The Role Of Brand Image In Cigarette Ads

When we talk about tobacco smoking, we surely will think about the harmful effect of it. Lots of research resulted in a statement that smoking is dangerous for health. So, government acted to put various ban on smoking. Some of them are ban of smoking in public places, ban of cigarette sales for young people, obligatory health concern warning on the cigarette pack, and heavy taxation. However, cigarette brands do not turn back. They always search for a way to present their product to targeted consumers. By sponsoring sports teams, giving out scholarships, organizing various music events, and helping social works, they hope that they can sell their product to potential customers. But most importantly, it is their advertisement that can bring most consumers to buy their mass produced cigarettes. Cigarette producer are able to fund their large scale advertisement campaign. But first, they have to find a way to extinguish or to divert consumers from the bad effects. So, they came up with an idea to build a certain image of the product. Here’s why image is important in advertising tobacco product.

First, cigarette producers should advertise to a certain target consumer. In order to sell their product, they have to advertise it. Advertisement varies from the form of audio in radios, visual in banners, and audiovisual in TV ads. But, as governments increase ban on cigarette product, they also limit and rule advertisements on various media. For example, cigarette advertisements should not show the cigarette product, the act of smoking it, and the smoke produced. Another example, cigarette advertisements should only be aired in a certain time; usually it is aired from midnight to early in the morning. This limiting nature of the ban made advertising cigarettes a challenge, as cigarette companies cannot air ads lots enough to be popular. So, in order to battle this limiting bans, cigarette producers have to advertise effectively. Incorporating brand image for cigarette product deemed to be a very effective advertisement trick. It is because of our subconscious trait to remember a specific thing for another object incorporated with it. As an example, Marlboro deliberately used “Marlboro Man”, a hard-working, independent man in their advertisement. Marlboro did it because they seek attention from men who are their main target audience, so that their consumer will feel like the Marlboro Man after smoking Marlboro.

The law, however, makes a good effect to them. Awareness about the danger of smoking has been there for years, and cigarette advertisements would be “swimming against the current” if they would advertise the same way as the past. So, cigarette companies would not include messages that promote the act and the taste of the cigarette itself – at least not explicitly, and divert audience from negative effects of smoking. As compensation, cigarette companies would incorporate other images that explicitly promotes lifestyle but implicitly promotes their product. To make things look simpler, we have to take an example. Surya PRO, a brand name for Gudang Garam product, does not incorporate anything on smoking or cigarette in their 2017 TV advertisement campaign. Instead, they showed various men, working on their own, trying and failing over and over again, until one time that they finally succeed in doing their job. If Surya PRO stopped there, they will not have any advertising point for their product. So, they added a slogan – Never Quit. It implicitly means that their consumers should not stop smoking their product, a smart hidden statement.

Brand image gives distinction between products. In Surya brand, there are several products for several kind of consumer. Surya Exclusive is designed and produced for mature adults because of their full flavor. Surya Professional, however, is produced and flavored for young professionals. Those two products have different target customer, so Surya gives them different brand image. Thus, they differed in their advertisement.

In conclusion, brand image is essential in advertisements, especially in cigarette advertisements.