Tobacco Control 2001;10:91–95 91 Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.91c on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from NEWS ANALYSIS

In the latest ad campaign, PM urges All articles written by David Simp- women to visualise a physiologically son unless otherwise attributed. challenging example of claiming Ideas and items for News Analysis power back from men: “See yourself should be sent to David Simpson at as a king”. Apart from being oVensive, the address given on the inside the implied suggestion that a king is front cover. superior to a queen may be as baZing to hundreds of millions of British Commonwealth citizens as it would have been to the female pharaoh from USA: getting it ancient Egypt who is portrayed in the wrong with women ad. But sex aside, the clearly intended associations of power, control, and the It is strangely reassuring how even the best things in life have caused angry biggest tobacco companies, able to critics to contrast the ad with PM’s hire the most sophisticated advertis- elaborate and expensive attempts to ing and marketing skills in the world, portray itself as reformed and socially continue to make mistakes. Philip responsible. Nowadays feminists are Morris (PM) started the year with a King George VI, the father of Britain’s current among the first to spot how tobacco comforting reminder of how even the monarch, smoked from the age of 14, had a cancerous lung removed in his early 50s, and companies exploit women, and they biggest of all can make blunders, died of heart disease at the age of 56. when it launched the latest round of have given PM a double beating: not ads for Virginia Slims. only has it shown extraordinary politi- This is the brand aimed at “young time was mainly about being cal incorrectness, but once again has http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ adult female smokers”, as its advertis- patronised as “Baby”, the company demonstrated the contempt with ers would probably say, or girls, as dropped the oVending B word and which it views women’s health. cynical health experts might prefer to just told women they had come “a However, perhaps the company has describe the target audience. Virginia long, long way”. inadvertently taken its new public Slims advertisements have irritated More recently, there was the “Find relations position to the ultimate feminists and health advocates alike Your Voice” campaign, featuring extreme, subtly admitting the unpar- since the earliest ads informed beautiful women from diVerent alleled dangers of its products. After women, whom they addressed as cultures and countries (Tobacco all, “Find your voice” could have been “Baby”, that they had “come a long Control 2000;9:134). However, that a slogan specially designed to engage way”. Whereas it had been taboo for was discontinued after PM’s chief the dark, subconscious fears of young their mothers’ generation to smoke, executive, Michael Szymanczyk, was women who saw the powerful public- they suggested, it was now OK to questioned about the ads, presumably ity generated by Janet Sackman, the on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. smoke, and a symbol of their new, none too comfortably, during the his- former Lucky Strike model whose hard won independence. After a toric Engle trial in Florida, which laryngectomy was necessitated from drubbing from leaders of the women’s resulted in record damages against the consuming the brand she once movement, whose concern at that industry. promoted. As for the “See yourself as

The latest ad campaign by Philip Morris targeted at female smokers—“See yourself as a king”.

