2007 johns hopkins bloomberg school of public health tobacco advertising bans anna white essential...

2007 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Tobacco Advertising BansTobacco Advertising Bans

Anna WhiteEssential Action

2 2007 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Learning Objectives

Overview of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship

Role of advertising in spreading tobacco pandemic/rationale for banning

Problem with partial advertising bans

Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 13 Total advertising ban

Importance of implementing advertising bans as part of comprehensive tobacco control legislation, monitoring, and enforcement


Source: World Health Organization. (2003)

Definition: Tobacco Advertising and Promotion

“. . . any form of commercial communication, recommendation or action with the aim, effect or likely effect of promoting a tobacco product or tobacco use either directly or indirectly . . .”

— Article 1 of the FCTC


Source: World Health Organization. (2003)

Definition: Tobacco Sponsorship

“. . . any form of contribution to any event, activity or individual with the aim, effect or likely effect of promoting a tobacco product or tobacco use either directly or indirectly . . .”

— Article 1 of the FCTC


Billboards

Image source: White, A. (2004).


Free Cigarette Samples

Image source: Pintea, L. (2002).


Sponsored Concerts

Image source: Kania, D. (2006).



Youth


Youth

Image source: Kania, D. (2006).


Women

Image source: Harvey, J. (2004).


Smokers

Image source: World Lung Foundation. (2006).


Tobacco Advertising’s Effects: Current Smokers

According to a 2004 study, after the United Kingdom’s comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, smokers who noticed less tobacco advertising and promotion were 1.5 times more likely to attempt to quit


Executional AreaBackground

As a result of the advertising concept test carried out in June this year, the most positive element of our communication is "America". America is a bit of a dream, it is a country appealing to our target audience providing that we use a simple and clear way to communicate this. The lifestyle of young Americans will also attract our potential consumers providing that the people featured are simple, and aspirational to Africans through their manner of dress and leisure activities. On top of that, America is synonymous with good quality products.

Market Research: Target Populations

Image source: Philip Morris Internal Documents. (1983).

EXECUTIONAL GUIDELINES

Activities must be:– Comprehensible– Aspirational (Up-market activities/background)– American– Powerful

COPY

Agreed Headline: YOU GOT TO GO WITH IT

Subhead: CHESTERFIELD. THE GREAT AMERICAN TASTE



Image source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Permission granted for educational use.


Tobacco Advertising: Industry Perspective

“The cigarette industry has been artfully maintaining that cigarette advertising has nothing to do with total sales. This is complete and utter nonsense. The industry knows it is nonsense. I am always amused by the suggestion that advertising, a function that has been shown to increase consumption of virtually every other product, somehow miraculously fails to work for tobacco products.”

— Emerson Foote (1981)Former CEO of McCann-Erickson

(A global advertising agency which has handled millions of

dollars in tobacco industry accounts)

Source: quoted in Heise, L. (1988).


Evidence: Tobacco Advertising Works

Vast majority of peer-reviewed studies conclude that tobacco advertising leads to an increase in tobacco consumption

Exposure to tobacco advertising influences adolescent smoking


Evidence: Advertising Bans Work

Study of four countries that instituted advertising bans as part of comprehensive tobacco control policy (Finland, France, New Zealand, and Norway): Per capita consumption of cigarettes dropped

14–37% after implementation of the ban Smoking prevalence among young people declined

in three of the four countries, and it remained stable in the fourth


Advertising Bans Work

The World Health Organization and World Bank both recommend that countries prohibit all forms of tobacco advertising and promotion

It is estimated that, if adopted globally, such bans could reduce worldwide demand for tobacco products by ~7%

Image source: The World Bank.


Tobacco Industry Arguments Against Advertising Bans

“Advertising firms and the media will lose money; it will hurt the economy” Hong Kong: tobacco advertising ban in 1990

Two main television stations’ advertising revenue up by 500% by 1996

Thailand: total advertising ban in 1992 Advertising spending up 42% between 1993

and 1995


Tobacco Industry Arguments Against Advertising Bans

“If tobacco is legal to sell, it should be legal to advertise; it’s a matter of freedom of speech” Many governments have imposed advertising

restrictions on other legal products For example, alcohol and pharmaceuticals


Opposition to Ad Bans: Voluntary Codes of Conduct

Image source: Action on Smoking and Health (London).


Image source: White, A.

Case Study: Senegal

Restriction: tobacco advertising must not use the voice or image of a minor person less than 21 years old



Case Study: Senegal

Tobacco advertising allowed, except on television But the tobacco

industry was able to circumvent restriction through sponsorship of sports and cultural events


Case Study: Hong Kong

Image source: Wong, S.


Beware of Loopholes!


