The Tale of Two Cartons

Action on Smoking and Health (AHS) utilized this print advertisement in order to warn against the dangers of children being surrounded in a smoking environment and the influences surrounding a child’s own tobacco habits in the future. The advertisement depicts a Marlboro box typically meant for cigarettes containing multi-colored crayons filled with tobacco. Above this image is the statement, “Just like mommy” written in red crayon and smaller font underneath that asserts that “Children whose parents or siblings smoke are three times more likely to smoke than children living in a non-smoking households.” Underneath this sentiment is a Call to Action to visit the AHS website to get more information about smoking and its effects on one’s health.

The primary reason I chose this particular advertisement deals with the multiple aspects of semiotics that it engages. Not only does it utilize icons, but this advertisement can also be interpreted as a symbol since it deals with a particular social issue at a particular time. The shocking aspect of this advertisement that was executed in order to garner attention would be the parallels between a Crayola box and a cigarette carton. The imagery of the tobacco inside a crayola within a Marlboro box acts as an icon, playing off the similar physical aspects between the two objects offset by the different connotative tones that the two items strike separately.

The juxtaposition between the connotations of a Crayon box and a cigarette carton moves us away from the sign and its referent and brings us more into the print advertisement as a symbol that produces a meaning that is directly tied to a specific socio-historical context. The Crayolas and the text stating “Just like mommy” in a childlike font is supposed to evoke the innocence of a child, which directly contradicts the feeling associated with the illustration of the tobacco and the cigarette carton.

In order to inform on the issue of smoking in the U.S. and provide some context, I will refer to the data provided by the website responsible for creating the ad. According to AHS, 15% of the U.S. population smoke, which amounts to 36.5 million Americans with 20% of deaths in the U.S. associated with tobacco. Although most Americans may not be familiar with the precise statistics associated with what is known as the ‘Tobacco Epidemic,’ many are familiar with the widespread nature of cigarette and tobacco addiction that has been relevant since the 1960s.

Therefore, these statistics and larger social context that Americans are familiar with inform their reactions to the ad in question. While the crayons portray innocence, the presence of tobacco and its paraphernalia connotes fatality and illness that comes along with smoking. That is what makes AHS’s ad so powerful and provocative. They are essentially targeting two separate audiences in one advertisement. The image combined with the words “Just like mommy” is supposed to be a guilt-trip and evoke a pathos reaction from the audience to quit smoking, since it is in the best interest of their child. In that way, it also targets the children by ideally reducing the chances of children picking up the bad habit, since their parents will quit their own habit after this convincing advertisement.

AHS’s powerful advertisement combines two methods of semiotics: iconity and symbolism. By conflating Crayolas with Marlboros, it plays off the similar aspects of both packaging to contrast between the deeper meaning that the two elicit. While Crayolas evoke the feeling of innocence and youthfulness, Marlboros are often associated with the addiction, illness, and fatal consequences that come with smoking cigarettes. Although I cannot speak on whether or not this advertisement accomplished its purpose of reducing smoking, I can say that I found the semiotic elements that the organization incorporated to be captivating.