Responsible Marketing

The hard pressed tobacco industry likes to present itself in a positive light whenever possible. The ads up above may lead you to believe that they need to do so. But don't let them fool you. Here is another side to the semi-subliminal elements you will find in Kool ads.
Of more than passing interest in this ad are the windows of this car. Look at both the front window to the left of the B in the B KOOL logo and also at the rear window. If you are slightly paranoid you will have no difficulty in perceiving that in both windows there is a face. If you are not paranoid then you will see them just as clearly if your vision is normal. Whether one wishes to see them as the grotesque faces of little green aliens or as the sad, desperate, faces of smokers in need of a cigarette, or whatever, there is little doubt that these 'faces' were embedded intentionally by the creators of the ad.
Whether the relationship cued by such figures is sexual, fearful or encouraging will depend upon the psychological make-up of the individual viewer but it is certain that the creators of such ads have investigated the psychological characteristics of their customers and potential customers. If you look at the original of this ad you may also be tempted to believe that the pattern on the watch strap (partially displayed on the intermediate size image linked to the ad above) is a bit too much like lettering once again. It might even lead one to think of the word sex once again. That, at least, would be consistent but not responsible marketing. So much for one of the self-styled responsible companies in an controversial industry.