Utilisation of waterpipe tobacco imagery in cigarette advertising: a case study of American tobacco company and RJ Reynolds tobacco company

BackgroundTobacco companies employ various advertising methods, including immersive consumer experiences and cultural imagery, to promote their products. To our knowledge, no prior studies have explored how cigarette companies exploited perceptions of waterpipe tobacco in their marketing activities.MethodsWe conducted a search of the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library using keywords and snowball searches. Initial terms included ‘water pipe’, ‘hookah’, ‘tradition’, ‘culture’ and ‘lounge’, supplemented by programme, agency and individuals’ names. Findings were cross-referenced with published scientific literature and advertising archives.ResultsAmerican Tobacco Co (ATC) introduced the Waterford cigarette in 1965. The cigarette used pinchable water capsules in its filter tip, emulating the waterpipe smoking mechanism of passing smoke through water. ATC used several waterpipe tobacco elements (textual and pictorial) in Waterford cigarette advertising. RJ Reynolds (RJR) executed the Camel Casbah Programme from 1998 to 2003 to target young adult smokers. It featured smoking lounges in outdoor concert amphitheatres with VIP treatment, including greeters and ‘cigarette girls’, to create a ‘Camelesque’ environment that enhanced the ‘Pleasure to Burn Experience’. The programme operated in 30 US concert venues with, averaging 600 events annually, generating over two million consumer names for RJR’s database. Casbah used hookah imagery and artefacts in interior décor, stories and the design of its Exotic Blend line extension ads.ConclusionsATC and RJR used cultural imagery related to waterpipe tobacco and hookah to promote cigarettes. Understanding these methods can help address contemporary tobacco product advertising practices using cultural artefacts.