Marketing
From inception, Virginia Slims have been designed and marketed as a female-oriented fashion brand, generally targeted to a younger demographic (18- to 35-year-olds). While various themes emerged in the marketing campaigns over the years, the basic threads have been independence, liberation, slimness, attractiveness, glamour, style, taste and a contrast to men's cigarettes.[2][5][6][7] Thus, Virginia Slims functioned to implement a female-centered marketing strategy, also known as femvertising.[8]
A report by the Surgeon General of the United States has interpreted these marketing strategies as attempting to link smoking "to women's freedom, emancipation, and empowerment."[9] This report also tied the increase of smoking among teenage girls to rises in sales of Virginia Slims and other "niche" brands marketed directly to women.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the themes of feminism and women's liberation, with the "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" slogan, were often used in advertising for Virginia Slims. These ads often featured anecdotes about women in the early 20th century who were punished for smoking, usually by their husbands or other men, as compared to the present day when women had equal rights such as the right to vote.[10][2][11][12][13] Later campaigns have used the slogan "It's a Woman Thing" in the 1990s and "Find Your Voice" in the 2000s.[14]
Television and print ads often featured well-known models and designer fashions. Print ads were generally placed in women's magazines, and formed the mainstay of the marketing campaign, supplemented with billboards and point-of-purchase displays. From 1969 until cigarette advertising on television was prohibited in 1971, television advertising was an important component. The commercials would begin with actors in period costumes reenacting the early 20th century anecdotes in comedic fashion, followed by a glamorous modern-day model smoking the product while dressed in the latest fashions, accompanied by "You've Come a Long Way, Baby," an up-tempo, catchy pop-rock jingle:
You've come a long way, baby To get where you've got to today You've got your own cigarette now, baby You've come a long, long way[15][16]
On January 1, 1971 at 11:59 p.m, an ad for Virginia Slims was aired during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson that became notable as the final cigarette advertisement to air on television before the implementation of the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which prohibited the radio and television advertising of all cigarettes in the United States.[17]
Several other, less important, marketing vehicles were employed, such as the Virginia Slims Book of Days (a day timer/calendar book), fashion shows and an extensive line of products, apparel and accessories.[18]
The "Find Your Voice" ad campaign was criticized as offensive to those who have lost their voices to throat cancer from smoking,[19] especially in light of the well-publicized laryngectomy of Janet Sackman, a former model for another cigarette brand[20] who developed throat and lung cancer.[21] The campaign was an attempt to associate the brand with themes of empowerment, independence, women's rights and sexual allure. The campaign was also criticized for targeting minority women.[22][23] The campaign was also criticized for the slogan "NEVER let the goody two shoes get you down," which uses reactance to promote product use. It has also been suggested that it urges smokers to disregard health warnings.[19][24]
The Leo Burnett advertising agency handled the Virginia Slims account throughout most of the product lifetime.[27]
