The first tobacco advertisement in America appeared in 1789 when the tobacco company, Lorillard advertised their snuff and tobacco products in a local New York daily paper. The advertisement included an American Indian smoking a long clay pipe.

Since then, the tobacco industry would go on to promote their products through trading cards, posters, attractive colorful images that had nothing to do with any of their products, and so much more.

Here are a few key historical marketing practices of the tobacco industry:

False Health Claims

Another historical marketing tactic the tobacco industry continues to use today is making false health claims. For decades, tobacco advertisements would claim there were benefits of using their products like soothing throats or aiding digestion. Today, tobacco companies claim e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes.

These health claims aren’t only misleading, but they are deadly as it creates the perception that using tobacco is harmless. Watch the video below to learn more about the industry’s lies and false claims.

The "4 Ps"

The tobacco industry also uses a variety of traditional marketing tactics to promote their products. These include product, price, place, and promotion. Click through each strategy below to learn more about them.