Ah, cigarette packaging! Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man became household names, even in non-smoking families' homes, all because of how they appeared on a package of cigarettes. I still remember the dusty sunset in the background as the Marlboro Man rode his horse, smoking his trusty sticks of death. Heck, I even wanted to have a Marlboro Man poster in college for my dorm room and I didn't smoke. It was just that cool of an image.
Well, it looks like the tobacco companies are again, one step ahead of our human emotions. A long time ago, they realized that packaging sells. They realized that most people won't start smoking unless they think it's cool, attractive or taste good. It's like when they added menthol to cut down the dreadful flavor of tobacco. Lets face it, the tobacco companies are not filled with a bunch of Johnnie-Come-Lately's. When it comes to marketing and more specifically, cigarette packaging, they are the experts.
For instance, a recent study looked at packaging and its affect on smoking behavior. They found that cigarettes packs in plain packs were less likely to motivate the teenager to purchase them. They were simply considered too unattractive for the youth who wants to associate coolness with the distasteful habit. It's no surprise then to find that plain packs were also rated as the best way (of packaging) to keep non-smokers from starting and current smokers to cut down and eventually stop. This was particularly notable for the motivated quitter.
In contrast, the regular branded packs and "limited-edition" packs had the highest consumer appeal. Because...you know there's nothing like smoking a cigarette that came from one of only 5 million packs showing Joe Camel wearing a tuxedo. Hey, nothing says special like that! Okay, I'm only joking, but that is the scenario being framed by the tobacco marketeers. They know they need to keep the cigarette packaging visually interesting, so they do. And the poor saps who smoke, fall for it every time.
The simple fact is this: the tobacco companies understand human nature probably more than anyone, and they play it up at every opportunity, save maybe Nike. It's like when the "Air Jordans" first came out, everyone wanted them. I'm not sure what the latest tennis shoe craze is now, but the marketing process is the same.
So what have we learned about cigarette packaging? That's easy. It's all about the timeless appeal to the ego.