www.tobaccocontrol.com 92 News analysis Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.91c on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from a King” ads, what most people know the Horeca portal is the possible asso- As PM comfortably assures its about ancient Egypt’s pharaohs is ciation with BAT and thus tobacco. A young friends, it does not want to find almost entirely associated with their key success factor is developing a cus- the best solutions to their problems tombs, which so often received their tomer perception that the site is instead of letting the teenagers occupants at a young age. And then trendy and “happening”. Any adverse themselves do it, and it certainly there was King George VI, father of news articles from trade or consumer doesn’t want to tell them what to do. the present head of state of America’s press may prove damaging. BAT, Instead, it will simply oVer under- old colonial ruler and now ally, the which denies that the initiative is standing and partnership, in really UK. Having smoked from the age of underhand, or that it is a tobacco friendly terms, to help the youngsters 14, he had a cancerous lung removed marketing tool, hopes to attract find the very best answers to the ques- in his early 50s, and died of heart dis- 600 000 unique users by the end of tions they are most concerned about. ease aged 56. Maybe PM wants young 2001 and to achieve a top 50 rating as Hungarian parents must feel deeply women to see themselves as that king? a wap/mobile telephone content reassured by the knowledge that their provider within 12 months. children have such well intentioned, The World Health Organization or trustworthy, and reputable new BAT’s internet progressive governments may one day friends. find ways to stop sneaky promotions marketing plan like this. Meanwhile, Action on Normally, a company wants maxi- Smoking and Health (ASH), the UK’s Gauloises: to mum visibility for itself and its leading tobacco control organisation, products when paying large amounts has cleverly poked a stick in BAT’s Oxford and the of money for advertisements and promotional wheel. In yet another other promotional activities. So it is demonstration of a huge transnational Middle East instructive to see that British company getting it wrong, ASH Until recently, Gauloises cigarettes American Tobacco (BAT) appears to discovered that BAT and its highly held minuscule market share outside be doing everything possible to hide paid consultants had forgotten to reg- France and Francophone Africa. its participation in an internet ister other, similarly named internet Made by Seita, the former French campaign to attract unwitting young sites. So while BAT’s test site is at tobacco monopoly, their distinctive consumers to bars and clubs where it www.citygorilla.com, ASH has put up aroma was as uniquely French as the promotes its cigarettes. a rival site cheerfully explaining the click of boules played by old men in According to a leaked internal truth, and linked both to BAT and to village squares on a summer evening. memo, BAT plans to invest £2.5 mil- health sites to explain just what is But now its new owner, Altadis, the lion (around $3.6 million) in building going on, at www.citygorilla.org. company formed from the merger of a new website (codenamed project The BAT site may also be used to Seita and the Spanish monopoly,

Horeca) aimed at young people world collect personal details of smokers, for Tabacalera, seems determined to http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ wide. It appears BAT’s aim is to later direct marketing. BAT hopes to make it a serious competitor in the promote Lucky Strike and State build a database of 40 000 smokers in international marketplace. Express 555 brands to young its first year. This technique, known as In a centuries old nightmare of the smokers, at a time when many “permission marketing”, represents British psyche come true, the French countries are banning tobacco another potential loophole in anti- and Spanish are invading. Gauloises advertising. BAT has admitted that a tobacco legislation. And as we know, has been paying students to promote prototype site, City Gorilla, was where there’s a loophole, there’s a the brand in venues frequented by started in January, featuring Poland. tobacco company finding the best way university students in Oxford, Cam- Choosing a country with among the through. (See also Ad Watch p 196— bridge, London, and Brighton. As best anti-tobacco laws in Europe was Ed) everyone knows, tobacco companies presumably deliberate, on the basis do not want children to smoke, and that if the technique works there, it strenuously assert that nothing could on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. will work anywhere. A less challenging be further from their marketing second country, Belgium, was added Hungary: PM’s people’s minds. While many parents in March. may think their university aged Venues promoting and selling BAT tender loving care children still need a little protection, cigarettes are given a prominent posi- tobacco companies are allowed to tion on the site, which will not be for teenagers make free with students, on the basis linked to BAT or have any other obvi- Here’s one to make even the most that the large majority go to university ous tobacco associations, and will cynical tobacco control advocate aged 18. That a few that are some appear to oVer independent advice on reach for the anti-emetic. No doubt months short of this magic age, when night life. In fact, young web surfers shamed by BAT’s fine programme of children suddenly become adults and will be directed to bars, clubs or sponsoring community facilities such are fair game, can be dealt with by restaurants where BAT cigarette as health clinics (Tobacco Control chanting the glib, enticing mantra that brands are being handed out or 2000;9:361), Philip Morris has promotions are “Only for smokers promoted, which they can then be started a website for Hungarian teen- aged 18 years or over”. encouraged to take or buy. BAT wants agers, to help guide their development One young woman recently de- favourable distribution or promo- as they struggle through adolescence scribed being recruited in a busy bar tional deals with its brands’ outlets, in into free, informed, choice-making one Friday night in Oxford. She and return for giving them publicity on the adulthood. Children and teenagers fellow students were told that site. are invited to write to PM’s experts, Gauloises had been pushed hard in The memo shows that BAT is keen posing questions on all sorts of London for two years, and sales had to conceal its intentions to promote personal concerns and anxieties, with soared by 200%. The hand picked cigarettes in apparently “neutral” ven- the promise that the experts will Oxford undergraduates were oVered ues. It states: “One perceived risk for respond. £50 (about $75) for two hours’ work,

