Adolescents' responses to cigarette advertisements: links between exposure, liking, and the appeal of smoking

Objective-To evaluate adolescents' responses to cigarette advertisements fo r different brands. Design-Adolescents were shown print advertisement for each of five cigarett e brands (Camel, Marlboro, Kool, Benson & Hedges, and Lucky Strike). They i ndicated on a structured questionnaire how many times they had seen the adv ertisement (or one almost like it), how much they liked it, whether or not they thought it made smoking more appealing, and whether or not it made the m want to smoke cigarettes of that brand. Setting-Middle school and high school classrooms, seven schools in four sta tes in the United States (New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas). The cla ssrooms were selected randomly within each school. Participants-534 adolescents in grades 6-12 (ages 11-18 years) from seven s chools in four states, 54% female, 76% white. Results-The advertisements for Camel and Marlboro were more likely than the advertisements for the other brands to be seen, to be liked, to be viewed as making smoking appealing, and to influence adolescents to want to smoke cigarettes of that brand. More than 95% of the adolescents had seen an adve rtisement featuring Joe Camel or the Marlboro Man at least once, and more t han 50% had seen these advertisements six or more times. Nearly half believ ed that the Joe Camel advertisement makes smoking more appealing, and 40% b elieved that the Marlboro Man advertisement makes more appealing. Adolescen t were more likely than non-smokers to believe that the advertisements for Camel and Marlboro make smoking more appealing. Conclusions-The advertisements most popular among adolescents are for two o f the brands they are most likely to smoke-Marlboro and Camel. The results of the study are consistent with the view that certain cigarette advertisem ents enhance the appeal of smoking to many adolescents.