Am I just too fluffeh, or do other people have concerns about how cigarettes are marketed here in Switzerland?

Recent packet campaigns by Parisienne - localising the name, for example, to Baslenne (or something similar) - have caught my eye, but not really bothered me.

This, however, I don't like;



as it strikes me as being aimed at a young consumer.

Am I wrong? Is there a less cynical angle?


P.S. I don't intend to get into an anti-smoking debate. Just how cigarettes are marketed to the pre-teen smoker.

It's check. Seems to be aimed at old grannies to me.

Does seem a bit too obviously targeting a younger band of consumer. Not good.

I thought (at least the UK) was looking at repackaging cigs in just plain wrap. Seems to be going the other way here.

Actually, honestly, does not seem to be aimed at preteens at all. The check cloth you mean? Or the name?

I should hope not. Preteens = up to 13 years old!

I saw it when I was in ZU recently, and it caught my eye coz of the cutsie fabric/patchwork/diy fashion to it, but honestly, I think it is just to make them different. Check is the new black. And polkadot, too. Just a fashion statement. Amate, however, makes me think of amateur, a starter, and that would be sneaky...They should stick those nasty cancer photos on them.

Perhaps it's just an English thing, but I associate gingham with school uniforms and therefore younger people.

Wikipedia says I should be associating it with Mods

("pre-teen" was an intentional exageration in my footnote)

It does actually say Amateur

Just reminds me of checked tea towels.



I don't think they look "cool" or anything, it seems to have swayed the other way (towards older folks).

That's crappy.

That fabric makes me think of the bucolic country log cabin feel, I think that's what they are trying to do. Not necesarrily old people, but vintage, pure, innocent. Amateur just pushes the point. Check is fashionable, too.

Ok, back to my needle work Gota make some check table cloth.

These were the limited edition Amateur ones in 2010:



Who does that look like it's targetting?

And they dropped the price for the limited period.

That's really considerate of them..I mean, how are kids nowadays supposed to pay for those expensive cigarettes?! I sure hope they come with instructions..I hate it, when those preschoolers don't hold it properly and soil themselves with ashes.

The old granny in me fancies the checkered design (without the 'amateur' writing). It's certainly more appealing than the regular box.

Cigarette advertisements are already strictly regulated and expanding this to the packaging would be a bit over the top. Especially when compared to another 'drug for the masses' - alcohol. I find it absurd that breweries sponsor sport events for example.

In the UK they put pictures of black lungs and throat cancer on the packets.

Yes, but they omit mentioning they are a) not necessarily from smokers or b) necessarily human.

Tom

Have you got a source to confirm that? It would be interesting to read.

There isn't a smoker in the world who would want to be seen dead smoking from a packet that says "amateur" on it - trust me I'm a smoker. (and yes I'm aware of the self fullfilling irony of that last sentence)

Secondly as far as this appealing to the teen (or even pre-teen) market is concerned then all they're doing is preaching to the converted given my experience at Zürich HB and especially Baden station bus stop. Pretty much all the teen schoolkids are at it. The biggest marketing influence in the teen market is peer pressure. It always has been and always will. A pretty packet isn't going to get anybody started - which is really the crux of ths discussion.

Should any non smoker suddenly get the urge to buy a packet because of a pretty design you can be assured that the victim upon smoking their first cigarette will blow chunks big time and, in the absence of external pressure, will never touch a cigarette again. It's only through peer pressure (and in my case pure stupid bloody determination) that you get hooked.

Not to mention that the current pictures on cigarette packets should prevent any sensible non smoker from even trying. The fact of the matter is that tobacco industry markets to the smoker, encouraging them to switch brands. In this day and age marketing to the non smoker, whatever age, simply doesn't work.

If cigarettes were to be sold in plain white packets it wouldn't matter to a smoker. The only thing that would happen is that possibly the smoker wouldn't switch brands so often. As far as the peer pressure goes I doubt it would make any difference whatsoever.

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