1940's commercial .... How did they get away with this?

[crpeck]

This is amazing! Hey, if you can't believe your doctor ...... you can believe the pretty blonde.

1940s Network TV Camel Commercial

[crrichey]

That's sad. How many people do you think that commercial killed?

[crpeck]

What I think is interesting is that everyone always said "Nobody knew it was bad for you then."

But if nobody knew ... or suspected .... then why use doctors to promote smoking? There had to be a question of risk.

[dinoman]

Originally posted by crpeck
But if nobody knew ... or suspected .... then why use doctors to promote smoking? There had to be a question of risk.

I can't watch the video (too slow of a connection) so I can't give much of an answer regarding the commercial but I'm guessing its a commercial for cigarettes? In any case the doctor thing is interesting, but it might not have been about risk, it might have been more about convincing the consumer "Hey, if these type of cigarettes are good enough for the doc, they be good enough for me!" I was watching something on hot dogs of all things just a couple days ago where a company from the same era just couldn't get anybody to buy their product. Until they had the bright idea to I believe have the couple of founders dress up like a couple docs and that's all it took. People saw them and thought "Hey, if those hot dogs are good enough for the doc to eat, they're good enough for me!" and pretty soon sales skyrocketed.

So it probably wasn't about risk, in fact back in that era I believe cigarettes were thought to be almost a health product. You'd have all kinds of folks proclaiming the healthy benefits of smoking.

[dc]

that was the olden days.. Things have changed.

[dkh0331]

The 1940's were a completely different time. The government was far less involved in peoples daily lives than they are today. Just ask Nina!

If you notice, the doctors and the blonde pulled a Bill Clinton - they didn't inhale.

[oz]

Years from now our kids will be saying the same thing about the stuff that goes on today. think about it.

[joeychitwood]

So which brand wins the poll these days?

[oz]

My guess is Marlboro.

[Sk8r]

The thought used to be that the vasodilation was beneficial for people with breathing problems and that the soothing effect was beneficial for people with anxiety and heart problems, as I recall. I know my refined widowed aunt used to smoke her own wacky weed, which was not marijuana, because it was prescribed for her lung problem---came from China or some such. She of course lived to immense age...as many did not on this regimen. Smoking tobacco will indeed temporarily open up your breathing if you have a problem with stuffiness or sinus.

The fact it ultimately kills you was, imho, a sort of denial that crept up on the tobacco companies. First, they probably believed all the rationales themselves. Second, they were based in the Southern economy---and during the 30's and 40's there was a real belief that the South was mindfully and viciously attacked by the northern 'intellectuals.' You heard a lot about 'ivory tower' experts in just about everything, and it was like a continuation of the Civil War---there were Civil War Vets, mind, still extant...and the South was sure there were 'forces' out to get them.

Then the tobacco companies began to get the info that it might have problems...and started a policy of looking for experts [of course the RIGHT ones] that agreed with them. And by the time this policy had 'run' awhile they were into their next-gen of management and 'policy' had become the norm of doing business, with the layers deepening and deepening. The Southern issue was long-forgotten, the Civil War vets were all dead, and we were deep into 'profit' and the 'I'll do what I want to' generation.
That's the way I remember it.