There’s some discussion on Usenet over the latest Truth ad that’s shown up in comics. It features a pair of eyes that have been sutured shut, presumably by evil tobacco companies.
I’ve always found The Truth’s advertising annoying, not because of their intentions but because of their approach. As I see it, they take this position that deciding not to smoke is an act of anti-corporate rebellion. Any time a commercial urges its audiences to be an individual — by doing what the commercial tells them to do — my reaction rests somewhere between amusement and nausea.
When you factor in The Truth’s funding source — settlement money and mandates levied against tobacco companies — it gets even twistier. “Don’t believe what the tobacco companies tell you! Except for this ad, which they’ve paid for! Fight the power!” Bleh.
I’ve smoked on and off since high school, and I’d never recommend it as a pastime. I know perfectly well it’s unhealthy. At the same time, I don’t think anyone has ever found an effective message to discourage people from starting or continuing to smoke. I can’t imagine The Truth has, either, with their strident, self-conscious “edge.” (It seems like they could only effectively reaffirm a certain kind of audience’s decision not to smoke in the first place, honestly.)
I would love it if there were some way to measure response to efforts like this beyond focus-group reaction or anecdotal evidence. In my experience, the most common response to a Truth ad is, “I’ve never smoked in my life, but that commercial sure makes me want to start.”