I am astonished by the lengths that some advertisers will go to to sell a product, especially a product you probably don't need. My all time favorite dumb ad was for Topol, which was toothpaste (or polish - I don't remember which) for smokers.
The ad started with a guy taking a drag from a cigarette, and then blowing out through a handkerchief stretched over his mouth. The narration was something like: "See what this smoke does to this handkerchief? Imagine what it's doing to your..."
Every time I saw this commercial, I expected the next word to be "lungs." Of course, the actual next word was "teeth." Yeah, that's what I'm worried about - God forbid that I have gray teeth when I start hacking my lungs up. Just toss me another couple of packs of smokes - I've got my Topol, so I'm all set! Make sure you bury me with my shiny white smile showing.
More recently, I've been amused by what seems to me to be a similar commercial, this time about a smoker's mouthwash. The woman in the commercial gets complimented by her boyfriend for quitting smoking, presumably because her breath smells so minty fresh. I don't know how she gets the smell out of her clothes, hair, and skin though - maybe she sprays herself with the mouthwash? Or maybe her boyfriend just has a really bad sense of smell, but an acute sense of taste. Eeeww. In any case, it doesn't seem like that sort of deception is a good basis for a lasting relationship, especially between a smoker and a non-smoker.
What will be next? Personally, I'd like to see a fishbowl that a smoker wears over their head to contain their fumes. The advertisers could push it as a money saving device - enjoy each puff two, three, even as much as four times! No more smelly clothes - no more prematurely wrinkled skin!* (* facial skin not included.) Be the envy of all your smoking friends! Buy one today!
You can respond to my ranting here.
I'd rather rant than switch!