Squeeze the filter of this new Winfield variant 
and it pops a cool capsule of minty "Optimum taste" 
into your Optimum dose of deadly toxins.   

January 2012

Getting down to tin tracks

Stuyvesant tin featuring New York Metro map 
- very global and cosmo. 

Tins like this will not be permitted under new plain  packs laws from December 1.  

January 2012

Benson & Hedges "Lego" logo brand "14" 
on sale in UK. 14 year old kids of course 
would not be the target?

Global Tobacco Control Network, January 2012

Laotian lollies lure littlies

This "Marlbovo" brand of "Smoke Candy" sold in Laos rather resembles a well-known cigarette brand. 

Interesting that while Philip Morris is  suing   
the Australian government, claiming plain packs 
will lead to massive loss of value for its 
precious brands, we hear nothing of any action 
by the tobacco giant to stop its branding 
being used as shown here.

Pic: IUATLD ("The Union"), January 2012

Bursting with cool cancer, kids!

Promo to retailers for these  
"best value menthol packs on the market". 

Note research showing menthol is no mere flavour - 
it aids nicotine and carcinogen absorption 
through the mouth, making the smoke more addictive and more deadly.

And of course manufacturer British American Tobacco doesn't want teens to smoke - that's why the dance-party laser lights behind the logo, 
the minty menthol taste and the "cool" association.

September 2011

Helping you cover those unsightly warnings

Peelable restickable stickers found inside Dunhill packs can be used to cover health warnings on the top/front lid or the back.

All nicely colour-coded to match the newly designed Dunhill pack.            June 2011

“I Deserve to be Heard” pack inserts (1):
Smokefree public places
   Cards inserted in many Philip Morris brand packs and handed out in pubs and clubs from April 2011. They whinge against tobacco tax rises,  retail  display bans and plain packs, and (this) smokefree places.

The cards, "Authorised by Philip Morris Ltd", point smokers to a company website to "have your say". 

They profess a concern for smokers' rights not evident in the tobacco industry's past actions.   

Pack inserts (2): Plain packs

    

Pack inserts (3): Tax

From  Sydney Uni tobacco supersite

From  Sydney Uni tobacco supersite

Heart "desease" on a sunny silver platter

Ad in Convenience and Impulse trade mag for 
"NEW" GD "Premium cigarettes" - served elegantly 
on a silver platter in the clean fresh air. 

But at top right it warns:
"For information of tobbaco [sic] retailers", 
"SMOKING CAUSES HEART DESEASE" [sic].

GD is an independent brand,
not from the "big 3" companies.

April/May 2011

Dynamic, modern, authentic... 
no, not the cigarettes, just the packet

Imperial repackages its Camel brand 
in this promotion to retailers as 
"a modern expression of a timeless classic" 
with "personality, spirit, freedom and stylishness". 

No change to the addictive, illness-inducing product, mind you - just an expensive revamp of its package.

They're "genuine, smooth and rich" ... 
hey, just like their manufacturers! 
Well, two out of three ain't bad.  

March 2011

A present for Chinese New Year: 
more death and disease!

Imperial launches its new Davidoff duty-free package in Asian and some other airports, 
to "celebrate Chinese New Year". 

Not joining the celebration will be 
more than one million Chinese 
who die from tobacco during the year - 
or their bereaved families.

January 2011

Tranquil and relaxing... 
like lying in a hospital bed 
with peripheral vascular disease?

Big repackage of Philip Morris brand waxes on 
about "tranquil and relaxing... waves reflecting energetic feel... vibrant... logo standout."  

But "no change to existing taste." 

Or to the peripheral vascular disease (see warning). 

And of course we believe them that packaging 
is not really advertising! They actually go to all this packaging effort just to make us feel relaxed.

NSW, December 2010

Exploiting social drinking

Latest of several multipack sleeves, 
this 4-pack "Slab" associates smoking 
with social drinking of alcohol - 
a "Slab" is also a multipack of beer cans. 
"Cold gold" colour strengthens this link. 

As British American Tobacco is well aware, 
 mixing social drinking and smoking 
undermines quit attempts.
And multi-packaging encourages pool-buying, especially by younger/lower income smokers.
See LATEST NEWS

And all this effort to sell young people a product 
that (see warning) is "a leading cause of death". 

