The Flintstones is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions [and] was one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. Inspired by the 1950s live-action sitcom The Honeymooners, The Flintstones was about a working class caveman’s life with his family and his next door neighbor / best friend. The first prime time cartoon geared for adults, the show originally aired from 1960 to 1966, on the ABC network.
The series was initially aimed at adult audiences; the first season was sponsored by Winston cigarettes and the characters appeared in several commercials for Winstons.
Winston cigarettes are manufactured for or by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. They are named for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where RJR was founded and headquartered.
The brand was introduced in 1954, and became the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States. It held the #1 spot from 1966 to 1972, thanks to the successful marketing slogan “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.” In the last national survey in 2001, Winston ranks sixth in market value. It is also known for their claim of being “additive free” although a secondary warning label on their advertisements states that “no additives in our tobacco does NOT mean a safer cigarette.”
Smoking, particularly of cigarettes, is by far the main contributor to lung cancer, which at least in theory makes it one of the easiest diseases to prevent. In the United States, smoking is estimated to account for 87% of lung cancer cases (90% in men and 79% in women), and in the UK for 90%.