Why are branded cigarettes in streaming media? A case study of Netflix’s Stranger Things

Background Despite the 1998 ban on paid product placement by the tobacco industry, branded tobacco products continue to appear in media. Methods Using the popular streaming series Stranger Things as a case study, this paper identifies potential motivations of content producers for including branded cigarettes in their work by analysing how the products function in the series. Results These include enhancing verisimilitude, character development and serving as action props to anchor and advance a narrative. Conclusions Since the use of branded tobacco products appears to be firmly entrenched in Hollywood as a storytelling device, policymakers should consider mitigating the negative effects of repeated tobacco depictions on young people by requiring advisory warnings and or promotion of cessation resources before and after movies or series episodes that depict tobacco use. In addition, raising critical public awareness of the issue may encourage content creators to reconsider the necessity of tobacco depictions and explore more creative alternative narrative-advancing devices rather than reifying smoking behaviour.