Lucky Strike Advertisement, “Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet” Campaign

These vintage Lucky Strike cigarette ads tell both women and men that they can lose weight if they reach for a smoke instead of a sweet.

Launched in 1928, this highly successful campaign targeting women was eventually derailed by threats of litigation from the candy industry. The tobacco industry later promoted candy cigarettes. The firm which marketed Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound was a pioneer in marketing to women. They coined such unforgettable slogans as a baby in every bottle. The 1891 Pinkham slogan “Reach for a Vegetable Instead of a Sweet” has been cited as the inspiration for the Hill/Lasker 1928 slogan “Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet.”

(Images: Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising)