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Endless smoke: Cigarette campaigns persistently target Indonesia’s youth
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Young target: Four children (two of whom are smoking) pose in front of a mural created by Chusni Thamrin as part of a 1,000 murals parade in Indonesia's major cities. (Courtesy of Yayasan Lentera Anak) (Courtesy of Yayasan Lentera Anak/Courtesy of Yayasan Lentera Anak)
Cigarette ads target young Indonesians with youthful imageries and slogans, as proper advertising law remains inadequately enforced.
“They are handsome and cool young men. I want to be like them,” said Andi, a seventh-grade student living in a densely populated area in Dalung, bordering Bali’s capital of Denpasar.
Andi is talking about the celebrities and models adorning the many cigarette advertisements he passes every day on the way to school in Badung regency, which — formally at least — has already banned outdoor cigarette advertisements.
The ads are created to appeal to the sensibilities of younger Indonesians, from teens to young adults, carrying messages meant to evoke inspirational and aspirational platitudes but vague enough that they cast a wide net. Many are in English. Some examples: “The taste that moves you”, “Never quit”, “Live to the max, style of a new generation'', “Are you bold enough?"
Some ads use conversational slang and terms, undoubtedly to evoke a sense of youth — a time-hallowed positioning method that immediately makes the target demographic feel like a brand identifies with them.
These include Lo Pikir Aman (You think it’s safe?) (A Mild), Jalanin Aja Jangan Dilawan (Just do it, don’t resist), Berisik Gue Berisi (My noise is meaningful).
Seto Mulyadi, a psychologist and chair of the Indonesian Child Rights Commission (KPAI) said that younger Indonesians “are twice as sensitive to cigarette marketing as adults".
