Throughout the 20th century, the season of giving was not immune to the pervasive reach of tobacco companies. Even Santa Claus was recruited as a cigarette salesman. This exhibition features a small fraction of the Center’s magazine advertisements, TV and radio commercials, postcards, mailings, and point-of-purchase promotions in which Christmas became synonymous with smoking. The title of the exhibition was inspired by the Australian health and anti-consumerism activist group B.U.G.A. U.P. (Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions), which galvanized public attention in the 1980s  through satirical refacing of the ubiquitous billboard advertising messages for cigarettes, beer, and fast foods, as well as to sexist and racist imagery in many advertisements for consumer products.

Scroll down to view all of the many images, videos, and links in the exhibition.
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