Cigarette packaging for a card game? Days of Wonder making me wonder.

Imagine my surprise at the check out counter of a local game store when I see a package of cigarettes being sold on the counter. I did a double take and then picked up the box.

They looked like cigarettes, the felt like cigarettes

,

and when I pulled back the lid my gag reflex kicked in from all those years of suffering my parents and grandparents constant smoking on long drives across country with the window open a crack and me sucking oxygen.

Why in the world would a game company use cigarette packaging, artwork, and marketing to sell a card game?

 

I was thoroughly disgusted. We already have fought the big tabacco on marketing to children, do we really need a game company reinforcing the habit in a game store?

And just to make sure it wasn't an 'accident' that the branding matched major cigarette brands I picked up the unopened package. Sure enough, it had the same cellophane as well as the small gold band to tear open the pack.

And the, to top it off, the game company is Days of Wonder. The company focused on selling high quality games to famlies.

This left a very foul taste in my mouth. The website says this game is a Trivia Game with a Whiff of Truth. From my vantage point that whiff stinks.

 

Comments

[John Adkins]

They lost a sale to me as well. Having lost far too many family members to tobacco I find this a disgusting manner of packaging. Thanks for speaking out on this!

[The Game Whisperer]

@Gsvan,

I can see the comparison that you are making, and you have a point. In my case, it is the association of play and gaming with cigarettes that I'm responding to. Days of Wonder has told me that they have had very little negative feedback from the packaging and that they feel it is harmless. I disagree but realize that it could be limited to only me.

Thank you for the input.

[Gavan Brown]

This is like saying Dad's Rootbeer promotes alcholism

[Howard Tayler]

We got a sample from DoW, and threw it away. It's disgusting, and ill-conceived. It's possible that it will play to some demographic, but I think that it will ultimately damage their brand.

I think somebody is going to get fired over this.