Advertising of Tobacco Products and Smoking Accessories in the Armenian Press of Tiflis (1846–1918)

The article delves into the evolution of tobacco advertising in Armenian newspapers published in Tiflis, identifies the main stages in the development of advertising communication related to tobacco products and examines the changes in the content and form of tobacco advertising. An analysis of 150 advertising publications shows that advertisers were primarily based in cities across the Caucasian Viceroyalty, as well as Rostov and St. Petersburg, the capital of the empire. These advertisers included private individuals and shopkeepers. However, as the tobacco market expanded and competition grew, the predominant advertisers in the Armenian press remained primarily Armenian factory owners in Tiflis and Baku. The transformations in the content and form of advertising copy were influenced by various socio-economic and technological factors. On the one hand, the ethnicity of the entrepreneurs has become the most important factor in the design and promotion of tobacco advertising in Armenia. On the other hand, the stratification of the society, as well as the external and internal political situation, had a negative impact on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the advertisements. In summary, the form and content of advertising texts evolved in response to trade relations and market competition. In the years of regional and global upheavals, tobacco advertising also acquired a social function.