We’re sure you’ve see those alluring blue lights twinkling like
fireflies around the city of late… well smoke signals are now making their way
across our TV screens and National Press, clouding our vision by flickering
around Calvin Klein style imagery.
We are of course referring to the e-cigarette brand Blu, who
provocatively wrapped themselves around yesterday’s Metro and Evening Standard. The
idea of advertising e-cigarettes raises a few eyebrows, but the racy approach
from Blu certainly raises a lot more.
Yesterday’s coverwraps saw an attractive naked woman
standing at the window of her city apartment indulging in one of Blu’s ‘glow
sticks’. Even the copy on the inside cover was attractive claiming the
e-cigarettes are ‘modern’, flexible, ‘slim’, and ‘easy’, offering 15% off the
Blu kit, not to mention the obvious denotation of the brand name and logo, guys
you know what I’m referring to. Flicking over to the OBC, Blu continue to fly
close to the wind with yet another black and white shot, this time of a rugged
woman puffing the ‘trendy’ nicotine gadget in her helicopter, suggesting,
wealth, style, and that classic blasé coolness of a cigarette.
Now, we could rant about the objectification of women and
the controversy of advertising e-cigarettes, but our biggest concern was the
sexualisation and ‘cool’ character Blu are creating for e-cigs. Should Blu be
allowed to portray such an enticing lifestyle brand image for a product that
contains nicotine? The combination of this with the candy shop of flavours
available is sure to be a big hit with early adopters. Blu might want to think
twice next time they decided to spread.
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