I cannot stand those ads from some group called “the truth”, where it’s some obnoxious kid with a megaphone shouting at “Big Tobacco” in some defiant “stick-it-to-the-man” voice while other kids around him engaged in some kind of faux performance art demonstration.
Rather than getting mad at Big Tobacco, I want to go have a smoke just to pi$$ off that annoying little jerk.
Yep, every time one of those "Truth" ads comes on I have to fight an irrational urge to light up in response.
Those are exactly what ran through my mind reading this. They might as well run a line of text across the bottom reading "We think you're so stupid you'll fall for this manipulative crap." One certain way not to win the sympathies of young people (or anyone else) is to insult their intelligence.
Somewhere someone in those ad agencies - probably an art student - has confused the messages "I'm young, passionate, romantic and defiant" with "I'm a total loser." The fact of the matter is that Big Tobacco got mugged by Big Law, and it's awfully difficult to root for either side and still "stick it to the Man."
Big Government is making much more money off cigarettes than Big Tobacco is. Showing socialist bureaucrats at their worst spending the money would be more beneficial than demonizing capitalism. I know I wouldn't buy a pack of cigarettes if saw who was getting the money. No effective ad like that will ever run though because socialists run the show.
God how I hate those little f$%kers. I want to punch that kid in the face and hold him down and cram about 50 cigarettes in his mouth till he pukes.