In the 1960s smoking was common place and encouraged in society. This is in line with the message delivered in the 1960s video. Newport used stylistic elements of language, music, and mood to promote the use of tobacco. In the beginning of the commercial the mood is lazy and bored which is illustrated by the dark lighting and slumped figure of the man in the chair. However, Newport skillfully makes a transition in mood by suddenly playing upbeat music that causes the man to wake up and pay attention to the television. The television changes from a somber television show to a cheery, and inviting commercial. A woman is dancing and a man is waving, all because they had a Newport cigarette. This sudden change in music and mood is used to try and convey a light hearted, happy mood. Newport also uses the switch to try and convince the audience that smoking is fun and will evoke happiness, like it did for the beach goers in the commercial on the television the man is watching. Newport even goes as far as having the beach goers jump out the television to the man and hand him a cigarette. Suddenly. the man is smiling and happy then ever, of course, this only is a result of the cigarette. Newport wants the audience to feel like they too can have fun if they smoke. The beach goers even go as far to light he cigarette for the man, making it seem like Newport is almost doing the public a favor by providing "a smoother tasting cigarette" for the public to use.
I think this was a great analysis! I like how you brought up the fact that the beach goer insists on lighting the man's cigarette, like he was doing a service for him. I never thought this could be Newport's way of showing how they serve their consumers. One thing I think you could talk about further is the happy little jingle that plays reinforcing the idea that Newport has the "smoothest tasting menthol cigarette". The carefree tone of the lyrics contrasts with the deadly nature of cigarettes. I also love the pictures of Hollywood icons smoking because it shows how smoking was endorsed by stars like Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s and is still endorsed today by stars like Angelina Jolie.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. I thought you did a great job covering a large portion of the commercial's use of various styles. One thing I think would have been interesting to mention would be the use of the woman in the ad to add a dimension of sexuality to the commercial. This, too has been continued into the 21st century, with scantily clad woman often being used to help sales. At the time, I would say the woman in this ad was pretty racy.
ReplyDeleteYour post talked mainly about the shift between the mood of the commercial before the cigarette and the mood after the Newport cigarette lightened the mood and made everything seem glamorous. I also really liked the way you explained the phrase "a smoother cigarette." It was informative to learn jargon of the 60's and it also added a lot to your analysis. One complaint I had was that you didn't contextualize your pictures. They were definitely relevant and eye-catching, but I would have liked at least a sentence, perhaps in the conclusion, introducing and explaining their relevance. Overall, good post!
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