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A Worldwide Tour of
Outrageous PM & BAT behavior
Please find below a list of some of the most outrageous ways tobacco
corporations are currently marketing and promoting their products, creating
positive PR, and exercising political influence in your communities,
states, and countries
U.S. groups seem to be most outraged at Philip Morris's current $100 million
PR campaign to spread the word about the $60 million they've donated to shelter
the homeless, feed the hungry, and assist battered women. Another common theme
was BAT and Philip Morris's sponsorship of sports and cultural events around
the world, liberal use of sweepstakes, and their free distribution of cigarettes
to youth. FYI, INFACT's video "Making a Killing" has good footage
of this marketing technique being used in Vietnam last year.
BANGLADESH - Debra Efroymson, Work for a Better Bangladesh
(1/20/01) :
BAT sponsors rock concerts to promote its Benson & Hedges brand.
They claim youth under 18 aren't allowed to attend, but the reality
is that they do. BAT's advertising as a responsible company includes
giving away proceeds from concerts to organizations such as the Bangladesh
Red Crescent Society!!! It also briefly included a nursery program in
which they gave away some trees, which was widely advertised in the
papers.
BURUNDI - Nestor Bikorimana, Association Burundaise des Consommateurs
(1/31/01):
Our local tobacco company produces a cigarette brand "YES"
under the authority of POTAMAC TOBACCO COMPANY, based in Washington,
DC, USA. On the packet, there is no health warning. I don't think they
could do that in the U.S.
INDONESIA - Tjandra Y Aditama, Indonesia Smoking Control
Foundation (1/6/01):
The local "kretek" cigarette is very popular. Philip Morris's Marlboro
brand is next. They have a broad marketing strategy that includes TV, radio,
newspaper, magazine, billboard, sports event sponsorship etc -- even presence
at wedding ceremonies and other village parties
JORDAN - Muna Hamzeh, Ministry of Health (1/18/01):
The other day we were in a restaurant and some girls came in dressed up in red
and started giving away free cigarettes for non-smokers, 10 packs each! When
I talked to her I found out that that they are from Marlboro, so now Philip
Morris has entered Jordan strongly. I hear that these girls are found in amost
every good restaurant in Jordan.
KENYA - Fred Odhiambo, Centre for Tobacco-Free Education and Development
(1/11/01)
Tobacco companies sponsor local artisans to create a positive image
that they are helping low-income earners and disadvantaged people. Until
December 2000, BAT sponsored the Kenya Football Federation Premier League.
Football is popular here. Stadiums were littered with all brands of
cigarettes. Parliament brand donated balls, uniforms, shoes and over
$600 to a football club.
- George Banja, Consumer Watch (2/21/01):
Tobacco corporations promote their products is through annual sponsorship
of cultural festivals of different communities. Such events are used
to promote different brands and also introduce the youth and adults
to tobacco. One major PR score is occasional
attendance by the president. BAT uses their sportsman brand to induce
prospective sports people to smoking. All adverts of sportsman are associated
with very successful sports people in the country. ASPEN brand manufacturers
use music to promote cigarette. The Kenya, they use blondes who are
good dancers to lure the youth into smoking. They move from - Estate
to Estate in a truck with the blondes gyrating while puffing!!
PAKISTAN - Dr. Tariq Parvez, Pakistan Society for Cancer
Prevention (1/6/01):
Besides huge billboards on all the main roads and sponsorship of decorative
boards on shops, companies distribute free cigarette samples to adults
and minors in the shopping plazas and on different occasions. They also
maintain good personal relations with government departments and political
families. They like to ensnare anti-tobacco advocates in lame legal
and non-legal issues to take their concentration away from important
tobacco control efforts
- Dr. Javaid A Khan, The Aga Khan University Hospital (2/16/01):
In the past few weeks we have noticed unprecedented tobacco advertising
in the TV and Print Media. Tobacco Companies are now using religion
in order to promote their products. In today’s newspaper there
is a advertisement in which tobacco companies is offering free air ticket
to perform religious ceremony called UMRAH for Makkah and Madina (Saudi
Arabia). Last night on all the Three channels of Pakistan TV a program
was shown called Music millennium in which the stage was full of glamorous
cigarette advertisements and TOP POP Singers of Pakistan performed.
Majority of the people who watched this program were teenagers and Tobacco
Companies claim that they do not target the teenagers.
(2/27/01) The tobacco companies have now started "the youth education
campaign" through which they are trying to propagate that, smoking
is meant for adults only. And tobacco companies are tempting the youngsters
by offering handsome loans for setting up a new business. Pakistan TV
shows hundreds of colorful, attractive tobacco advertisements every
day.
ROMANIA - Florin Mihaltan, Romanian Society for Pneumology
(1/5/01):
Both Philip Morris and BAT support a youth program called "It's Your Choice."
They have involved the Ministry of Health, Education, and Sports. There is legislation
banning cigarette sales to youth under 18 years, but nobody respects it.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Colin Richardson, Adventist Health Department
(1/5/01):
On New Years eve, BAT "sponsored" a New Years Eve Rave on national
television in this country which lasted from about 7pm to 8am next day, all
night, with their "Gold & Tunes" program (sponsored by their brand
Benson & Hedges) promoting hits, music artists, glamour and glitz. Liberally
sprinkled through the program is the musical ad, technically for the Gold &
Tunes program, using the "&" symbol everywhere as they usually
do, as though it were a trademark. "Feel & enjoy" comes just before
"Benson & Hedges" quick change to "Gold & Tones".
URUGUAY - Eduardo Bianco, Sindicato Medico del Uruguay (1/31/01):
Tobacco companies use media: TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, and also billboards,
promotion of cultural and sports events. The Marlboro man has become popular
in Uruguay in the last 5 years. They also distribute free cigarettes on the
street or at events. Associations with pleasure, sex, fitness, adventure, sport,
friends, glamour, are commonly used. The Uruguayan national sport is soccer.
