Colors instead Full Flavor, Light, and Ultra Light Cigarettes

Published on October 30, 2009 12:40 PM

As it is known, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new restriction which interdicted the Cigarette Companies to use terms like 'light' and 'mild' on their tobacco products. But the companies are still finding methods to get their message across. But only few brands have already dropped those terms from their packaging. For example Pall Mall full flavor, light, and ultra light cigarettes, are now called ΄Red΄, ΄Blue΄ and ΄Orange΄. Another example is Salem cigarettes a green pack which attract smokers only by their packaging color. The last example show us that even without words like 'light' on the packaging, many of the people realize the meaning of the new packaging, the lighter or brighter colors are lower in nicotine, tar, or tobacco, and less harmful.

Tom Neal, Director of Brand Development at Kinziegreen in Wausau, said: "As the color scheme goes from darker towards lighter, you're seeing they're trying to say to the consumer the things they can't really say with words."

Health officials shared that while cigarette companies won't be able to say 'mild', 'light', or 'ultra-light', they will use a cool, calming blue, an energetic orange, or even a natural, healthy light green, because they know that customers are getting their message. "They're trying to make the consumer believe that they are getting a healthier product as a result of the packaging," said Renee Trowbridge, a public health educator for Marathon County.

Trowbridge investigated teens that have been using tobacco, and found that they're more influenced by packaging and advertising than most consumers. She added: "Their main strategy is to continue to make and market a product that attracts to young people. We know about 90 percent of people who smoke started before the age of 18." Mr. Neal thinks that the regulations against the tobacco industry will continue to tighten. But he believes that tobacco companies will only continue to evolve their selling to make their product appealing. Ms. Trowbridge concluded that the latest restrictions are a step in the right direction, but said that until cigarettes stop appearing in magazines, films, and other places where young eyes see them, tobacco products will continue to find new consumers.