A Retrospective Examination of Female Model Portrayals in Male Youth-Targeted Cigarette Advertising

Abstract

We present a retrospective (1994-2003) portrayal of female models in an era of male-targeted cigarette advertising. Our content analysis findings suggest that, in aggregate, the portrayal of females in male-targeted cigarette print advertising overwhelmingly consists of young, physically attractive, highly sexualized women whose purpose is largely decorative, primarily to endow the advertising with sexual attractiveness. They are used to add an element of sexuality to the hedonic meaning of cigarettes. They are restricted in gender role to traditional notions of femininity, and rarely appear in groups. They even are assigned different roles in terms of the simple act of smoking.