My Dear Chinese Cigarette 1939 Newspaper Advertisement
Date
Credits
- Hwa Ching Tobacco Company Production Company
- Zhiying Studio Studio
Format
- Newspaper 1059
- Advertising 452
Locations Made
- China 3
Links
This image is a 1939 newspaper print ad for a cigarette brand named My Dear or Meili (meaning “beautiful” in Chinese). Created by Hwa Ching Tobacco Company in 1925, My Dear quickly became one of the most popular cigarette brands in China. Using vivid images and typefaces, My Dear targeted its campaign towards Chinese women in the 20th century. For instance, the image of an attractive woman smoking a cigarette while leaning towards an expensive car was portrayed in the newspaper ad; type phrases such as refreshing, fragrant and captivating were used to convey that smoking cigarettes can make you more confident and attractive. As a result of this cigarette campaign, a social identity was formed; smoking cigarettes quickly became a symbol of status among Chinese women to become more attractive, rich, confident and modern while also contributing to the New Woman movement in China.
