Dive Brief:
- NJoy, a leading e-cigarette brand, has a new ad that almost makes health claims, which such brands are legally prohibited from doing.
- E-cigarettes are in an unusual position where they have no restrictions on advertising channels — unlike traditional tobacco, which has been banned from TV and radio airwaves for over 40 years.
- NJoy's TV spot uses the phrase "Friends don't let friends smoke," but doesn't explain why friends wouldn't want their friends to smoke, thus hinting at the supposed health benefits of e-cigs without explicitly saying it.
Dive Insight:
NJoy's TV spot brings to question the e-cigarette brand's responsibility to offer truth in its advertising. The struggle is that not that much testing has been done to make any real health claims, but those very supposed health benefits are why many users buy e-cigs to begin with. Once the FDA has made a ruling on e-cigs' safety, the restrictions on advertising will be soon to follow. Until then, e-cig brands have moral questions they will have to decide on their own.
