Cigar Advertising Question

[El Presidente]

 

I know that you need to  be careful looking at historical advertising through todays lenses.......but someone explain the underlying messaging to me. 

I see it time and time again in 18th/early 19th century cigar advertising where children are front and centre. 

Is the messaging that cigars are wholesome/family oriented?

Is it reflective of change in the imagery/mindset of cigars over the past 150 years?

Would love your thoughts. 

[La_Tigre]

On topic: I wish I had a reasonable answer to the question. It’s been an oddity to think cigars were given customarily for births.

 

Off topic: It looks fairly cold out there, but I’m still certain holding that lantern in such a fashion is gonna burn the blessing right out of grampa’s hand....?

[GavLew79]

? Er....., Nope. I have nothing. 

[99call]

24 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Is the messaging that cigars are wholesome/family oriented?

From what I can gather, a box of cigars was a great deal more standard as a Christmas present for the man of the house 18th early 19th century.   God do I wish we could return to this trend!.     I think family life was a great deal more stereotyped with Dad sat in his wingback chair, wearing a poo-brown cardigan, and either smoking a pipe or a cigar

My grandad used to smoke a pipe, and whenever we used to visit, the air was always laced with wonderful dunhill tobacco. and it somehow enriched the whole family setting.  

I've seen a lot of advertising from this time, of kids passing dad his Birthday/Christmas cigars etc.etc .   I think back in these times, everything was pushed on the family angle. 

I can just see young Don Draper trying to work out the angles

[99call]

This is one that always had me scratching my head   "the cigar that breathes"

A, Just a creepy idea

B, Executed in a creepy font ........it looks like the font they used to use in Scooby Doo

[rcarlson]

Just a guess, but I think that the children were commonly intended to represent the wondrous innocence the adult consumer would experience with the new product, any product -- cigars, foodstuffs, soaps, electronics, whatever. 

Now we know children are overstimulated, apathetic, insatiable little shits.  It just took a few decades for the epiphany. 

To hell with those little shits. 

I need a smoke.