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Handy (Jam) OrganizationLucky Strike Cigarette Commercial: Marching Cigarettes (1948)

Lucky Strike cigarette commercial with stop-motion animation of marching cigarettes.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Handy (Jam) Organization
Sponsor: American Tobacco Company
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Advertising: Television commercials; Substance abuse: Tobacco; Animation: Stop-motion

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Robin_1990 - - February 18, 2008
Subject: Excellent Commercial for 1948
Considering this commercial was made in 1948, I must say it's excellent, Considering that commercials didn't really start to get good until around 1954. I don't smoke, But this commercial advertises it's product well.

Reviewer: OCSDDC - - November 27, 2007
Subject: Say what?!?
"So round. So firm. So fully packed"..... was I the only one NOT thinking about cigarettes during that bit?

Reviewer: loyaltubist - - September 24, 2006
Subject: A Little Background on this Commercial
The opening music is the "Lucky Strike" theme, played by Axel Stordahl's band. The theme's composer was Raymond Scott (born Harry Warnow--his brother was band leader, Mark Warnow). Most of Raymond Scott's music was very experimental--his best know experimental piece is called "Powerhouse," which was used in many cartoons. Actually, until brother Mark died in 1949, the Lucky Strike theme was how he earned most of his money--from the residuals of it. Interestingly, Scott became the director of the band for "Your Hit Parade" (sponsored by Lucky Strike) after h is brother died. The announcer is Andre Baruch, one of the finest broadcast announcers of all time. Baruch was born in France. He was married to big band singer Bea Wain.

This commercial, with all of its wonder and amazement, is still a great history lesson in advertising. You know this had to be stop action photography and it wasn't done with computers!

Reviewer: Marysz - - March 21, 2006
Subject: Cigarettes on the March
Animated cigarettes march in military formations to the sound of a marching band. Whoever made this ad still had World War II on the brain. The cigarettes are described as "so round, so firm, so fully packed" and the bellicose announcer promises "deep down smoking enjoyment." Smokers of Lucky Strike will be deep down, all right--six feet under.

Reviewer: samontreal - - June 22, 2005
Subject: Cheap yet impressive
You simply HAVE to see the marching cigarettes, the whimsy blew my mind! It almost makes me wish we hadn't banned cigarette advertising some time back. I also appreciated the image of the pack being assembled from start to finish. This would look fab in an anti-smoking montage, as the camp/irony value is definitely there!

Reviewer: MikeBrew77 - - January 29, 2005
Subject: Modern use for this gem...
This commercial should be the new paradigm for the modern anti-smoking camapign. The simple association between square dancing and smoking would have kids running away from cigarettes in droves. I could, however, foresee many seniors picking up the habit again.

Reviewer: Iowatvman - - January 3, 2005
Subject: Rip-off? Maybe, maybe not.
It's very easy to claim that one creator ripped off another, but very difficult to prove. If "plastron" has any hard evidence to prove the point, let's see it.

Otherwise, it's well to remember that there are very, very few totally original ideas in the world, especially in advertising.

Having actually seen this film, I'd say it's an above-average example for the time period.

Reviewer: plastron - - January 12, 2004
Subject: lifted from Fischinger
I haven't seen this film, but I thought all might be interested to know that it was basically ripped-off from animated commercials that Oskar Fischinger produced for Muratti cigarettes in Germany in 1934 and 1935. Fischinger's films were a couple of minutes longer, and from the looks of these stills, more complex. They were a hit in Europe, and the American brands jumped at the chance to emulate the style. For more info on Fischinger, one of our century's most brilliant abstract animators, check www.oskarfischinger.org

Reviewer: Transmaster - - December 2, 2003
Subject: Oh the Memories
I remember this ad' as a youngster. Looking at it now so many decades after the fact I think about how things have changed. The commercial it's self is interesting in that it would have taken an enormous amount of time to do the animation for this 1 minute ad'.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - October 30, 2003
Subject: LSMFT - Let's sue makers for this!
WHile I agree this is not as lunacy inspired as the Square dancers, this commercial, which MUST'VE been done by the same people, still does has it's charms. I really liked the animation of a cigarette pack coming together (including the plastic wrapping). Reccomended!

Reviewer: tanne - - July 8, 2003
Subject: Not as impressive as the square dancers
This ad doesn't impress me as much as the square-dancing ad--it's probably older and looks less complex. However, it does have the famous slogan line in it that my mother once told me women "back in the day" liked to have used to refer to them--the first part of it only, that is! Back then, a woman felt she was being paid a compliment if she was referred to as "so round, so firm, so fully packed." But she didn't want to be described as "So free and easy on the draw"!

Shotlist

Lucky Strike cigarette commercial with stop-motion animation of marching cigarettes.


TELEVISION COMMERCIALS STOP MOTION ANIMATION CIGARETTES MUSIC MARCHES FANTASY SURREALISM HUMOR Cigarettes Animation (stop-motion) Stop-motion animation Commercials Television (commercials) Advertising Lucky Strike (cigarettes) Trademarks Square dancing American Tobacco Company Songs Jingles Slogans ("L.S.M.F.T.")