First 'cigarette' Ad In Nearly 50 Years Will Air On British TV Tonight ...

Skip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.

The VergeThe Verge logo.
• Tech
• Reviews
• Science
• Entertainment
• AI
• Policy
• Hamburger Navigation Button

The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.

• Login / Sign Up

closeCloseSearch

• TechExpand
  • Amazon
  • Apple
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Samsung
  • Business
  • See all tech
• ReviewsExpand
  • Smart Home Reviews
  • Phone Reviews
  • Tablet Reviews
  • Headphone Reviews
  • See all reviews
• ScienceExpand
  • Space
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Health
  • See all science
• EntertainmentExpand
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Audio
  • See all entertainment
• AIExpand
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • See all AI
• PolicyExpand
  • Antitrust
  • Politics
  • Law
  • Security
  • See all policy
• GadgetsExpand
  • Laptops
  • Phones
  • TVs
  • Headphones
  • Speakers
  • Wearables
  • See all gadgets
• Verge ShoppingExpand
  • Buying Guides
  • Deals
  • Gift Guides
  • See all shopping
• GamingExpand
  • Xbox
  • PlayStation
  • Nintendo
  • See all gaming
• StreamingExpand
  • Disney
  • HBO
  • Netflix
  • YouTube
  • Creators
  • See all streaming
• TransportationExpand
  • Electric Cars
  • Autonomous Cars
  • Ride-sharing
  • Scooters
  • See all transportation
• Features
• Verge VideoExpand
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
• PodcastsExpand
  • Decoder
  • The Vergecast
  • Version History
• NewslettersExpand
  • The Verge Daily
  • Installer
  • Verge Deals
  • Notepad
  • Optimizer
  • Regulator
  • The Stepback
• Archives
• Store
• Verge Product Updates

Subscribe

• Facebook
• Threads
• Instagram
• Youtube
• RSS

The VergeThe Verge logo.First ‘cigarette’ ad in nearly 50 years will air on British TV tonight thanks to e-cigsComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...

• PolicyClosePolicy

  Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

  FollowFollow

  See All Policy

First ‘cigarette’ ad in nearly 50 years will air on British TV tonight thanks to e-cigsby Jacob KastrenakesCloseJacob KastrenakesExecutive Editor

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

FollowFollow

See All by Jacob Kastrenakes

Via Financial Times | Source Committee of Advertising Practice and VIP

Nov 10, 2014, 5:29 PM UTC

• Link
• Share
• Gift

Jacob KastrenakesCloseJacob Kastrenakes

Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

FollowFollow

See All by Jacob Kastrenakes

is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.

A commercial showing someone "smoking" will air on British TV for the first time in nearly 50 years tonight following regulation changes that have cleared the way for the depiction of e-cigarette use. The ad, run by a company called VIP, briefly shows a woman exhaling vapor and promotes both its e-cigarettes and e-liquids. It'll air on ITV1, shortly after 9PM local time. "Vaping has never been shown on a TV advert in the UK before, so this is a first for the country and I’m sure it will be a real conversation starter!" Dave Levin, VIP co-founder says in a statement.

"Our commitment is to make sure they are advertised in a responsible way."

The UK banned the advertisement of cigarettes back in 1965. It’s still been possible to advertise e-cigarettes before now, but there was still a ban on actually depicting the device or the act of smoking. Now, both are able to be depicted, albeit subject to a number of restrictions. That includes bans from making ads that appeal to anyone under 18, banning the depiction of anyone who is or appears to be younger than 25, and banning the encouragement of any non-smokers to begin using an e-cig.

“We’ve moved quickly to put in place appropriate and clear regulation around e-cigarette advertising,” Shahriar Coupal, director of the UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice, says in a statement. “While the debate about e-cigarettes continues our commitment is to make sure they are advertised in a responsible way and that children are protected.” This rule change doesn’t just apply to TV ads: they will apply across other forms of media in the UK too. After one year, the agency will conduct a review of the rules and their effect on the public.

There’s been an ongoing debate around the benefits and harms of e-cigs, with major health organizations announcing various levels of support and opposition. The World Health Organization has called for a ban on indoor use of e-cigs and fruity flavors — much like the bans on traditional cigarettes — while the American Heart Association believes that e-cigs are a good way to help people quit. There’s not quite a consensus yet on the health impact of vaping.

VIP intends to continue airing the ad, in both 10- and 20-second versions, over the next five weeks. They’ll all air later in the evening, when content that’s deemed inappropriate for kids is allowed to be shown. The allowing these ads actually go into effect today, so VIP is getting into e-cig advertising as soon as possible. It isn’t really hiding that its interest is, in part, in stirring up controversy around that too. Levin says, “It will be interesting to see how people respond to our advert’s debut this evening.”

Correction: smoking a cigar could still be shown in British TV ads until 1991. This article previously stated that all smoking was included in the 1965 cigarette ad ban.

Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.

• Jacob KastrenakesCloseJacob KastrenakesExecutive Editor

  Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

  FollowFollow

  See All by Jacob Kastrenakes

• PolicyClosePolicy

  Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.

  FollowFollow

  See All Policy

Most Popular

Most Popular

1. Amazon Ring’s lost dog ad sparks backlash amid fears of mass surveillance
2. The Toyota Highlander is now a three-row electric SUV with 320 miles of range
3. Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month
4. Why I wish I hadn’t bought my Samsung OLED TV
5. Discord says ‘vast majority’ of users won’t see its new age verification setup

The Verge Daily

A free daily digest of the news that matters most.

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in Policy

Instagram and X have an impossible deepfake detection deadlineEl Paso flights resume after Mexican cartel drones reportedly trigger airspace closureBezos could have saved The Washington Post’s local news and sports reportersTrump’s new ‘Buy American’ requirement for EV charging would dramatically curtail build-outTelegram is reportedly being slowed down and restricted in RussiaJeffrey Epstein’s digital cleanup crewInstagram and X have an impossible deepfake detection deadlineJess WeatherbedFeb 11El Paso flights resume after Mexican cartel drones reportedly trigger airspace closureDominic PrestonFeb 11Bezos could have saved The Washington Post’s local news and sports reportersTina NguyenFeb 10Trump’s new ‘Buy American’ requirement for EV charging would dramatically curtail build-outAndrew J. HawkinsFeb 10Telegram is reportedly being slowed down and restricted in RussiaStevie BonifieldFeb 10Jeffrey Epstein’s digital cleanup crewMia SatoFeb 10Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

Top Stories

Feb 11Why ‘deleted’ doesn’t mean gone: How police recovered Nancy Guthrie’s Nest Doorbell footageFeb 11‘Shut up and focus on the mission’: Tech workers are frustrated by their companies’ silence about ICEFeb 11Why I wish I hadn’t bought my Samsung OLED TVFeb 11The Halide app’s anti-algorithm camera mode looks better with a little processingFeb 11Pokopia turns the Pokémon world into a relaxing, human-free paradiseFeb 11Reanimal wants to devour you