NSW, November 2010

Uniquely fresh cancerous addiction  

Expensive repackaging of Philip Morris' Alpine -
with admittedly "no change to product". 
At the same time, tobacco companies 
are arguing to government that there's no point mandating plain packs because it won't have 
any effect on smoking. 
Why then go to this length to change the package? 
Note research showing menthol is no mere flavour - 
it aids nicotine and carcinogen absorption 
through the mouth.

NSW, November 2010

The pack as 
personal identity statement  

Why the tobacco packet 
is such a powerful advertising tool. 

NSW, October 2010

A bit Rich  

Going all out for the gilt-edged, exclusive image 
with "rich", "limited edition". 

NSW, October 2010

Sea green  

Well, sea sick, really.
Associates smoking with beach and leisure - 
and green + "easy taste" 
wrongly implies light/less harmful.  

NSW, October 2010

Muscular bulk promotion  

Macho packaging associated with speed and power 
for 200-cigarette (10x20) cartons.   

NSW, August 2010 

Rich, Smooth advertising  

New "limited edition" packs 
with creative descriptors. 
Note PJ's new blue shield.  

NSW, August 2010 

Tobacco pack's "Insider"

Companies using every nook and cranny of the packet for advertising slogans and catchphrases

Australia, August 2010

Dinky-di disease

These "True (blue) Aussie originals" 
continue tobacco's long tradition 
of exploiting nationalism. 
The industry "truly" cares about Australia 
- enough to kill 15,000 Aussies a year 
and suck $31b from our economy.
Final proof of Samuel Johnson's observation that
"Patriotism is the last resort of a scoundrel". 

NSW, July 2010 

Optimum tobacco 
charges to the rescue!

"Optimum charged" and "Optimum night" branding with very heroic coat of arms. 
All we need now is the white charger 
and a suit of shining armour.   

Sydney, May 2010

  Sun ripened cancer

Pall Mall has issued these 
cheerful, healthy looking packs.

Sydney, May 2010

Gilding death

Davidoff brand relaunched April 2010 - 
well served (ouch!) by PR from tennis ace Roger Federer gracing the Davidoff Swiss Indoors. 

Retailers were sent  promotional packs lauding the ultra premium brand's “international elegance and sophistication” .... “The unique brush steel band dynamically frames the distinctive octagonal packaging”.... "cosmopolitan style, a minimalist new look, unique colouring" and "vibrant pearlescent finishing with a brush steel band drawing attention to its extraordinary bevel edge and octagonal form."  

Wow - some cancer stick.

Slim sleeve

Another "slim" brand pitched at females. 
This one has a removable colour sleeve 
over a white pack - 
getting smokers ready for plain packaging?

NSW 2010

Twin pack sleeves push discounts

Sleeves delivered by BAT reps to shops 
allow two single packs to be inserted 
and the resulting "2 packs" sold at $4-5 discounts - encouraging pool-buying by lower income smokers, slashing excise and GST revenue to governments.

See  LATEST NEWS

Sydney 2010

Groovy horses target youth

"Limited edition" packs featuring horses 
playing musical instruments 
- with the slogan "Feel the Groove".

And BAT claims it doesn't want kids to smoke!

Sydney 2009

Shiny concealment

Silver containers promoting Stuyvesant brand, 
handed out to the teenage audience 
at a Sydney pop concert. 
Very flash  - with the added advantage of 
neatly concealing health warnings 
that might spoil the pleasure. 
Manufacturer claims no involvement.

Sydney, 2002

OTHER TOBACCO PROMOTIONS

Philip Morris: a friend to die for

Philip Morris tells Indonesian smokers 
on chilling billboard in Bekasi, West Java, 
promoting Philip Morris-owned Sampoerna brand:

 Dying is better than leaving a friend 
and  Sampoerna: a cool friend. 

August 2011 

Russian tobacco targets teen girls

Donskoy Tabak, one of Russia’s biggest tobacco companies, sets out to hook young women and girls before new anti-smoking legislation comes in.

Big ad campaign includes teen-targeted "Kiss" and "Sweet Dreams" packaging and billboards across Moscow with glossy pics of adolescent girls in pigtails holding lollypops and ice creams, with the slogan: 
“If you’re not allowed it, but you really want it, 
then you can have it!” 

Galina Schneider, head of the Moscow Parents social movement told Moscow News the campaign was an “irreversible threat to the health of our children”.

