You're the Target

MAYBE YOU’RE THE TARGET New Global Marlboro Campaign Found to Target Teens FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ALLIANCE BUILDING SUPPORT FOR TOBACCO CONTROL MAYBE YOU’RE THE TARGET NEW GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOUND TO TARGET TEENS Contents Executive Summary, 1 Introduction, 3 Recruiting Replacement Smokers — Philip Morris’ history of targeting youth, 5 ‘Don’t Be a Maybe. Be Marlboro.’ — A global marketing campaign found to target teens, 7 Don’t Be Marlboro — Country Court Rulings and Challenges, 17 Conclusion and Call to Action, 20 References, 21 Acknowledgments A special thank you to Alianca de Controle do Tabagismo (ACT) Brazil, HealthJustice Philippines, OxyRomandie, Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath (www.tobaccotactics.org) and WhyQuit.com for providing content and photos for this report. Teenager smoking underneath “Be Marlboro” billboard, Philippines 2014. Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. ii Executive Summary Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people worldwide every year.1 To maintain profits, tobacco companies must replace customers who quit or die from tobacco-related diseases with new smokers.2 Replacement smokers are often youth who are attracted to tobacco products through expensive marketing campaigns that use images that are highly appealing to young people around the globe.3 While tobacco companies claim publicly that they do not market to youth or design marketing campaigns that target them, a 2013 study German Advertisement 2012. Source: deWilde Investor Day presentation.13 conducted in low- and middle-income countries showed that 22 percent of five- and six-year-olds surveyed were able to correctly identify Marlboro of PMI’s 2012 marketing budget was to encourage children as young as 14 cigarettes, the world’s best-selling spent on launching new brands and years of age to smoke, which is in cigarette brand.4 Recognition of rolling out “Be Marlboro,” a global violation of Germany’s advertising global cigarette brands by youth is not marketing campaign to replace the law.14 Although PMI has indicated it a coincidence. Volumes of internal infamous Marlboro Man.8 will challenge the ruling,15 the ban industry documents and decades of Using concepts and imagery on the “Be Marlboro” advertising peer-reviewed research show that consistent with the recommendations campaign will remain in place while tobacco companies target children as of findings from previous Philip Morris the case is being litigated.16 young as 13 years of age and such internal research on marketing to In spite of the German court’s marketing increases youth smoking teens,9, 10 the “Be Marlboro” campaign finding that “Be Marlboro” rates.5, 6 draws on youth-oriented images and advertisements target young Arguably, no tobacco product’s themes that suggest to young people teenagers and are in conflict with marketing has been more effective that they should BE a Marlboro PMI’s own seemingly ineffective in reaching youth than the marketing smoker. code of conduct,17 PMI continues for Marlboro cigarettes. Historically, Launched in Germany in 2011, “Be to aggressively rollout the “Be Marlboro has been marketed using Marlboro” has spread to more than 50 Marlboro” campaign internationally, the iconic Marlboro Man and images countries.11 Although PMI claims that including in low- and middle- of the rugged American West. While “Be Marlboro” targets only legal-age income countries struggling with the the Marlboro Man has been retired in smokers,12 campaign advertisements enormous tobacco epidemic. These many markets, the effort to appeal to from around the world clearly appeal countries include youth continues. to minors by featuring young, hip • Brazil, where PMI is placing In 2012, Philip Morris International dreamers and doers partying, falling in “Be Marlboro” posters at the point (PMI), the maker of Marlboro and the love, adventure traveling and generally of sale (POS), taking advantage world’s largest publicly traded tobacco being “cool.” In fact, in October of of the lack of regulation and company, spent $US 6.97 billion on 2013, a German court banned “Be inspection to enforce the existing marketing its products and related Marlboro” advertisements on the POS advertising ban. expenses.7 At least $US 62 million grounds that the campaign is designed 1 German Advertisement 2012. Source: deWilde Investor Day presentation.18 • Indonesia, where tobacco In light of the evidence presented, advertising laws are weak and this report calls on PMI to where PMI posts massive “Be immediately end all “Be Marlboro” Marlboro” billboards on the street. marketing activities worldwide and • Philippines, where tobacco publish a detailed accounting of “Be companies continually attempt Marlboro” activities by country on its to thwart strong tobacco