How do they get away with this ?

BINGO !!!!

My friend, you got it !

Am I sneaky, or what ?

Amateur debater,
Lex

Grey area, or as this is ATS Gray area.

It's like discussing pot. We discuss why it isn't legal BUT once it goes beyond that to, "Well last night I had this..........." it's over the line. We are discussing why the anti-smoking lobby is using this type of advertising, not advocating the circumvention as it is.

Originally posted by intrepid

We are discussing why the anti-smoking lobby is using this type of advertising, not advocating the circumvention as it is.

The anti-smoking lobby IS using (circumventing) the advertising
protocol.

They are using text/l33t speak to show swear words on television.

The site I in the OP is not only advocating, but promoting this type
of advertisement.

Think about it.

If Mom and Pop don't know what I'm texting, writing in a chat room,
why worry.

Now, the anti-tobacco companies have rolled some dice.
Will they get an eleven ?

That remains to be seen.

Regards,
Lex

Ive found this quite interesting.
From my perspective i dont particularly see it as a big deal. Having grown up in a pretty rough area (outback Australia) most conversations i heard growing up were peppered with bad language, in some cases every second word!
I'm pretty free with the expleteives at home but none of my kids swear and often tell me off for dropping the f word. I think we sometimes give kids less credit than they may be due, im sure most of them recognise it for what it is and would probably disregard any puritanical censorship.

Can you remember at what age you knew/recognised such words, i'm certain i knew most of the swear words adults were using by the time i was 10, i just didnt use them with in earshot of adults.
If kids are able to recognise this text speak for what it is then surely they already know the words and their meanings, what are we trying to protect them from if they are already aware of it.

I have more of an issue with the suggestive imagery used in music film clips than i do with swear words to be honest.

I have seen these ads and I hadn't even noticed the "cursing" until I read this thread drawing attention to it.

For one thing, I notice a lot of people here talking about what we're teaching our children. Shame on you for letting your kid be educated by the television. If you want to teach him something, take control and teach him.

Secondly, I would much rather have the very "worst" words fall upon my kid's ear than to have him smoke or see me apply a "knuckle sandwich" to someone who swore. I can't, for the life of me, comprehend those priorities.

Originally posted by Lexion
The way the advertising is done in a sneaky, underhanded fashion
offends me as an adult.

MOST advertisement is done in a sneaky, underhanded fashion. Advertisers use sex, violence and anything they can to sell a product. It's meant to sneak in there right under your skin. If this ad helps people to realize the truth about smoking, I'm all for it. Sticks and stones, ya know? Hearing or seeing the "word" FX doesn't hurt anyone.

Besides, I'm offended by most advertising. We don't have the right not to be offended.

And there are SO MANY more important things out there "teaching our children" that we should be worried about, but aren't. What real damage can come from a kid seeing fx on TV? He probably hears it at school. He probably says it!

These ads attempt to relate to kids. They attempt to get them to think for themselves. They probably do 100 times better than an adult wagging their finger and saying, "Now don't you boys smoke. It's dangerous."

Believe it or not, there are other things in the world ruining our kids, including bad parenting. You can put the blame on tv, music, video games, movies, whatever you like, but it wont help solve the real issue of bad parenting. Some kid seeing leet speak for wha do fxup or whatever it is (i dont even know) wont ruin them for life. Stop being so overbearing and relax a little bit. Noone needs to worry so much about the little things like this.

Breakdown : Whu = What, da = The, fx = F-word, Up.

If a child is able to decipher that into the full word, haven't they already been exposed to swearing? If a child has never heard the word how would they know?

Although i can understand parents not wanting their kids to hear vulgar language, but i think this is different. Not only is it a speech that only people that have heard the word f*** will understand, its also a semi-intelligent and thoughtout use of the word. Its not just someguy of a tv show yelling f*** but intelligently directed a ciggarette companies who have been trying to bs us for however many years. I means is seeing leet-speak for the word f*** any more damaging than watching the news and seeing the death toll in Iraq, what about ED commercials, anyone wannna explain that t their 9yr old.

Well for general knowledge F**K is short for
Fornication Under Consent from the King. Which dates back to some older century (not sure exactly which one) when people had to send a request to the king in order to fornicate. Once the request was approved they recieved a plaque with Fornication Under Consent from the King on it.

Why jump on this when much worse things of a visual nature slip through? Either violent or sexual. I beleive that's a far higher priority than a 'word'.