This is by far the best ad yet for this group. We see a bunch of kids, three at a time, and they’re shown a table covered with tobacco products that look like candy, are fruit flavored, etc., indicating it’s pretty clear tobacco companies are marketing to children, likely through that old marketing idea that if you can get them young, you can get a loyal customer for life. And the kids all seem to be genuinely interested in these products, thinking they’re candy. And, I had never really thought much about it before, but many of these tobacco products really do look like candy.
The kids are really cute, and the message is clear and convincing. Great job!
Here’s the chicanery uncovering commercial:
(I have taken this group’s ads to task before, but not because I’m in favor of tobacco. It’s only been when they’ve made exaggerated or dishonest claims or presentations. This one works really well, and its claim is true, I think. In fact, the evidence against tobacco company practices and the harmful effects of tobacco products is so well established, there should never be any need for stretching the truth or dishonest presentation, for when you have the moral high ground, you lose it with dishonesty, and then you make it very easy for your enemies to say your claims don’t hold water, harming your cause. I have said it before and I will say it again: when it’s really important, always tell the absolute truth, because the truth is much harder to dismiss than exaggeration or dishonesty, and your argument works best when it cannot be dismissed over a distraction or an unforced error.)
