Old advertising power

Shopper Report, The, Sept, 2004 by Mona Doyle

Many shoppers take books-on-tape along on summer vacations that involve driving. One of our shoppers was amazed at what her family learned from listening to a collection of Jack Benny radio shows from the 1940's. Her whole family was excited by the feel-good cigarette commercials. "Two of the kids are going to write advertising essays for their 'what-I-learned-this-summer' projects. My husband thinks it was the beginning of the Prozac traces they are now finding in drinking water." The cigarettes, at least Lucky Strikes, on the Jack Benny show, were advertised as upper and downer drugs that make you feel better. "The kids copied out this ad jingle for their paper:

"'Feeling low, feeling tense
Hear some plain old common sense:
Smoke a Lucky.
To feel your level best,
Smoke a Lucky.
Picks you up when you are down
Calms you down when you are tense
Feel your best and do your best,
Smoke a Lucky.
LSMFT
Lucky Strike means Fine Tobacco
That helps you feel your level best.
Smoke a Lucky'."

Even knowing all we know about cigarette advertising, and all the tobacco companies have admitted during the last several years, the "picks you up when you are down" claim is almost shocking, especially in light of the wide use of anti-depressants in use today. This little ad jingle shows that the past can come back to life. Someone just has to listen to the right tapes.

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The Shopper Report[R] Copyright 2004, edited by Mona Doyle, is published 11 times a year by The Consumer Network, Inc., P.O. Box 42753, Philadelphia PA 19101. Phone (215) 235-2400 FAX: (215) 235-6967. The Consumer Network provides consulting and research services including focus groups, shopping partnerships, home visits, and mail and e-mail surveys.