August 2011 

Big Tobacco's "Nanny State" attack 
on Plain Packs 

The tobacco industry in 2011 launches 
a massively resourced attack on Australia's proposed mandatory plain packaging legislation.   

Latest on plain packaging  

It includes legal threats, lobbying MPs, mass media ads, websites, postcards, pack inserts (below)... 
and lifesized cutouts like this - warning of 
a "Nanny State", but strategically failing to mention that children are the industry's main smoking recruitment target (many examples on this page). 

Some of the Nanny State ads are aired in 
prime children's viewing time and could be seen as promoting smoking as an expression of "freedom".

June-July 2011

Pushing to the pushers (1):
Fiji holidays

BAT Australia offers Fiji holidays to retailers 
for pushing its deadly addictive products. 2010-2011

See  full promo

Pushing to the pushers (2)
- more fabulous prizes

Fabulous prizes offered by manufacturers 
to retailers to aggressively promote brands. 

Governments often ban promotion to smokers 
but leave loopholes allowing 
promotional incentives to retailers.

Australia 2009

Pushing to the pushers (3)
- via trade mags

Trade magazines like Australian Bartender 
still feature full-on tobacco advertising.

Australia, April 2010

Massive internet loophole

Advertising tobacco is supposedly illegal in Australia - but even children can easily access many websites offering discounted tobacco, 
complete with colour pics.

Health warning breach targets poor

These packs of an East European brand minus any health warnings were sold in low SES areas in Sydney (2009) - Federal Health Dept and ACCC say they're unable to act because they were "one-off" sales. How many more such "one-offs" can we expect?

Tobacco sold on government property

Kiosk on Sydney Central Station (2009) 
sells tobacco in prime 
NSW government-owned location.

Putting cigs in the "hip" pocket 

Imperial Tobacco paid for its Stuyvesant brand to be stocked in upmarket fashion and hair outlets to lure young people into smoking. 
After objections, the promotion was pulled.
See report in  Sunday Mail, SA 14/12/08 

Have a look at what Imperial said 
in pamphlets handed out to shop owners!  

Inflight promotion

This ad appeared in the Sept 2009 issue 
of an inflight magazine distributed on 
China Air and 5 other Chinese airlines.

Casey Stoner: 
Australia's "Marlboro Man" 

Our Young Australian of the Year, role model to kids worldwide ... who saw him (Sydney Telegraph pic) 
riding in this 2008 MotoGP race with his clothing, helmet and bike plastered with cigarette logos. 

Bike star used as "high speed drug pusher": 
ASH release 29/8/08   

(Note 2011: Stoner has since changed teams 
and is no longer sponsored by Philip Morris)

Casey again in Sydney Morning Herald  sports section, August 28, 2009. Loopholes in Australia's tobacco advertising laws allow such "incidental" tobacco promotion - though it would have been easy for the SMH and Tele opposite to photoshop the logos out of these photos. They chose not to. 

Pushing tobacco to youth 
at music events

Byron Bay's Splendour in the Grass festival, 2007. One of many music events 
where tobacco companies have pushed 
their deadly, addictive product 
to young people in smoking tents - 
with DJs, comfy seats, young models 
and stage-handy location. 

GOOD MOVE: 
Most state/territory governments have now banned mobile tobacco selling of this kind. We'd like to see all jurisdictions follow suit.

Importing tobacco ads

One of four cigarette ads in 2004 glossy men's mag GQ - Australian distribution over 50,000 
+ possible 90,000 more in cutdown composite 
with Vogue (see below).

Note use of "alluring" 
(also used in Oyster mag below)
 - sounds so much nicer than "addicting", 
doesn't it.

Smoking in Vogue

Another imported promotion: 
Actress Sophie Marceau on a cover 
(August 2003) which would be illegal 
if published in Australia 
but is freely available in shops 
as an imported periodical.

Health groups have urged that this loophole be closed quickly under Federal legislation.

Cool evasion 

Tobacco promotions like this in 2000 
pushing cigarettes at Melbourne and Sydney 
fashion shows were found to be illegal 
and eventually led to Philip Morris and Wavesnet  
being fined for breaking 
NSW tobacco advertising laws.

The Alpine Fridge

These displays of "chilling" promotional bravado 
are illegal in NSW but were still used in some shops 
and have been sighted in other states.

And see how they got it displayed - 
from Philip Morris' files, 1995