TALLAHASSEE - Florida's brazen in-your-face advertising assault
on Big Tobacco has Philip Morris fuming.
The tobacco giant has sent a four-page letter to the Florida Department
of Health complaining that its latest series of youth-oriented anti-tobacco
commercials featuring images of the company's Marlboro Man is ``inaccurate,
misleading and false.''
The Health Department, which runs the Florida Truth advertising
campaign aimed at deterring youth smoking, said it's considering
the complaints. Philip Morris is asking for a retraction and a meeting
with state officials to ''engage in a constructive discussion''
about the company's practices and to explain in detail how it markets
only to adults.
Among the series of television commercials that has Philip Morris
USA and Philip Morris International irritated is a ''Que Pasa, Marlboro
Man?'' ad illustrating a room full of cowboys in training for Big
Tobacco.
''Venga a la tierra de Marlboro,'' says the teacher at the head
of the class as she points to a chalkboard. ``Repeat after me.''
The cowboys then repeat -- in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and Swahili
-- ``Come to Marlboro Country.''
The theme of the ad, and several others running statewide, is,
''they may say or do something here [in the United States], but
it's different over there,'' said Rob Hayes, a spokesman for the
Florida Department of Health.
Tom Ryan, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA, said he could not
comment on the practices of Philip Morris International, which is
considered a separate entity that advertises in other countries.
However, he referred to the letter, which was signed by both companies'
general counsels.
The letter says both companies ``strongly support government- and
public health-sponsored advertising campaigns aimed at preventing
youth smoking and reminding the public about the health consequences
of smoking.''
It also denies claims in various Florida Truth commercials that
the company does not place health warnings in advertisements in
African countries that do not require warnings; it does not place
billboards
near schools in Venezuela; and it does not send direct mail to minors
in China.
''In short, Florida Truth's advertisements are false,'' the lawyers
write. ``Neither company engages in marketing activities directed
at minors.''