1983 Virginia Slim Ad.
The 1960s ushered in a 鈥渟econd wave鈥� feminist movement in Canada and other western countries. Corporations, including those selling cigarettes, were quick to capitalize on its principle of 鈥渨oman鈥檚 liberation鈥�. Their advertising campaigns depicted the 鈥渕odern鈥� woman as tall, slender, unapologetically glamorous and, of course, carrying a cigarette in her hand. Sometimes, accompanying illustrated vignettes emphasized the 鈥渓iberation鈥� association. Philip Morris鈥檚 Virginia Slims was the first brand specifically targeted towards women; others, such as More and Vantage, soon followed.
Virginia Slims, identified by their slogan 鈥淵ou鈥檝e come a long way, baby鈥�, clearly meant to tap into the 鈥渓iberation鈥� theme. These and other companies鈥� cigarettes were longer and thinner than those marketed to men, reinforcing the association with beauty and sophistication. However, this carefully crafted image of glamour masked the harmful health effect of tobacco smoke: the incidence of lung cancer in women began to increase and, by 1985, the condition had surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women, revealing the stark consequences behind the fa莽ade.
Average annual percent change in age-standardized mortality rates for selected cancers in females, Canada, 1970鈥�2007.
Source: Kachuri, L, et al. 鈥淐ancer incidence, mortality and survival trends in Canada, 1970鈥�2007.鈥� Chronic Diseases and Injuries in Canada, vol. 33, no. 2, Mar. 2013, pp. 69鈥�80, .
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