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[StrikerObi]

Seriously, these guys need to get the giant stick out of their ass. These "Fair Enough" commercials are so fucking retarded. They're harassing tobacco companies for using market segmentation and research!

Now, I can understand going after them for trying to market towards children, which is what the first "Fair Enough" ad was about. That makes sense because legally they aren't supposed to be doing that.

But now they are harassing the tobacco companies for making cigarettes targeted towards "inner city blacks." OH NO HEAVEN FORBID! Every fucking company on the planet uses market segmentation. It's the way the world works. You can't say it's a bad thing. The truth company itself uses market segmentation. Their hip young ads are obviously targeted at the teenage and 20 something market. There is nothing wrong with market segmentation and market research. No company could survive without them.

 

[ChrisReid]

They're scary, but whatever attacks smokers and tobacco companies is fine with me.

 

[Eric-GCA]

you can bet that while truth is anti-tobacco, they are undoubtedly pro-pot. I mean, they're based in San Francisco after all, so its not like "smoking" is the issue.

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

The Truth ads usually remind me how good a smoke would be right about then.

 

[the_geche]

I agree fuck The Truth, I'm can't stand cigarettes at all and I'm not a smoker in the least but these fucking ads make me want to just light up a damn port everytime I see them...

 

[StrikerObi]

They're scary, but whatever attacks smokers and tobacco companies is fine with me.

But they are attacking the tobacco company for something they themselves do! It's fucking hypocrisy! Every company does this! There is nothing wrong with market segmentation and research!

Like I said, I'll admit that doing so to get children to smoke is wrong, but there is nothing wrong with targeting a brand towards black people so it will sell better. Every company does. Any company that has ever used hip-hop in their advertising campaign is guilty of it. There's nothing wrong with it, it's simple market. They target ads towards upper middle class white people all the time, same thing, nothing wrong.

Heaven forbid a company try to sell it's product.

 

[Red Scarlet]

The Truth ads usually remind me how good a smoke would be right about then.

Haha yeah, I light up when I see one.

 

[StrikerObi]

Here's some more bullshit from The Truth. Watch them step over thier own words and contradict themselves. This is all off their information page (http://www.thetruth.com/index.cfm?seek=aboutUs)

Let's start by telling you what truth is not:
truth is not anti-smoker. We love smokers. In fact, we love everybody. truth isn't about passing judgement on people or the choices they make. As far as we're concerned, smoker, non-smoker, non-issue.

And truth is not here to tell you, or anyone else, what to do. We hate when people do that.

Just a little further down the page they talk about their parent organization, the American Legacy Foundation, that funds them fully.

truth is funded by the American Legacy Foundation - an independent, public health organization created in 1998 as a result of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

In addition to truth, Legacy also has a national grants program that provides support for state and local tobacco prevention, education and cessation, and funds for small organizations or individuals with innovative ideas that might foster future programs to reduce tobacco use.

So, they go and say that they don't presecute people or tell them not to smoke. But at the same time, their parent company (that funds them fully) has programs that are telling people not to smoke and to stop smoking.

Can you really say you aren't persecuting people when the company that runs you does? The American Legacy Foundation basically tells The Truth what to do, they fund The Truth fully. The Truth is a mouthpiece for the ALF, and the ALF is anti-smoking and tells people not to smoke and to stop smoking.

If The Truth "hates it when people do that" (that being, telling people what to do) then how can they support the American Legacy Foundation, an organization that does this very thing by telling people not to smoke and to stop smoking?

 

[Black Deatha]

So, they go and say that they don't presecute people or tell them not to smoke. But at the same time, their parent company (that funds them fully) has programs that are telling people not to smoke and to stop smoking.

Can you really say you aren't persecuting people when the company that runs you does? The American Legacy Foundation basically tells The Truth what to do, they fund The Truth fully. The Truth is a mouthpiece for the ALF, and the ALF is anti-smoking and tells people not to smoke and to stop smoking.

If The Truth "hates it when people do that" (that being, telling people what to do) then how can they support the American Legacy Foundation, an organization that does this very thing by telling people not to smoke and to stop smoking?

Dude think about it they said they dont hate the people, and thye may not tell them directly to stop smooking, but the very message there trying to deliver is to now smoke, so thile thye may not be TELLING people to stop, there message is there to disuade them form doing so. THere just saying there not going to tell people what to DO.

~Black Deatha

 

[Flynn]

I think the money for the Truth campaign actually comes from the Tobacco companies, some sort of requirement from settlements that forces them to finance educational outreach.

 

[Shinobi]

I agree fuck The Truth, I'm can't stand cigarettes at all and I'm not a smoker in the least but these fucking ads make me want to just light up a damn port everytime I see them...

Agreed...amazingly the stupid.ca ads up here are even more infuriating (one ad shows a girl diving into a freshly laid pile of dog shit and smearing it on her jacket...just what I want to see while eating my dinner). If nothing else I'd love to burn both places down with a used cigarette butt.

Of course truth.com is (as Flynn said) funded by tobacco companies as part of some arrangment, agreement or settlement, so it's possible that they've also made the ads in this way on purpose just to get more people to rebel and light up. :lol

 

[Red Scarlet]

but the very message there trying to deliver is to now smoke

Best typo I've seen in a while.
:lol :lol

 

[StrikerObi]

I think the money for the Truth campaign actually comes from the Tobacco companies, some sort of requirement from settlements that forces them to finance educational outreach.

It does, that's true. It's not the point.

The real point is that they are saying "we're not going to tell you to quit smoking or not to smoke, we're only presenting the facts" but their parent organization is doing exactly that.

