Cigarette Ads play a part in America's Visual Identity 

In this image, we are looking at an example of an ad printed throughout America in the early 20th century.  Lucky Strike published this ad and similar ads to grow sales for their cigarette packs. In the 1920s, the cigarette targeted women trying to lose weight, with a typical ad saying, “Reach for a Lucky instead of a Sweet.” Similar Lucky ads depicting men use the same haunting message of being fat, indicating that their cigarettes will “reduce flesh,” which is synonymous with fat at the time. 

If one looks at images from the first half of the 20th century, a cigarette could be in it, too. Cigarettes play a massive role in America’s social history.  At one point, smoking became an everyday cultural practice. In another form of mass mediation, Al Jolson, often referred to by modern critics as “the king of blackface performers,” was paid to endorse the brand. Al Jolson called Lucky Strike “the good old flavor of Luckies is as sweet and soothing as the best ‘Mammy’ song ever written.” With that, sales increased by 25 billion cigarettes in five years while referencing the ‘Mammy stereotype,’ often a portrayal of the black women who helped white families. This ad made Lucky Strike the leading brand nationwide. 

Mass mediation, including print, radio, film, and the modern internet, shapes social and personal identities by influencing what are considered symbols of a country’s culture. In this example, I am referencing the symbolism of the cigarette and the part it played in America’s visual identity. These ads aimed to promote cigarettes in a good light, and the ad's design played a big part. This was an essential time in graphic design history because graphic designers were now in charge of creating visually exciting advertising techniques for huge companies. A graphic designer’s job is to appeal to the masses and sell a product, and if done right, it can create a historical impact.