Partial Advertising Bans

Partial advertising bans have been compared to squeezing a balloon Banning one form of tobacco

advertising will lead to an increase in another form of advertising


Partial Advertising Bans: United States

After the Master Settlement Agreement and 1999 ban on tobacco billboard advertising (U.S.), tobacco advertising expenditures increased $1.5 billion (21% increase) Sudden increase in point-of-purchase tobacco

marketing* 80% of stores had interior tobacco advertising

(up 5%) 73% of stores had branded functional objects (up

10%) 52% of stores had tobacco promotions (up 20%—

including a 124% increase in gift-with-purchase promotions and 25% in rebate promotions)

Tobacco advertising in magazines with high youth readership (>15%) increased 33%†

By 2003, advertising expenditures had doubled from 1998 (~$7 billion to $15.4 billion)*Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Press Release (2000).

†Source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids FactSheet (2007).


Bullet-Proof Vest? . . . or Stop the Bullets?

In the United States alone, the tobacco industry spends more than $35 million every day to promote its products


Partial Bans: Ineffective

A 2000 study (102 countries) found that partial bans were ineffective in reducing tobacco consumption Per capita cigarette consumption in countries

with comprehensive bans declined ~8% In other countries, decline was only 1%

Source: Saffer, H. and Chaloupka, F. (2000).


Industry “Scream” Test

The tobacco industry’s reaction to proposed tobacco control measures


Industry “Scream” Test: FCTC Provisions on Advertising

“Along with PM USA, PMI supported the process that led to the adoption of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the first international treaty to set a global agenda for the regulation of tobacco products. While there are some provisions within the Framework Convention that, in our opinion, do not represent sensible and effective regulatory measures, there are many that are appropriate and useful.”

— Altria CEO Louis Camilleri (2004)


FCTC Article 13: Advertising, Promotion & Sponsorship

FCTC requires all parties to implement total ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship within five years of ratifying the treaty

Includes cross-border advertising originating in a party’s territory; gives party right to ban cross-border advertising entering territory

Definitions are broad, include direct and indirect

Exception for countries with constitutional constraints


Product Placement in Movies

Image sources: Bollywood Photos: Goswami, H.


Cigarette Pack



Dressing Up the Pack

Image source: Simpson, D. (2002).


Suggestive Colors and Descriptors

Full flavorSmooth flavorFine flavor


Tobacco Product Retail Displays

Image source: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Permission Granted for Educational Use.


Brand Stretching

Image source: Mackay, J.


Internet

Image source: Regueira, G.


Text Messages via Cell Phones

Image source: Harvey, J.


Suggestive Colors and Shapes

Image source: Harvey, J.


“Youth Smoking Prevention” Ads

Image source: Houston, L.


Ad Bans vs. Other Measures

Philip Morris: Project Rainbow Strategy for “balancing” pro-health

legislation with pro-tobacco concessions Conceived by company lawyers in 1990–1991 in

wake of major case in United States Idea: pass federal legislation that would give

the tobacco industry immunity from future personal injury lawsuits—in exchange for major advertising restrictions, even a total ban


Philip Morris: Project Rainbow

“Clearly, if we felt it was inevitable that Congress is likely to pass an ad ban or other major restrictions on advertising in the future, then it would make sense to seek a legislative compromise now while we still have bargaining power and leverage . . .”

— Philip Morris (1991)

Image source: Philip Morris Internal Documents (1991).


Philip Morris: Project Rainbow

Source: Philip Morris Internal Documents (1991).

“To reduce the level of criticism directed toward Philip Morris and the rest of the industry . . . The elimination or severe restriction of cigarette advertising would diminish one of the principal focal points of our antagonists’ criticism. This could lead to a diminution of the attacks against us and of the level of hostile rhetoric . . .”

— Philip Morris (1991)


Monitoring and Enforcing Ad Bans

Image source: Goswami, H.


Tobacco Advertising Removal: Bangladesh

Image source: Alam, S.M.


Summary

Direct and indirect tobacco advertising, promotions, and sponsorship are the vehicle for spreading the global tobacco pandemic

Partial tobacco advertising bans don’t work; tobacco advertising bans need to be comprehensive to be effective

When developing such bans, need to avoid loopholes that the industry will exploit

Expect the tobacco industry to fight—directly or indirectly—for the weakest implementation of the tobacco advertising ban component of the FCTC; conversely, public health advocates need to fight for the strongest implementation possible


Summary

To maximize their effectiveness, tobacco advertising bans should be implemented along with other evidence-based measures—not in exchange for concessions to the tobacco industry

An advertising ban in the law is worthless—unless it is enforced

With the rapid evolution, expansion, and cross-development of global communication technologies, continued monitoring of new and innovative tobacco industry methods for circumventing tobacco advertising bans is needed—as well as international cooperation to tackle the problem