control corporate website so that governments policies through the courts. and public health organizations can assess the damage caused by the This report documents the global campaign. scope of Marlboro’s multimillion All governments should dollar rebranding campaign and how comprehensively ban all forms of it threatens the health of millions tobacco advertising, promotion and of youth around the world. It also sponsorship in accordance with the documents how “Be Marlboro” international tobacco control treaty, appeals to teens without regard the World Health Organization for advertising restrictions aimed Framework Convention on Tobacco at protecting youth in countries Control (FCTC). Only comprehensive including Brazil, Colombia, Germany bans can prevent PMI and other and Switzerland. The report further tobacco companies from initiating emphasizes the ineffectiveness of similar youth marketing activities in voluntary marketing codes and partial the future. tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans at curbing the tobacco industry’s ability to market to youth. Young girl under “Be Marlboro” billboard, Indonesia 2014. Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 2 Introduction Globally, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death.19 Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people annually and, if current trends continue, tobacco will kill more than 8 million people worldwide by 2030.20 The majority of smokers start smoking before the age of 18 and almost one in four smokers begins smoking before the age of 10.21 Every day, 80,000 to 100,000 children around the world become addicted to tobacco.22 Tobacco companies have argued for decades that their marketing efforts do not target youth, while simultaneously acting to prevent strong tobacco marketing bans that protect young people. Some companies, including Philip Morris International (PMI), Outdoor Billboard, Germany 2012. Source: WhyQuit.com. have even gone so far as to promise in ineffective codes of conduct that they will not market tobacco products documents publicly released as a world clearly focus on youth-oriented to minors.23, 24 However, volumes of result of U.S. litigation settlements images and themes that appeal previously secret internal industry and decades of peer-reviewed research to teenagers and feature young, show that tobacco companies target attractive models partying, falling children as young as 13 years of age in love, adventure traveling and and such marketing increases youth generally being “cool.” smoking rates.25, 26 In October 2013, a German In 2012, PMI spent $US 6.97 court banned “Be Marlboro” billion on marketing and related advertisements, finding that the expenses.27 At least $US 62 million campaign encouraged teens as of PMI’s 2012 marketing budget young as 14 years of age to smoke in was spent on new brands and the violation of Germany’s advertising roll out of “Be Marlboro,” a global laws.32 Although PMI has indicated marketing campaign promoting it will challenge the ruling,33 the ban Marlboro cigarettes.28 Using concepts on the “Be Marlboro” advertising and imagery consistent with the campaign will remain in place recommendations of previous Philip while the case is being litigated.34 In Morris internal research on marketing Brazil, CONAR (national council of to teens,29, 30 “Be Marlboro” exploits advertising self-regulation), a non- adolescents’ search for identity by governmental organization, found suggesting that — in the face of that a “Be Marlboro” poster featuring Archetype Project Table of Contents. uncertainty — they should BE a the phrase “I will be independent” Philip Morris’s Archetype Project lays out how to market cigarettes to Marlboro smoker. Although PMI targeted a youth audience in violation teenagers. Source: Legacy Tobacco claims that “Be Marlboro” only of the Brazilian Advertising Self- Documents Library, University of 31 35 California, San Francisco. targets legal-age smokers, campaign Regulation Code. Additionally, a advertisements from around the public prosecutor in Brazil recently 3 Invitation to “Be Marlboro” sponsored concert, Switzerland. Source: OxyRomandie. demanded PMI and Souza Cruz, PMI end all “Be Marlboro” campaign “[I]f the tobacco companies a subsidiary of British American activities and immediately publish a really stopped marketing Tobacco (BAT), remove all point- full list of “Be Marlboro” marketing of-sale (POS) ads, citing Brazil’s activities by country on its corporate to children, the tobacco existing federal law banning tobacco website so that governments and companies would be out of advertising. To date, “Be Marlboro” public health organizations can business in 25 to 30 years advertisements are still running in assess the damage caused by the Brazil. campaign. Recognizing that voluntary

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