A nicotine advent calendar: the trivialization of an addictive product under the guise of a celebration

The American platform Nicokick, specializing in the sale of nicotine sachets, is launching a unique product for the holiday season: an Advent calendar containing 25 boxes of nicotine sachets to be discovered each day in December. Presented as a limited edition for adults, this set reflects a marketing trend that normalizes nicotine use and associates its consumption with the festive, playful, and everyday world of consumer goods..

A product presented as a "seasonal gift"

The gift set, available for €69.99 on the Nicokick website, contains 25 boxes from various nicotine bag brands such as ZYN (Philip Morris), Rogue, FRE, Sesh, Zone X, and Nic-S. Each compartment contains products with a variety of flavors—mint, citrus, watermelon, espresso martini, or unique Christmas flavors like "spiced cider" or "mojito"—and nicotine strengths ranging from 3 mg to 9 mg. Presented in an elegantly designed box with small fabric bags and festive colors, the set is designed as a "premium gift" to give, receive, or treat yourself to.

The brand describes it as a "A new way for adult nicotine users to discover, compare and enjoy different brands and flavors."

In reality, it's a marketing campaign that transposes the codes of the Advent calendar – anticipation, discovery, daily surprise – to an addictive product. The object thus becomes a promotional tool, encouraging regular and ritualized use: each day of December becomes a scheduled opportunity to consume.

The company is also pursuing a strategy of commercially valuing nicotine. By presenting this gift set as a "limited edition" worth over 100, Nicokick introduces, through a promotional offer, notions of rarity, collectability, and luxury—concepts already well-established in the strategies of the tobacco and nicotine product industry. This "Christmas gift" positioning seeks to create an emotional connection with the consumer, shifting the codes of conviviality and tradition toward an addictive practice.

The operation also relies on a cultural shift: while Advent calendars are no longer exclusively for children, their imagery remains associated with sweetness, surprise, and reward. Applying this concept to products containing a highly addictive substance neutralizes the perception of danger and strengthens their social acceptability.

An illegal business transaction

From a regulatory standpoint, this operation raises serious questions. In the United States, only certain ZYN brand products have been authorized for sale by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).[1]All the other brands included in this box do not have such authorization and are therefore being sold illegally. The FDA also points out that while the pouches themselves may be authorized for sale, this authorization does not mean that their consumption is "safe," let alone "approved." "All tobacco/nicotine products are dangerous and potentially addictive," the public health agency reminds us.

This calendar illustrates the excesses of a market that remains largely unregulated, where manufacturers circumvent regulations to promote their products in appealing ways. By associating nicotine with positive cultural symbols such as sharing and celebration, this campaign blurs the lines between recreational use and addiction, undermining public health messages and primarily targeting a young audience.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Nicotine Pouch Products Authorized by the FDAFDA, published September 17, 2025, accessed October 31, 2025