Vintage sex-and-cigar ad

Here’s a vintage ad that borders on believability. This Muriel cigar ad is intriguing for several reasons, some of which I’ll let you decode. But essentially Muriel is arguing that smoke from its flavored cigars (blueberry, burgundy, grape, cherry, etc.) has the power to subdue attractive women—just exhale in their face.

White Owl Cigars

I’m reminded of an infamous 1930s campaign for White Owl cigars. Company research revealed that White Owl cigar smoke contained fewer chemical substances that caused bad breath then competitive cigars. Capitalizing on this marketing advantage, the J Walter Thompson agency ran print and billboard ads with men and women passionately kissing accompanied by the White Owl logo. The message: A man didn’t have to worry about nasty cigar smoke preventing intimate time with his favorite woman. Sales increased the first year but declined the next.

White Owl’s brand promise fell flat: “less” bad breath is still bad breath. I suspect Muriel experienced the same result with its fruit-flavored cigar line.

This ad was posted on Camel Tap as an example of cigarette ads you’re not likely to ever run again. Visit the site and you'll see why.