University of Kentucky
Studies of Tobacco in Print Media: Study 1: The Ghost of Tobacco Companies Past: A Content Analysis of Tobacco Print Advertisements Before and After The Master Settlement Agreement of 1998
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Don Helme; Carol Riker; Erin Lee; Ellen Hahn
Abstract
The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998 initiated many unwanted changes for participating tobacco companies in the U.S. Tobacco companies, drowning in lawsuits that dealt with untold truths about their products, needed a solution. Entirely inclusive, the MSA worked to provide a new set of rules—a settlement—between the tobacco companies and participating states. This large set of guidelines produced a significant change in what an “acceptable” tobacco advertisement might contain. For example, prior to the Master Settlement Agreement, Camel brand cigarettes utilized “Joe Camel” as their dominant figure for advertising appeal, but were no longer able to use the image after the implementation of the MSA due to the character’s appeal primarily to underage nonsmokers. This project codes five separate magazines (Cosmopolitan, GQ, Rolling Stones, Golf, and Ebony) over the course of six years (1995-2001) noting the shifts in persuasive appeals, location, product-placement, and other advertising techniques. Extensive analysis of this data will illustrate the effects of the Master Settlement Agreement on tobacco print advertisements.
Studies of Tobacco in Print Media: Study 1: The Ghost of Tobacco Companies Past: A Content Analysis of Tobacco Print Advertisements Before and After The Master Settlement Agreement of 1998
The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) of 1998 initiated many unwanted changes for participating tobacco companies in the U.S. Tobacco companies, drowning in lawsuits that dealt with untold truths about their products, needed a solution. Entirely inclusive, the MSA worked to provide a new set of rules—a settlement—between the tobacco companies and participating states. This large set of guidelines produced a significant change in what an “acceptable” tobacco advertisement might contain. For example, prior to the Master Settlement Agreement, Camel brand cigarettes utilized “Joe Camel” as their dominant figure for advertising appeal, but were no longer able to use the image after the implementation of the MSA due to the character’s appeal primarily to underage nonsmokers. This project codes five separate magazines (Cosmopolitan, GQ, Rolling Stones, Golf, and Ebony) over the course of six years (1995-2001) noting the shifts in persuasive appeals, location, product-placement, and other advertising techniques. Extensive analysis of this data will illustrate the effects of the Master Settlement Agreement on tobacco print advertisements.