Jump to full article: Seoul Times (kr), 2009-05-17
Author: [item undated] Darron Davies Special Correspondent
Intro: With an increased focus on smoking related issues throughout the world - placing public pressure on tobacco companies, including falling revenue from the sale of cigarettes - Japan Tobacco has chosen to adopt a smoking manners campaign as a means of building its public profile and image of corporate responsibility. . . .
As one wanders through the streets of Japan the signs that one encounters are intriguing. Pasted mostly on the side of cigarette bins - street corner fixtures where smokers can conveniently butt-out – they utilize stick figure cartoons and short phrases to hit home the message.
What is unusual is the tense. In the English language didactic messages are usually presented in the third person. These messages are presented in the first person.
It is as if one is witnessing a miniature film noir world, in which a Humphrey Bogart type character is making comments as he smokes his way through everyday life. Perhaps this is intentional on the part of JT – whatever - it makes for fine reading:
‘In summertime, the arms that pass near my lit cigarette are bare.'
‘I threw my cigarette butt into the drain. That is to say, I hid it in the drain.'
‘I moved to avoid him. But my smoke didn't.
‘A person was waving at me. He was waving away my smoke.'
Incorporating little stick characters, diagrams, very large cigarettes, and all manner of statements and philosophical questions, the signs are a visual delight. My favorites are the ones that anthropomorphize cigarettes, giving them human qualities:
Inhaled. Burned. Thrown away. If it were anything but a cigarette, it would surely be crying. . . .
Examples of manners signs: http://www.conbinibento.com/photos/index.php?gallery=./Smoking%20Manners
Real photos of manners signs: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlietyack/sets/
72057594078351752/
Japan Tobacco website covering the manners campaign http://www.jt.com/investors/media/press_releases/
2008/05/appendix20080521_01_02.html
Manners Add for TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Ytg3IogDg
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Quotes from this article:
In summertime, the arms that pass near my lit cigarette are bare.
Posters used in Japan's smoking manners campaign are examined. No extra cost for the poetry.
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