Be informed

In Germany the tobacco companies, I assume, do not try to compete with the more traditional Christmas advertisers – alcohol, mobile phones, chocolate – for expensive billboard space. The L&M brand, however, seems to have decided to be the smoke of the season promoted by this inspirational effort “5 Euro and more inside” (left). No frills, essentially.

The more, I assume, is the fact that there are 20 cigarettes inside the packet (other brands have fewer). But you get what you pay for, no doubt. In the case of cigarettes, conceivably, the no frills product offers the chance of death before Christmas. Not worth the billboard cost, if you ask me.