Changes in acceptable advertising, 1960 – 1980
In the United States in 1960, you could see cigarette advertisements all over the place, but you would never see a lawyer advertising.
Within twenty years, that would change.
Beginning January 1, 1971, cigarette advertising was banned on U.S. television and radio stations. Initially the ban would have started one day earlier:
“In a final concession to the broadcasters, the conferees agreed to delay for one day the blackout of cigarette commercials from December 31, 1970, to midnight January 1, 1971. That would give them a last shower of cash from the New Year’s Day football bowl games” (Wagner, 1971: 216).
As for lawyers, their State Bar Associations banned advertising until two lawyers, John Bates and Van O’Steen, challenged Arizona’s position. In 1977, the. U.S. Supreme Court ruled that outright bans on legal advertising violated the First Amendment.
So in the brief space of twenty years, the Marlboro Man left the airwaves, to be replaced by Jacoby and Meyers.
tymshft 