www.tobaccocontrol.com News analysis 93 Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.91c on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from promotional techniques of its better Newspaper and billboard ads con- known competitors. It can only augur tinue to flourish, carrying regular badly for public health; apart from the cigarette ads as well as increasing advertising itself, yet another transna- numbers promoting them via compe- tional company now stands among the titions. There has been a weekly draw enemy ranks, to fight target countries’ for a car (Embassy brand, owned by governments that try to protect their BAT), another for a Mercedes, with citizens from the assault. the televised draw made by the coun- try’s leading movie actress (Capstan, BAT), and a third in whicha1kggold Pakistan: ingot is given away each week (Diplo- pilgrimage to mat brand, Lakson). And almost unbelievably, in a promotion plumb- tobacco ing new depths of bad taste in a Pakistan is fast becoming an strictly Muslim country, BAT has adventure playground for young even promoted its Gold Leaf brand tobacco advertisers. After the massive through a weekly competition whose media coverage surrounding BAT’s winners are given air tickets to Saudi floating cigarette ad (or “ocean going Arabia, for the Umrah pilgrimage to yacht”) visiting Karachi last year the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. (Tobacco Control 2000;9:361), the Lest any of this excess should nudge Gauloises advertisement now appearing in country continues to be subjected to a the government into thinking about Middle Eastern countries, carrying the slogan barrage of new advertisements. In cit- legislation, the leading companies, “Liberté Toujours”(Always Freedom). ies, pop music is all the rage with BAT and Lakson, have produced their youth, and thus a perfect way for ciga- own self regulatory code of conduct and attended a briefing the following on tobacco promotion and sales. week. Several were not regular rette brand promotions to infect them Predictably, it is a compilation of the smokers, but £50 for simply “dressing with misleading associations, while on most ineVective measures developed glamorous” and mingling, being television, a song is sponsored by a over years of successful eVorts to pre- charming, buying drinks, oVering cigarette company every day. On one vent or delay legislation in the west. cigarettes, and above all, smoking, night earlier this year, all three TV Ensuring maximum eVects on both seemed too good to resist. If appropri- channels carried a programme, Music opinion leaders and children, BAT ate, they were told, they could oVer Millennium, in which the stage was has added the usual advertising whole packs of cigarettes, and leave full of glamorous cigarette advertise- ments, and a host of pop stars campaign proclaiming its youth them lying around on unoccupied http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ education programme, complete with tables. The priority, it was made clear, performed. All this is in addition to a was that Gauloises should be continuous torrent of regular cigarette repeated emphasis on the belief of this associated with youth and glamour. advertising on TV. And to show how “responsible corporate citizen” that The marketing plan envisaged keenly it supports the country’s smoking is “an informed adult “hostesses” going into a bar first, economic development, one tobacco choice”. It has even introduced oVering full packs of Gauloises, with company is oVering young entrepre- “on-pack inscriptions to prevent the students following later at the neurs handsome loans for setting up under-age smoking”. This will be a “integration stage”, to give the illusion new businesses. great relief to Pakistani parents. No that, after the introductory week, Meanwhile, more traditional forms doubt any errant child who foolishly students were now actually beginning of promotion are not neglected. picks up a pack of cigarettes made by to smoke Gauloises regularly. Such elaborate tricks to get highly fashion on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. conscious, trend following young peo- ple to think that Gauloises is a fashion they cannot be seen to be without, are entirely legal in most countries. Meanwhile, in Middle Eastern countries, where the vast majority of people are Muslim and not familiar with pin-up advertising, and where women traditionally do not touch tobacco, Gauloises ads have begun to appear showing a young woman, who could pass for a Middle-Eastern national, with the slogan “Liberté Toujours” (Always Freedom). It is not clear if this is an attempt to encourage Middle Eastern women to take up smoking, perhaps as a statement of wished for greater freedom, or whether the attractive model is more intended to lure young males to the brand. But what does seem certain is The “Stop!” advertising campaign being run by the Pakistan Tobacco Company (a subsidiary of that Gauloises is going to be seen in BAT), declaring that “As a responsible corporate citizen, PTC firmly believes that smoking is an many more countries, emulating the informed adult choice”.

