Admiral Cigarette (1897) User Reviews

Admiral Cigarette is another fascinating document of early motion picture history

[tavm · 5/10 · 26 July 2008]

Once again, the Internet Archive site has some of the most historically fascinating pieces of film that dates back to the beginning of motion pictures themselves! The title is also the name of the product that's blatantly advertised on both a billboard that's the background of four men sitting on a bench having a conversation and on a giant cigarette pack that's standing to the left of them. Suddenly, someone emerges out of that pack and offers all of those men some of the product. Then, those four men unfurl a sign that says, "We All Smoke". The end. This early commercial (in fact, probably the earliest) was actually a moving billboard that was displayed on top of one of the New York buildings. It caused such a commotion that projectionist Edwin S. Porter was later arrested for causing a "disturbance" in traffic. Ironically, Thomas Edison would later be a rabid anti-smoker who would not hire anyone that partakes in the substance. Maybe he realized how unhealthy smoking really was. Admiral Cigarette is a fascinating document of early motion picture advertising that's worth a look for anyone seeking such rarities.

Back when those spots were still allowed

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 13 October 2013]

Cigarette spots have been forbidden for quite a while now and even cigarette boxes have to be marked with something like "can be hazardous to your health", at least here in Germany and honestly, back when they were still allowed, the ones I remember with a cowboy riding through the prairie and smoking a cigarette weren't exactly interesting either. However, this one isn't that bad. Of course, it couldn't be more obvious with the big sign, the throwing cigarettes around by the fella coming from the box and finally the "We all smoke"-sign have quite some entertainment value. Definitely interesting and worth a watch as a part of advertising history. If the product hadn't been so dangerous, i may have given it an even higher score probably.

Could this be the first commercial?

[reptilicus · 17 June 2003]

This Thomas Edison short may very well be the very first example of a filmed advertisement. The 28 second film shows a cross section of men (including an Indian Chief and someone who looks like Uncle Sam) sitting in front of a banner that says (what else?) Admiral Cigarettes. A lady appears and drops dozens of cigarettes in front of them. The men unfurl a banner which reads "We All Smoke".

Okay so it is politically incorrect by to-days standards; this discovery of this 106 year old film shows that product endorsement went back as far as the moving pictures themselves!

The Dawn Of Advertising

[MrCritical1 · 10/10 · 2 November 2003]

Early filmmakers understood the advertising potential of motion pictures. By 1897, several NY film companies had made advertising films for various products and services. Admiral Cigarette was one of the earliest Edison advertising films. Although previous Edison films promoted rail travel and were often financed by railway companies, films like Admiral Cigarette were much more explicit in their endorsements of brand names.

This film is very exciting to watch as it shows advertising at its infancy. This ad shows a group of people displaying a banner that proclaims -- "We All Smoke." Not bad for 1897.

10* (10* Rating System)

Great History

[Michael_Elliott · 14 March 2009]

Admirall Cigarette (1897)

**** (out of 4)

On a historic level alone this is a rather marvelous film because it shows the early use of films to advertise for various companies. This time out its Admirall Cigarettes. In the film we see four men sitting around as another jumps out of a box and starts throwing cigarettes everywhere. The four men then hold up a sign saying "We All Smoke." Even though this is what would become product placement, the film manages to still be very charming in its own right. According to what I've read, Edison would show these films on New York rooftops, which of course would gather hundreds of people, if not more. Rumor has it that Edwin S. Porter was arrested for blocking traffic while showing this film.

An Early Commercial, Using the Concept of Both Entertaining and Advertising

[Tornado_Sam · 29 December 2017]

This Edison film is little known today as it isn't part of Kino's "Edison: Invention of the Movies" set, and also because another Edison advertisement from the same year, "Dewars--It's Scotch" has been better recognized. But, and this is very important, it is most certainly one of the first advertising vignettes ever. There's no mistaking it. What we see are some men, talking among themselves, when an enormous cigarette pack crashes open and a guy with long coattails showers cigarettes all over them. Then, to end it, they unravel a sign reading "We All Smoke."

The formula for a commercial is to both entertain and advertise. Is that not what they did here? Not only is there an entertaining bit of humor, they also clearly get the point across to buy, buy, buy! This is exactly what we do today, and this film is just like that (unlike "Dewars--It's Scotch" which has no plot and really doesn't get the point across, and doesn't hold up well today). I bet you if we showed this film on TV today, it could still get people to buy cigarettes (the only problem with doing that is that this brand of cigarettes has long since gone out of circulation).

So, while "Admiral Cigarette" is not only an advertising film, it uses the exact formula we use today--it's an influence on the history of advertising. Watch it if you can--it not only works as an advertisement AND as entertainment, it is also very much ahead of its time.