This Wednesday we bring you a blast from the past – a research project conducted by Data Marketing. In the 1970s, after a consensus was established that cigarettes negatively impacted health, DMI ran a series of studies on a nicotine-free and tobacco-free cigarette alternative called “Free”.
With a smell reminiscent of burning chocolate due to the fact that it was derived from cocoa beans, “Free” was field tested in June and September of 1977.
The ad campaign for “Free” ran in the Mercury News in late 1977 through the beginning of 1978. The brand was bought out before a full-scale roll-out
It is interesting to note that the focus on cigarette alternatives in the past was primarily on removing nicotine, while today’s focus appears to have shifted into the smokeless, electronic alternatives, while continuing to incorporate nicotine.
So the question we’re left with - is it the smoke or the nicotine?
--B
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