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Industry Tactics

Big Tobacco’s Playbook of Deception

Decades of manipulation, lies and schemes.

The tobacco industry has a long history of intentionally lying to attract new users. From glamorizing smoking in advertising to creating youth-centric flavors and packaging, these companies have consistently made false claims and prioritized profits over public health.

Products
Targeting
Corrective Statements

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

1940s

Doctor Endorsements

In the 1940s, tobacco companies hired doctors and dentists to wrongfully endorse their lies. Using slogans like “Just What the Doctor Ordered” and “More Doctors Smoke Camels,” tobacco marketing strategies misled people, deliberately hiding the harmful truth about cigarettes and falsely suggesting physicians recommended the products.

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

1950s and 1960s

Celebrity Endorsements

In the 1950s and 60s, tobacco companies bought and sponsored their own TV programs and paid A-list celebrities to appear in tobacco advertising campaigns. Later, cultural icons like the Marlboro Man lured men with exaggerated fantasies of manliness and independence, and smokeless tobacco companies used professional athletes to market their products.

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

1980s

Kid-Friendly Characters

In the 1980s, tobacco companies introduced cartoon characters like Joe Camel to heighten tobacco’s appeal for kids, a market coined “the replacement smokers.” This practice has since been banned, but the deception continues by means of fruity flavors and brightly colored, toy-like tobacco packaging. Tobacco advertisements are often still placed in stores and gas stations at the direct eye-level of children.

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

1990s and 2000s

Sports and Event Marketing

For decades, tobacco companies sponsored popular sporting events, as well as various other outreach events. The tobacco company RJ Reynolds sponsored NASCAR’s Winston Cup for 30 years, named after their Winston cigarette brand. They also sponsored “Girls’ Night Out” events where young women could receive free cigarettes, massages, makeup, jewelry and other Camel-branded items. While new regulations have prohibited this type of event sponsorship, tobacco companies still market their products at booths and festivals.

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

2000s and 2010s

Product Placement

In the 2000s, tobacco marketing took form in video games, movies and music videos. Of all PG-13 movies from 2002 to 2013, almost half showed smoking or other tobacco use.1 Population surveys, real-world studies and experimental evidence have proven that kids are more likely to smoke when they see tobacco use on screen — a practice that continues with little regulation today.

The History of Big Tobacco’s Lies

2020s

Mental Health & “Smart” Vapes

Today, tobacco marketing continues to target young people in new and sinister ways. Vape companies have marketed their products as “safe stress relievers,” a lie that has made anxiety and depression worse for many users. “Smart” vapes have also recently hit the market — loaded with games, challenges and customizations — attracting an audience that may have never started vaping.

Products

Nicotine’s Many Shapes and Sizes

New devices and products, same addiction.

From traditional cigarettes to “smart” vapes, the tobacco industry is always innovating to make nicotine more appealing and accessible. Their products come in various forms and flavors designed to attract new users while maintaining the addictive properties that keep customers dependent.

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Targeting Tactics

How Tobacco Companies Get New Customers

They’re always looking for replacements.

Big Tobacco will do whatever it takes to addict more customers and make a profit. No one is off limits, no matter their age, race, gender or socioeconomic class. Learn how to spot the deception to protect yourself, and your loved ones, from the many complications of tobacco.

See Their Lies

Corrective Statements

Big Tobacco Forced To Pay the Price

The court-ordered admission of guilt.

After decades of misleading the public, major tobacco companies were ordered by federal courts to publish “corrective statements” admitting they had deliberately deceived consumers about the health effects of smoking and secondhand smoke. These statements expose the industry’s deliberate manipulation of nicotine levels and its relentless targeting of youth.

read the statements

Make a Change

The tobacco industry is always evolving and has no plans to slow down. It’s up to all of us to create meaningful, long-lasting policy change. Find ways to connect with community leaders, resources to share with loved ones and tips to fight back.

Take Action

Sources

  1. CDC Fact Sheet – Smoking in the Movies