www.tobaccocontrol.com 94 News analysis Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.91c on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from BAT will, on sight of the inscription, where people with health in mind, On 1 March, Redheads launched drop it instantly and go in search of a rather than the public relations or an art competition encouraging more traditional childhood pastime. promotional concerns of tobacco entrants to design an image of the Against such a depressing back- companies, have been distributing redheaded woman in an “interna- ground, it is encouraging to learn of book covers to school children. By tional costume” to reflect Australia’s any blow for health. One such is a cal- February, 16 500 book covers de- multicultural society (www.redheads. endar produced by the British based signed by a specialist firm, AnimAc- com.au). The competition has three Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance com- tion, had been distributed to schools levels of entry—primary, and second- pany in aid of the Pakistan Cancer serving 11–15 year olds in the Los ary schools, and a tertiary/open level. Society, with each two month spread Angeles Unified School District The website also encourages schools featuring some creditable samples of (LAUSD), with another 30 000 to contact them for educational mate- anti-smoking posters designed by planned to be distributed to high rial on fire safety with matches. children. Another is the example set schools (16–18 year olds). The Matches are used to light barbe- by Karachi’s prestigious Aga Khan LAUSD is the second largest school cues, gas stoves, and candles. Their University, which began the year by district in the USA, with around most common use is of course to light making its campus smoke-free, while 700 000 children enrolled represent- tobacco products. Given this, could it o ering smoking cessation clinics for V ing a wide spectrum of ethnic and cul- possibly have occurred to a tobacco employees. Against the onslaught of tural backgrounds. company which also makes matches current tobacco promotions, these that having children from primary may be small victories, but they are nevertheless important, demonstrat- school starting to think about the ing the emergence of Pakistan’s Australia: game, attractiveness and design of matchbox tobacco control community from art might make some of them more at relatively small scale, sporadic activity set, and advocacy ease with the most common purpose into programmes aVecting some for which matches are used? Surely important institutions. match not. Redheads are the largest selling brand of matches in Australia. The famous USA: healthy book red haired woman logo first appeared on their matchboxes in 1946 and has covers gone through several incarnations Our last edition described a cynical since. The Australian manufacturing campaign by Philip Morris to get its company was taken over by the highly dubious messages in front of tobacco company Swedish Match in

US schoolchildren, and simultane- 1998. Swedish Match’s website http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ ously to try to win respect or favours (http://www.swedishmatch.com/eng/) from naive politicians (Tobacco Control shows the company manufactures 2001;10:8). So it is good to learn of a nasal and oral snuV, and cigars, pipe counter oVensive from Los Angeles, tobacco, and matches.

Redheads, the largest selling brand of matches in Australia. The manufacturers launched an art competition, targeted at school children, to design a new image for the redheaded woman on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright.

ASH Australia’s submission to the competition Part of a calendar produced by the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance company in aid of the Pakistan to find a new Redhead matchbox design. Artist Cancer Society. Each two month spread features anti-smoking posters designed by children. Jenny Coopes, Sydney.