 

[Eric-GCA]

I mainly hated truth at first for their preachy commercials (now they've moved on to "comdedic" stuff), but no, they are quite the loathsome entity, more than most corporations ironically. :lol

 

[Triumph]

you can bet that while truth is anti-tobacco, they are undoubtedly pro-pot. I mean, they're based in San Francisco after all, so its not like "smoking" is the issue.

Christ you're dumb.

Also, I dig the Truth ads. I wish that there was something similar for mainstream media, politics, etc. That would be embarassing and fun to watch at the same time.

 

[BobbyRobby]

I despise those truth ads. Its not really fair Tobacco companies aren't allowed to air their own ads when alcohol, and fast food companies are allowed to.

 

[Hitokage]

I despise those truth ads. Its not really fair Tobacco companies aren't allowed to air their own ads when alcohol, and fast food companies are allowed to.

Except we've tried to ban alcohol before, and we all should know how that turned out.

 

[drohne]

smoking is one of my two or three favorite things to do, and i still can't fathom your contempt for occasionally clever anti-smoking commercials. or for that matter your righteous indignation on behalf of "market segmentation." gafers are weird.

 

[StoOgE]

the thing is, their old guerilla style attack ads seemed much more effective.

 

[pestul]

Smoking is about to be banned at clubs here in St. John's, NL.. good. Disgusting habit anyway. Truth commercials do suck though.

 

[StoOgE]

Smoking is about to be banned at clubs here in St. John's, NL.. good. .

Its been pretty much banned in Austin for a while now with some exceptions.. but those are about to go away too.. and I hate that shit.. I only smoke 5 or so packs a year, and only when drinking, so its not like Im heavily effected by it.. but if a club owner wants to allow smoking, and you dont like smoking, go to a different fucking club. You dont have a right to go wherever you want and have things be exactly the way you want.. its not your club so dont bitch about the way they run things.

 

[Shinobi]

Agreed. I'e always said either ban smoking altogether or let freedom reign.

smoking is one of my two or three favorite things to do, and i still can't fathom your contempt for occasionally clever anti-smoking commercials.

Probably because they attempt to be clever but fail miserably.

 

[Minotauro]

One of my problems with the Truth ads is the obviousness of everything they're saying. Seriously, who doesn't know that cigarettes are bad for you and the people who manufacture them are complete scumbags? Shouldn't this be common knowledge by now. They think the only reason people smoke is because they're uninformed. This simply isn't true. Next thing you know, there will be commercials telling you that McDonald's food will make you fat and the executives at McDonald's do everything in their power to make children take up fast food. Shock and awe!

 

[pestul]

Its been pretty much banned in Austin for a while now with some exceptions.. but those are about to go away too.. and I hate that shit.. I only smoke 5 or so packs a year, and only when drinking, so its not like Im heavily effected by it.. but if a club owner wants to allow smoking, and you dont like smoking, go to a different fucking club. You dont have a right to go wherever you want and have things be exactly the way you want.. its not your club so dont bitch about the way they run things.

I'm thinking more about the rights of the workers as opposed to myself. Frankly, if you ban smoking all together, they won't lose business. The smokers will still come. Only they'll have to smoke outside in the cold/weather, where they should be anyway.

 

[AntoneM]

Only they'll have to smoke outside in the cold/weather, where they should be anyway.

woooo! go go discrimination!

 

[Minotauro]

I'm thinking more about the rights of the workers as opposed to myself.

Oh, how selfless of you.

Aside from the fact that secondhand smoke isn't nearly as damaging as the anti-smoking zealots would have you believe, no one is forcing these people to work there.

Me, I want to work construction but I don't want there to be any danger whatsover. So, I now decree that all foremen put up nets in the case of someone falling and cover all tools in nerf material.

Frankly, if you ban smoking all together, they won't lose business. The smokers will still come.

Do you have any evidence to back this up? I've heard many different thoughts from restaurant and bar owners.

 

[Rorschach]

The Truth ads usually remind me how good a smoke would be right about then.

Same here and I don't even smoke. I wish I could go up to the kids and blow smoke in their preppy faces.

 

[StoOgE]

Do you have any evidence to back this up? I've heard many different thoughts from restaurant and bar owners.

I know of a coffee shop that is losing buisness like mad because of these bans. It is an indoor only coffee house right on UT campus that once had smoking upstairs.. downstairs would allways be busy, upstairs would be packed. Go there during the day now and its half empty, at night its a little better but no where near the way it used to be.. back in the day, I would go up there and would know half the people up there, it was awesome..

in any case, all the smokers have moved to other coffee houses that have outdoor patios.. and while Im sure those coffee houses are enjoying the boost in buisness, its really hurting the other one. Right now in Austin you can pay 3000 dollars a month to be allowed to have a smoking section.. but I guess they dont want to foot that bill.. in any case thats about to go away as well.

As far as bars in Austin.. almost all the bars I go to have patio's/decks to begin with... its a bit annoying having to go outside to smoke, but I normally did that anyway if I was there with a non smoker... I have no idea if the bars without patios are being hurt or not..

As far as the worker rights? You dont have a right to work wherever you want.. some jobs have certain risks.. and yes it sucks if you have to work in a smoky bar if you dont like the smell of smoke.. but um, go get a job somewhere else. If you like the nice tips that you get as a bartender dont complain about the downside too.. I mean, I like my jobs pay but wish there werent so many expectations placed on me, too much stress is going to give me a hearattack. Maybe I should ask the government to make deadlines illegal.

 

[FortNinety]

I think they're brilliant. As others have said, I actually want to smoke after watching those annoying, patronizing ads.