I recently came across a video by Vox that discussed how JUUL became so popular. In it, you could find a striking similarity between Marlboro's smoking ads and JUUL's — a huge appeal to a certain lifestyle.
The message in both ads was clear: Pick up that smoke and good things will happen to you.
In a sense, JUUL itself has become somewhat of a lifestyle. As Vox dictated in their video, when you light up a JUUL, you're "Juuling," not vaping.
I run a lifestyle brand, and let me tell you, the way that Malboro handled branding was one of the most ingenious ways of marketing that you could have seen. It's what helped make Marlboro seem like such a purple cow.
The ad wasn't about the cigarette. It was about the lifestyle you could have with it. And so was the company.
Think about it. The iconic flip-open box was quick and efficient, like a cell phone, similar to a pack of Bicycle Cards. It was inherently designed to make sharing quick, fit in a pocket and not cut your hand. It was so unobtrusive that lighting a cigarette didn't need to be an action you were fully aware of. It just blended into your daily life.
The marketing promoted the lifestyle, and the company made products that seamlessly blended into yours.
JUUL did the same thing in its video.
That's something to take note of. Tech companies are trying hard to somehow make it seem like the computers in our pocket doesn't exist — all while growing batteries, keeping headphone jacks and having massive screens take up the devices' bodies.
Clothing brands try to promote the "city style" you might possess once you wear their clothes. You'll look like an LA resident in the middle of Joilet, IL.
The truth is, as much as these companies want to be lifestyle brands, they can't be. That's because their products and the lifestyle they promote is only their brand. The advertisement isn't a story; it's an ad about a phone. The watch's story is about the watch, not about the person wearing it. That's why Hollister isn't creating anything like a Timex.
But here's another perspective to look at when it comes to Juuling: It's bad for you. Nicotine isn't a great substance. The stuff is notoriously dangerous and addictive, not to mention the physical harm that doing it can do to you.
But somehow, by promoting around its subtlety, accessory-part-of-your-life, and the community it's built-it's more respected than the sunglasses and graphics at Abercrombie and Fitch. Which, for the record is less harmful, and addictive than pumping your lungs full of tar.
The thing is, a product sells when it's about the experience — what a product adds to your experience of life.
So here's what you can learn from the branding behind JUUL: It's not about the product. For the smoking companies, it has to be that way because the product is harmful, and promoting that would be catastrophic. But for them, that's also a benefit, because now, they are able to master what the human mind truly craves.
It's all about living, not buying, the dream.
