14/03/2023
Edward Bernays was a pioneer in the field of public relations and is known for his successful campaign to promote smoking among women in the 1920s. Bernays was hired by the American To***co Company to increase cigarette sales, which were then primarily consumed by men.
Bernays conducted extensive research and found that women associated smoking with men and considered it a taboo. He then worked to change this perception by linking smoking to women's rights and independence, using various tactics such as organizing a parade of debutantes smoking ci******es as "torches of freedom" in the 1929 Easter Sunday Parade in New York City.
Bernays also used his connections in the media to promote smoking through product placement and celebrity endorsements. He targeted women's magazines and Hollywood movies, creating the image of smoking as glamorous, fashionable, and sophisticated.
Through Bernays' efforts, smoking became a symbol of liberation and equality for women, and cigarette sales soared.
