What Do Cigarette Pack Colors Communicate to Smokers in the U.S.?

Abstract

Background New legislation in the U.S. prohibits tobacco companies from labelling cigarette packs with terms such as ‘light,’ ‘mild,’ or ‘low’ after June 2010. However, experience from countries that have removed these descriptors suggests different terms, colors, or numbers communicating the same messages may replace them. Purpose The main purpose of this study was to examine how cigarette pack colors are perceived by smokers to correspond to different descriptive terms. Methods Newspaper advertisements and craigslist.org postings directed interested current smokers to a survey website. Eligible participants were shown an array of six cigarette packages (altered to remove all descriptive terms) and asked to link package images with their corresponding descriptive terms. Participants were then asked to identify which pack in the array they would choose if they were concerned with health, tar, nicotine, image, and taste. Results A total of 193 participants completed the survey from February to March 2008 (data were analyzed from May 2008 through November 2010). Participants were more accurate in matching descriptors to pack images for Marlboro brand cigarettes than for unfamiliar Peter Jackson brand (sold in Australia). Smokers overwhelmingly chose the ‘whitest’ pack if they were concerned about health, tar, and nicotine. Conclusions Smokers in the U.S. associate brand descriptors with colors. Further, white packaging appears to most influence perceptions of safety. Removal of descriptor terms but not the associated colors will be insufficient in eliminating misperceptions about the risks from smoking communicated to smokers through packaging.

Comprehensive tobacco marketing restrictions: promotion, packaging, price and place

“…50 In many countries including the USA, tobacco companies substituted blue packaging for ‘mild’, gold for ‘light’ and silver for ‘ultralight’ brands. 5051 It is evident that consumers accept colour variation and other cues as indicators of reduced risk 4951 and that further regulation is needed to eliminate the misconception that some cigarettes are less harmful than others.…”

Packaging colour research by tobacco companies: the pack as a product characteristic

“…Cigarettes from packs with brand descriptors including ‘light’, ‘low’, ‘mild’, ‘smooth’, ‘silver’ and ‘gold’ are perceived as having lower health risks 9–14. Before descriptors such as ‘light’ and ‘mild’ were prohibited,15 the companies associated them with specific package colours to make the same misleading claims about reduced risks without using words 10 13 14 16–24. To address this practice, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) commits signatories to implement national laws that ensure that tobacco product packaging and labelling do not promote tobacco products by any means that are false or misleading25 and recommends standardised packaging 26.…”

Socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers’ ratings of plain and branded cigarette packaging: an experimental study

“…A colour code for tobacco products is well established: lighter packaging colours are perceived to contain a product that is less harmful to health. Numerous studies have shown that smokers associate the colour ‘red’ with high strength and harshness, ‘blue’ as being mild and anything progressively lighter as healthier or less harmful 15 16. Similarly, many countries have banned the use of descriptor terms such as ‘light’, ‘mild’ and ‘low tar’ as cigarettes labelled with these terms are falsely perceived as being less harmful to health, and easier to give up 16.…”