I am not a smoker but I do like Zippos and close to 4 or five years ago I visited a venue in downtown Nashville called Buffalo Billiards. Outside the venue were a bunch of 20 somethings with clipboards. They all worked for Philip Morris and were handing out zippos to anyone that said they were a smoker and would take their survey. So of course I got in line answered a few questions, and got my new zippo brand lighter. One of the questions on the survey was “when is your birthday?”, and now every year on July 16th I receive a present from Marlboro (among the countless coupons discounting cigarette prices throughout the year). In the past years I have received cookbooks, wallet bottle openers, and other quirky items. This year I got two over sized chrome dice and instructions on how to gamble with my friends (maybe over beer and cigarettes).

The design of the packaging is always eye catching and the fonts and colors are always very consistent, but I can not help but think every time I get one of these gifts “Is the CEO of philip morris the devil”. Why only push products like beer and cigarettes and stand behind them so strongly. I find it strange, and I guess their only motivation is money and not the livers and lungs of their customers, but something about it always does strike me as odd.