TV ads for cigarettes are not legal in the US at least. And alcohol ads have a bunch of weird regulations like they can’t show people in the act of drinking (holding the booze is fine).

that's what illegal means.

I think you mean regulated. At best you could say ads showing people drinking alcohol are banned, but alcohol ads in general are regulated.

Pretty sure the cigarette companies are stoked they can’t / don’t have to spend any money on TV ads

Transport yourself back to the 60s when America was great and Fred Flintstone was hawking Winston's.