In every match, tobacco publicity or promotion is all over. Perhaps the most
outrageous way that they promote tobacco products is in cinema during the showing
of children's films.
USA - ID - Christine Kuck, Taking ACTION (1/8/01):
Every time our club Taking ACTION (Active Control of Tobacco In Our
Neighborhoods) has a planned event, a couple boxes of textbook covers
arrive at our school. Most say something positive. Some even said, "Think,
Don't Smoke." They are eye catching & nicer than other book
covers that students use. But, in very tiny print, they say Philip Morris
at the bottom. We threw them away because we think it is hypocritical.
NM - Francisco Soto Mas, New Mexico Department of Health
(1/8/01):
New U.S. President Bush has stacked his cabinet with people who have
close ties to the tobacco industry. For example, the new U.S. Secretary
of Health and Human Services, former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson,
accepted more than $70,000 in political donations from Philip Morris.
Don't count Secretary Thompson to be blowing the horn for international
tobacco control any time soon. Between 12/95 and 6/97 he made a dozen
calls to Philip Morris's Andrew Whist. Wrote Thompson to Whist in a
12/26/95 letter: "I value your loyalty and friendship and look
forward to sharing many more great meals and exchanging many more unbelievable
stories with you in the future...I eagerly anticipate our next adventure
together -- maybe it will be to Australia." (the trip occurred
less than six months later). Want to know what Whist thinks about international
tobacco control advocates? We're a "world-wide problem." This
international tobacco lobbying memo sent by Whist to Philip Morris's
board of directors is a highly enlightening MUST READ! Find out what
Philip Morris was doing in your country/region in the mid 1980's: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2025431401/1406
OK - Barbara Patterson, Northwest Oklahoma Tobacco Free Coalition
(1/5/01):
This past year our State Senator accepted $1000 on behalf of Philip Morris and
donated the money to our local Child Advocacy House, a place where foster families
and victims of domestic abuse receive counseling and other help. Naturally,
there was a large picture of the Senator giving the money from Philip Morris
to the Child Advocacy House Board of Directors. Philip Morris has been running
television ads about how they are helping victims of abuse. What a nice company!
OR - Bill Smith, Tualitin Valley Centers (1/9/01):
Philip Morris is spending many millions to paint itself an image as a savior
of people in need -- ads on TV that show the manager of a teen homeless shelter
being saved from going out of business by the tobacco company. Lots of art and
music sponsorships as well. All the tobacco companies are trying some new things
to attract 21-35 year old age group -- sponsoring special music and giveaways
at popular bars and nightclubs. The young people can win trips and items of
clothing, etc. The bars get free napkins, matches, and other things for the
customers.
PA - Janet Northcott, Bucks County Council on Alcoholism
& Drug Dependency, Inc. (1/9/01):
From what I have heard Philip Morris spends considerably more on advertising
than the donation/funding of the programs but the public is unaware of this,
they see a company stepping in to help where others wouldn't.
WA - Chris Covert-Bowlds, COMMIT for Tobacco Free Whatcom
County (1/9/01):
Philip Morris's current "anti-youth smoking" magazine ads are designed,
I believe, to increase youth smoking, and their internal documents show the
only point of their youth program is to prevent truly effective tobacco control
measures, as well as to generate sympathetic juries and legislators.
VIETNAM - Li Thi Thu, PATH Canada (1/31/01):
BAT supplies cafes with umbrellas, tables, chairs ashtrays, and cigarette
letters, all emblazoned with the logo of their 555 brand. Philip Morris
does the same with its Marlboro brand. The corporation also supplies
a sticker to attach to the side of the tobacco trolley which says "NO
SELLING to teenagers." The sticker seems to be utterly ineffective.
Tobacco vendors sell cigarettes to children anyway.
- Do Gia Phan, VINASTAS (2/12/01):
Every morning and evening, in Hanoi streets, people can see nice girls
in uniform of PM riding on motorbikes that are all similar with the
baggage case in the rear bearing the logo of PM. What's in these cases?
That are Marlboro packs of cigarettes and T-shirts with advertisement
for PM and lighters all with PM logo, obviously. They go to restaurants
in the heart of the city and in the suburb to market PM cigarettes,
certainly they are paid by PM. Only the fact that these nice girls get
together in crowd in the street creates deep impression in people.
The marketing girl enters a restaurant, approaches a young man, offers
him a 555 cigarette and lights it for him. As a gallant young man, who
can refuse the care of such a gracious woman? If she recognizes he has
in his hand a cigarette of another brand, she will ask him to change
the old or even a half empty pack that is not of PM for a new pack of
PM. This is all free. If you buy a pack more, she will offer you a lighter
or a T-shirt.
YUGOSLAVIA - Andjelka Dzeletovic, Institute of Public Health
of Serbia (1/14/01):
The Winston brand has the largest number of commercials on newspaper stands
(which are the most common place to purchase tobacco). There is often a two
meter wide Winston logo of the American eagle in flight, which disturbs the
beauty of Belgrade. Winston is also the head sponsor of the Yugoslav National
Basketball League as Winston YUBA League... Advertisements for the Pall Mall
brand go with existential questions such as: Do you wish for an apartment? Do
you wish for a new car? BOSS brand is currently running a lottery. Contestants
collect three empty packs and send them in the chance of winning a prize (a
car, computers, mobile phones, travel)
For more details and examples, contact:
Anna White
Global Partnerships for Tobacco Control
Essential Action
P.O. Box 19405
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +1 202-387-8030
Fax: +1 202-234-5176
Email: [email protected]
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