Per the Guardian, GfK surveyed 1,000 smokers back then to find out which hue turned them off the most, and this Pantone pick—a greenish-brown blend that survey participants said reminded them of “death” and “tar”—emerged the winner.
Time notes the agency had been commissioned by the Australian government to find a color so repellent it could be used on cigarette packaging to discourage people from lighting up.
The new color was found to have the most ability to “minimize appeal” and “maximize perceived harm” and was implemented on plain cigarette packs with health warnings across Australia, the Brisbane Times reported at the time.
Early results are now in, and it appears the color that CNN describes as “sludge-like” may have made an impact: Cigarette sales have fallen, and now other countries such as the UK, France, and Ireland are following suit, per Metro.
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