Truth Commercials

http://www.thetruth.com/videos/

Flipping through the channels the other day, I managed to spot at least three different Truth commercials being played on various networks, which in my case were Comedy Central, CNN, and Fox. Interestingly enough, during an old Family Guy episode, in which Peter Griffin becomes the president of a big tobacco company, one of those three commercials played. Furthering my curiosity, the commercial involved a job interviewer mentioning how one big tobacco CEO pleaded the fifth some 97 times in a deposition. Coincidence? Maybe.

Dismissing the coincidence, which I now suppose was not a coincidence at all, but rather a clever advertisement choice, I began to look into the Truth group of pranksters. As we all know by now (and if you don't, it's because you do not own a TV), Truth is responsible for all those body-bag pranks around tobacco industry headquarters. Their goal is promote awareness of the many harms of smoking and to help shut down tobacco companies, have cigarettes and the like illegalized, or at the very least, persuade tobacco companies into changing their methods. For the full set of mission statements, visit http://www.thetruth.com/aboutUs.cfm

I guess my point behind this, is what are they doing? http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/022109/new_396272914.shtml The aforementioned link, as well as many others, suggest that tobacco sales have remained strong during the recession, even despite the many Truth prank campaigns. It is said that the only thing hurting sales is the new federal tobacco tax increase and the banishment of flavored cigarettes.

Even after all this contemplation, I still do not know what is going on. Is it the tax that can fulfill Truth's mission? Or are laws banning child-friendly cigarettes cutting youth sales? Or has Truth succeed in doing the most basic of things: making people aware? I'm leaning towards the idea of Truth's awareness pranks leading to people raising their voices and asking for help from the government, which has recently been seen through the outlawing of flavored and clove cigarettes. However, I am overeager to know anyone else's opinion on this matter.