Can vaping be the new sexy, the new cool, the new wicked or wacky? For years traditional cigarettes took on these persona’s, and for years they took on the traits, both good and bad, that followed them.
The former Winston Man, David Goerlitz, was used as the face of a brand to promote and give a product an appearance that was cool, hip, rugged and bold. There were front page covers of the Winston Man standing on remote glaciers to give an adventurous appearance, and full shots of him standing by a helicopter for a strong and tough look.
[blockquote cite=”David Goerlitz, former Winston Man” float=”left” align=”left”]When I was younger I was a decent looking guy, and now I’m 64 years-of-age, but when I was 30 doing the ads, I would always make tobacco look pretty good… I’ve got so many ads that I don’t even like to show them anymore because it’s embarrassing. In this picture, I’m standing there holding a cigarette from my mouth. I’m with my buddy and standing by a helicopter playing G.I. Joe.[/blockquote]
Producers have carefully placed actors in movies with a cigarette slowly burning as it rests between the lips of a biker; it added to the level of badboy, giving into that hardcore and rugged look. The appearance of writers were changed by burning tobacco cigarettes; you know – there’s a man at a desk, only the small lamp illuminates the small area while the man’s face is out of view. All that is seen is the laptop or typewriter, the ashtray filled plentiful with ashes and once chain smoked cigarette butts. Every few seconds you see a glimpse of a cigarette lighting up cherry red and followed by a trail of thick smoke. It builds that mysterious and long-thought character.
Vaping has put a twist on things in the past few years. Harm reduction has taken over and instead of smoking and receiving that “cool” appearance, users are painted red and even looked down upon.
Since electronic cigarettes do not carry the same faults as traditional cigarettes, could you see it becoming the new cool or sexy? Would it be easier to see e-cigarettes as something that can add that appearance if they were originally named and known publicly as a vaporizer instead of carrying the word cigarette?
Lately e-cigarettes have been seen in music videos, small skits, televisions shows, and even held in the hands of the most famous of celebrities. Does this make vaping the new cool?
Most vapers have tried to disassociate the traits of smoking with vaping, but many of them eventually learn to own their experience and understand that vaping can be anything you make it – whether that be the new cool, sexy, wicked or wacky. Vaping is whatever you want it to be; there is no certain way to look or act – just be you.
For the longest time I’ve told people that vaping isn’t cool. I’ve told them this because when you’re in the spotlight and there are many efforts to prove vaping isn’t targeted to kids and what-not, I want others to understand that kids will not take up vaping to look cool or appear some type of way. The truth is, I do have fun with my mod and I do think it’s cool to blow out large vapor clouds – does that make me cool, appear some type of way or make kids attracted to this form of harm reduction? I personally don’t think it does.