www.tobaccocontrol.com News analysis 95 Tob Control: first published as 10.1136/tc.10.2.91c on 1 June 2001. Downloaded from ASH Australia felt that while such In Denmark in 1988, the govern- smokers’ organisation. I still find that an idea could not possibly have ment formulated a programme of pre- the organisation has a good occurred to the company, it was wise vention whose goals included decreas- purpose—to educate smokers to to err on the safe side. ASH decided to ing the number of existing smokers, behave and accommodate. This I enter the competition in the open cat- and reducing the rate of recruitment would not call misuse.” egory with a drawing that they felt of new smokers. In particular, the This is not a fair description of the Swedish Match would be delighted to government hoped to prevent, as far main activity of the organisation. In a seriously consider as a new Redhead as possible, cardiovascular disease and recent booklet on smoking in matchbox design. ASH felt sure that cancer in Danes between the ages of workplaces, it refuted that environ- the company would agree the compe- 25 and 65 years old. mental tobacco smoke is a health haz- tition had nothing to do with encour- However, at the same time, an ard. The booklet may be read as if the aging smoking and that it would be a internal memo of Philip Morris (PM) World Health Organization supports good opportunity to put another stated: “We have scored a major socially responsible message in front this view, and as if workplace smoking political coup in recruiting Mr UVe of children. Like many lung cancer breaks increase the productivity of Ellemann-Jensen, the president of the suVerers, the woman in ASH’s entry smokers. has lost some of her beautiful hair Council of Ministers of the European Another memo from Philip Morris from chemotherapy and needs an Community, to spearhead a European stated: “I feel that the investment in oxygen mask to help her breathe. smokers’ movement.” Mr Ellemann-Jensen was money well At the time of going to press, the UVe Ellemann-Jensen was minister spent.” winning entry has not yet been of foreign aVairs in Denmark, leader There is more than a little truth in announced. of one of the parties in the governing the memo. Of the Nordic countries in coalition, and well known from a the nineties, Denmark remained the SIMON CHAPMAN, Editor long career as a television journalist. Chairman, ASH Australia nation with the least restriction of the [email protected] He was even elected “Mr Europe tobacco industry by law, the highest of the Year” in the European consumption of cigarettes per adult, Community; and but for the and the highest mortality of tobacco Not such a great wisdom of the Faroe islanders, from related deaths in the age group 35–69 Dane whom he needed less than 90 years. A recent poll showed that two additional votes, he would now be thirds of Danes are tolerant of passive Five leading tobacco companies met prime minister. smoking. Today, UVe Ellemann- in secret on 2 June 1977 to plan a joint Stig G Carlson, then director of Jensen is a member of the board of project to foster the idea that the PM’s Nordic operations, recently harmfulness of tobacco smoke was Scandinavian Tobacco Company’s commented that “it was a great step House of Prince in Latvia.

not proven, but only a matter of “con- http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/ forward that the smokers’ organisa- Operation Berkshire had a position troversy”. The conspiracy was called tion Hen-ry persuaded UVe Operation Berkshire (see http:// paper circulating under cover of a let- Ellemann-Jensen. It showed that ter stressing “the need for confidenti- www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/ personalities with a public visibility 7257/371), and a central aim stated at ality and security”, as neither supported the message of tolerance the initial meeting was to “counter the company “would wish the paper to for smoking.” increasing social unacceptability of fall in the wrong hands”. Fortunately, smoking”. This was entirely in line By contrast, Mr Ellemann-Jensen the social acceptability of this way of with industry thinking at the time: in denies he was recruited by PM, as does doing business has gone. To cite UVe 1979, a tobacco industry delegation the company’s present director for the Elleman-Jensen himself: “I realise that attended the Fourth World Confer- Netherlands and the Nordic countries, as others use words like ‘recruitment’ ence on Tobacco and Health in Mr Jules Wilhelmus. Nevertheless, and ‘investment’ and the talk is Stockholm, Sweden. A subsequent UVe Ellemann-Jensen figured in an

concerning a Danish minister of on September 27, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. advertisement for the smokers’ organi- memo by one of the delegates, later foreign aVairs, all alarm bells should sation which, while carrying the leaked to the press, repeated an ring.” apparently well established industry organisation’s logo, was designed and fear that: “The social acceptability financed by Philip Morris. FINN VON EYBEN issue will be the central battleground UVe Ellemann-Jensen states today: Center for tobaksforskning on which our case in the long run will “I did not care whether I had been Odense, Denmark be lost or won.” used in connection with the Danish [email protected]

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