The changing face of cigarette packets in Asia
More than a third of the world’s smokers are in China. The only non-Asian countries in the top five biggest tobacco-consuming countries, which also features Indonesia and Japan, are US and Russia.
But Asia varies wildly in the extent to which governments try to stop people smoking (if they do at all), and what tobacco companies are allowed to do to recruit smokers.
The most direct form of government intervention is the cigarette packet itself, often using the same sort of creativity that big tobacco has deployed for generations to get people hooked.
In this image feature (some are not easy on the eye, so bewarned) Mumbrella takes a look at how some of the most powerful brands in Asia are being subverted by health authorities.
Hong Kong. Making death morbidly cool?
Japan. Smoke the peace pipe.
Vietnam. A choking death.
Thailand. Not subtle.
Singapore. When you’re hooked, your child suffers too.
Vietnam. Bad teeth.
Australia. Bryan does not look well. Packaging stripped of all branding and turned a murky puddle brown, which research from the Department of Health suggests is the most off-putting colour for would-be puffers.
Indonesia. Smoking is as cool as riding a Harley.
China. A light touch for the world’s most passionate smokers.
Myanmar. A flash back to big tobacco’s golden age.
India. Point out the danger with an alarming red arrow.
Hong Kong. A creative way to portray impotence.
The UK. Cigarettes likened to injecting heroin.
France. Problems in the bedroom are highlighted. Quelle surprise.
Got any others from other countries you could send us? If you do, I’ll add them to the list; robin.hicks@mumbrella.asia
Robin Hicks
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