It’s 1968 and you just got home from the factory. You want to watch some television, maybe Johnny Carson is on tonight. You wiggle the rabbit ears to get a signal and… rats, it’s commercials. Nothing but luscious dames and burly cowboys trying to sell you the latest cigarettes.
Tobacco advertising was banned on TV and radio in 1971, but lived on in print and billboard ads until 1998. Either by nostalgia or love for the taboo, these ads have become collectors items. It feels weird to say it, but these ads almost have an artistic quality to them. Let’s take a look at some models from a bygone age and play Spud Underground’s favorite game: Smash or Pass?
A Sexy and Hilarious Sci-Fi Thriller!
The battle-hardened smuggler must deliver witnesses across the galaxy in order to prevent mob war. His passenger, the fiery and seductive Silver, isn’t making things easy for him in…
Viperhawk: Witness Protection
Darrell Winfield
Marlboro used to advertise how mild their cigarettes were, until they became the #1 choice for women smokers. This wouldn’t stand with the company’s misogynistic management, and the Marlboro Man was born. The ad firm that created the character was never satisfied with the lack of grit in the TV actors they hired. They found a real rancher named Darrell Winfield to take the role in 1968, and he personified the rugged cattle-rustlin’ sonovabitch so well that it became one of the most successful ad campaigns ever made. He’s a horse lover with tough yet soulful eyes and a body that’s been tested under an Oklahoma sun. SMASH.
Veronica Hamel
There was a time when being a Virginia Slims girl was the paramount achievement in career modeling. Their campaign focused on women doing everything men can do- ESPECIALLY smoking cigarettes. These ads often featured historical evidence of women being mistreated, juxtaposed with a leggy and liberated bombshell like Veronica Hamel. Veronica made history with Virginia Slims when she starred in the final cigarette commercial, televised in 1971. SMASH.
Janet Sackman
Janet modeled for Lucky Strikes in the 40’s and 50’s, where she was encouraged to take up smoking to look more convincing. Today she’s a cancer survivor with one lung and no vocal chords, and more famous than ever thanks to her anti-smoking ads. She’s old and her voice sounds like Princess Leia’s costume in Return of the Jedi, so PASS, but look how much fun she used to have on that sled!
Willie Mays
If you’re a baseball fan, you already know Willie Mays. He played center field for the New York/San Fransisco Giants from 1951 to 1972, then one year with the New York Mets. He’s the only player to score from first base on a bunt (with no errors), and his career slugging average is one of the highest in the game’s history. You might not know about his modeling career, in which he smokes down a Chesterfield with a big grin on his face. With that kind of legacy, and a handsome mug to boot, of course we’re going to SMASH the Say Hey Kid.
Unnamed Petty Girl
George Petty was a pinup artist, who’s series of “Petty Girls” popularized the magazine centerfold idea in the early 30’s. When he wasn’t working for Esquire, he was drawing girls for the Old Gold ad campaigns. This lovely lady in red wants to sell us a swell package by making our packages swell. I don’t care if she’s just a drawing- SMASH!
Spud media 