Branding and marketing have some effect, but I think anti-tobacco campaigners overstate them. If you take a close look at Plain Packaging research, much of it involves asking people how they feel about ugly packages, and then finding that respondents deem them less appealing. But this finding doesn't necessarily translate into reduced smoking prevalence! People smoke for a complex variety of reasons, and simply finding packages less pleasant doesn't guarantee a significant real-world effect on behaviour.

TBH I'm not sure how the "brainwashing" is supposed to work these days. Cigarette advertisements are banned in Canada. Cigarette packs are covered in large warning labels, and stores must hide the packs behind opaque shutters. If you're a non-smoker like me, when was the last time you even SAW a cigarette package? In this environment, how, exactly do PP supporters imagine non-smokers are lured in by packaging?