Fired up!: A semiotic analysis of gender in tobacco industry produced controlled circulation magazines

Significance: Lifestyle magazines produced by tobacco companies started in the 1990s and now reach millions of smokers in the USA. These magazines often bypass typical public health surveillance because their circulation is controlled by direct mail lists that are tailored to distinct market segments. Objective: Describe the tobacco industry's goals for using gender-specific lifestyle magazines and how gendered content encourages smoking. Methods: Content and semiotic analysis comparing tobacco industry produced direct mail magazines targeting women (All Woman, Flair) and men (Real Edge, Unlimited), and analysis of previously secret tobacco industry documents to explore the denotative (indicative) and connotative (implied) gender messages in tobacco magazines. Results: US tobacco companies developed distinct psychographic profiles of young adult males and females through the 1980s and 1990s; lifestyle magazines reflect the gendered segmentation of the target audience. Tobacco industry produced magazines rely on gender-specific messages that tap the salient gender identity archetypes of young adult target markets. Positive resonance of normative gender identity through this medium may provide distinct impetuses for experimenting with smoking by reinforcing relationships and brand imagery. For example, male magazines emphasize “hegemonic masculinity” by accentuating alcohol use, sexual prowess, and risk-taking behaviors through articles, images, and text. In contrast, female magazines stress “emphasized femininity” by accentuating sociability and the domestic realm through this medium. Conclusions: Tobacco industry produced direct mail magazines reinforce gender archetypes as an important means to reinforce brand imagery and build relationships with beginning smokers. We recommend using these data to develop effective gender-specific counter-marketing strategies.