers to buy and consume the products and services, which they produce. Companies use rhetoric strategies in order to promote strategies of an advert in the consumers’ mind. Such strategies include gender appeals, based on femininity and masculinity notions (Hammond et al. 579). Advertisers like using gender so as to persuade consumers.They do not care explaining the health implications of consuming the product. The research will analyze persuasive appeals used by cigarette companies. The cigarette product in this case is Virginia Slims “purse pack” cigarettes. These cigarettes are quite slim as compared to other cigarettes. Philip Morris manufactures this product that appeals mainly to ladies. This brand was marketed successfully in USA, as well as internationally since its introduction to the market. However, its success was followed by the criticism that the product encouraged smoking among women and adolescent girls (Toll and Ling 176).
Claim: women have all along been oppressed by men and they needliberation
Support: Virginia slims eliminates the problem that women should not smoke.
Warrant: women need to the freedom to enjoy themselves as men do.
Analysis
Virginia Slims is a print advertisement that came to the market as triumph over the dominant male cigarettes. The brand expresses self determination, as well as classiness. It targets women who wish to stand out as different. It shows women’s freedom, and its form and flavor is easily noticeable. The new feature was marked by longer cigarettes than the ordinary cigarettes. The cigarettes are also extra thin. This innovation heightened women’s spirits in that they felt unique and elegant. The packing is also elegant. The prevailing color on the package is white, but it has colored stripes running across it. This shows that the product is quite delicate. The design is very attractive, which attracts many women. In advertising the product, statements such as “make yourself different” and “be a real ready” are usually used (Mazis 25).
Virginia Slims uses inspirational images that women like associating with. The product usesan image of a slender, modern woman. The slogan used is “you’ve come a long way baby”. This symbol shows how women have become liberated from men’s oppression. The packaging is colorful, with a female elegant, slim, woman on the packet. Women have always been cautious of their body image. The brand name, Virginia, also associates the product with women. Women also associate slimming with beauty, which further makes the product more appealing to women.
Virginia slim cigarettes use visual imagery. Color has been the main focus. Virginia slim cigarettes use visual imagery. Color has been the main focus. The newly launched product has a pink gloss on it. Pink has all along been associated with women. It is believed that women’s health is protected by pink. Color pink does not mean any harm. Pink tries to show feminism in Virginia slim cigarettes. The purse packs tries to show how fashionable the product is. Names such as super slim, as used in the product packaging shows that the company is concerned with women’s body image. Other terms such as ‘light’ cigarettes have also been used implying that the cigarettes are not as harmful as the ordinary cigarettes. The slim lady in blue signifies how beautiful ladies who use Virginia slim cigarettes look like. Blue is also associated with solitude, calmness, wisdom, and introspection.
Personally, I do not associate closely with the product because of its effects on the health of the users. Marketing cigarette products has brought devastating consequences. This is becauselung cancer has been associated with cigarette smoking, and this has been a leading killer for women of late. Heart diseases have also been linked to cigarette smoking. Exposure of cigarette smoke to pregnant women keeps them at a risk of stillbirths and other children health problems. Smoking is also addictive and research shows that women find it hard to quit smoking as compared to men. The attractive advertisements on Virginia slims cigarettes endangers both women and girls. There is, therefore, need for regulation of such advertisements to ensure that false message is not passed to the consumers (Hammond et al. 579).
Virginia slims cigarette advertisement is persuasive. This means that it convinces consumers to purchase the product that they do not require. Kantian ethics argues that consumers should be allowed to make rational decisions rather than being persuaded to purchase. Consumers should be given all the required information, but in the case of Virginia Slims cigarettes, issues such as price are not mentioned. There is also a lot of exaggeration in the advertisement. This means that consumers do not get the right information before making the decision to purchase.
Another concern is the fact that cigarette smoking accounts for 85% of lung cancer, but the product continues being advertised openly (Mazis 26). The tobacco industry condemned any move to ban cigarette advertising. Cigarettes also cause residential fires. Another concern brought by cigarette advertisement is that cigarette adverts use images of healthy individuals yet the products cause death and sufferings. Cigarette advertisements also use psychological manipulation. For example, Virginia slims uses the picture of a beautiful slim, lady and on the background, pictures of oppressed women can be seen. This convinces the consumers that they are being liberated by consuming the product (Anderson 20).
Virginia Slim cigarettes target the class of the elite and educated ladies. I the background of the advert, uneducated and suffering ladies, in black and white, can be seen. From the picture, these ladies have been doing domestic chores, which were initially meant for women. The main picture represents a slender lady who looks much more sophisticated. This means that the class targeted is that of educated women. These are women who believe to be liberated. As regards race, white women are believed to mind their weight much more as compared to black women. Virginia slim could, therefore, be targeting whites.
However, recent studies show that both white and black women mind their body image (Anderson 20). The newly launched product could be targeting females across racial boundaries. Adolescents are also mindful of their body image. These could also present a potential market. Virginia Slims advert present females. The features of gender, race and class have been manipulated in such a way that the product seems to be perfect. A consumer will, therefore, imagine that she will get the portrayed figure of a slim lady (Mazis 35).
As regards women getting liberated, this is mere advertisement. Smoking does not make women more assertive. Women should be cautious while purchasing cigarette products. They should not take the adverts literally. Cigarettes should not be advertised in the name of leading to loss weight. If anything, the loss weight comes due to health problems associated with cigarette smoking. Important to note is that Virginia slim cigarettes have been associated with health and fitness. For example, there is a time when the brand sponsored Women’s Tennis to show that the company minds peoples’ health. This is simply a marketing strategy. Cigarettes do not make women any better as compared to those who do not smoke. Women have wanted to get liberated over the years and when they see a product associated with their liberation, they are always quick to buy it, not considering the consequences. There is, therefore, need for regulation of cigarette advertising, especially now that people understand the health implications of cigarette smoking (Toll and Ling 176).
Conclusion
Virginia slim cigarettes represent a woman’s brand. It is one of the most loved brands by women. Its packaging also attracts more women consumers. The product has been associated with keeping fit, being independent and classy, sophisticated, and elegant. The brand name, Virginia Slims, makes women believe that the product will not make them fat, a body image that women dislike. Blue, white and pink are the main color used in the product adverts. These colors have a symbolic meaning. White, for example, symbolizes peace. Blue symbolizes calmness, while pink symbolizes feminism. This makes Virginia Slims products be associated with women; hence a promotional strategy. Consumers, however, need to understand that adverts do not present the real meaning. The message conveyed should not be taken literally, and it is up to the consumers to find out the consequences of consuming cigarette products. Ethical issues are also raised regarding cigarette advertisement, especially now that research shows that cigarette smoking leads to health problems such as lung cancer.
Works Cited
Anderson S. Marketing of menthol cigarettes and consumer perceptions: a review of tobacco industry documents. Tobacco Control [serial online]. May 3, 2011; 20:ii20.
Hammond, D., Doxey, J., Daniel, S. Impact of Female-Oriented Cigarette Packaging in the United States. Nicotine & Tobacco Research [serial online]. July 2011;13 (7):579-588.
Mazis, M. Perceived Age and Attractiveness of Models in Cigarette Advertisements. Journal of Marketing [serial online]. January 1992;56(1):22-37.
Toll B. & Ling P. The Virginia Slims identity crisis: an inside look at tobacco industry marketing to women. Tobacco Control [serial online]. June 2005;14(3):172-180.
Women and Tobacco: An Evolving Market. Convenience Store News [serial online]. March 2011;47 (3):78-80.
Appendix 1: Virginia Slims Advertisements
