Complex psychology in tobacco advertising

[Owledge]

Marketing can be deeply psychological and refined, and I've heard they even use reverse psychology to mask tobacco advertising in schools as anti-smoking education.

 

As is common knowledge, advertising tries to draw a positive picture about a product, tweaks and spins, omits undesired information and all that.

 

And that's why something curious caught my attention:

 

In Germany we have mandatory labels on cigarette packs that inform about health risks in big black letters on white background. Somewhat older is a kind of fine print informing about the harmful ingredients that's always at the bottom of a billboard.

Now I noticed that billboard ads seem to always depict the pack(s) with their warning labels. Shouldn't they keep to showing the brand label and cigarettes?

Now I'm not sure whether it's mandatory to include those labels in the ads and couldn't find out through an internet search, but it kinda shows how the tobacco industry is not at all worried about those labels. There are statements from psychologists that suggest those labels even help deepen the smoker's addiction.

And after all, the government is in that drug business / addiction industry and generally leans towards corruption, so no point writing them. (I did once, never got a reply.)

[GreytoWhite]

Nicotinic receptors are very important for regulation of the social function of the brain. Smoking often provides the person with a feeling of relaxed interaction with others.

[Owledge]

Yes, the relaxed interaction that other people have without nicotine. That substance is a trickster in the spirit of active marketing. Like someone selling rat traps and setting free rats among potential customers.

 

For a smoker, being reminded that smoking might kill them is unsettling. And a cigarette helps them to relax.

[gatito]

Yes, the relaxed interaction that other people have without nicotine. That substance is a trickster in the spirit of active marketing. Like someone selling rat traps and setting free rats among potential customers.

 

For a smoker, being reminded that smoking might kill them is unsettling. And a cigarette helps them to relax.

 

Having a cigarrette just puts smokers back in the state in which a non-smoker is in all the time (i.e. not suffering nicotine withdrawal).

 

Allen Carr wrote a great book (The Easy Way to Stop Smoking) which reveals the confidence trick in great detail. Once you've seen through this con, you lose all desire to smoke. It a bit like discovering that you're already wearing the spectacles for which you're searching.

 

(There's an obvious parallel with some spiritual paths here. )

[Owledge]

The book requires a sincere desire to stop smoking though. From what I've heard from people, if your attitude is like "Well, I guess not smoking would be convenient; let's see whether that book really does miracles.", it probably won't work. The book is more like a friend talking to you and helping you on the path you've chosen.

[gatito]

Yes. I see your point.

 

(Although, I've given this book to friends who seemed ambivalent and they stopped smoking easily, while others who claimed to be serious, didn't get it.)

[Owledge]

Yeah, it's nice to see how people's eyes can be opened. It works for those who didn't really think what they were doing. While others claiming to be serious about stopping smoking might use a fighter mentality which is adverse to the Easy Way method.

 

The book is definitely a valuable work of psychological and self-awareness education, and although I never smoked, I very much enjoyed reading it.

[gatito]

Yes, I think that you're probably right.

 

BTW weren't owls the familiars of some Goddess or other?

[Owledge]

Athena I guess. Not sure.

[gatito]

[Birch]

You may also wish to dig into the "cigarette substitute" industry, just for fun.

 

Also http://trustmeimlying.com/

[Owledge]

Also http://trustmeimlying.com/

For revealing all those 'secrets', I'll definitely reward the guy by not buying his book.

For remember... he's a media manipulator.

 

Reminds me a bit of Darren Brown, the guy who demonstrates his skills at deceiving people NLP style. Sometimes in his show, he uses deception against the viewers, too, making them believe he is incredibly skillful when in fact he's not. (Disguising lies within truths is an old trick.)

[Birch]

For revealing all those 'secrets', I'll definitely reward the guy by not buying his book.

For remember... he's a media manipulator.

Reminds me a bit of Darren Brown, the guy who demonstrates his skills at deceiving people NLP style. Sometimes in his show, he uses deception against the viewers, too, making them believe he is incredibly skillful when in fact he's not. (Disguising lies within truths is an old trick.)

 

I'm sure you could find a pdf somewhere. I haven't bought his book either but I heard a radio interview that I found interesting. I don't think I would have come up with any of his ideas myself but I found some of them kind of well done.