Tobacco.org

HRIDAY demands stern action against Godfrey Phillips for glamorizing tobacco at the first Indian F1 motor sporting event 

HRIDAY filed a complaint to the State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC), Government of NCT of Delhi, demanding stern action against Godfrey Phillips India (GPI) for glamorizing tobacco use by using Formula 1 as a hook while at the same time violating a major provision of the Indian tobacco control law, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003) COTPA. HRIDAY, in the letter (attached) addressed to STCC , stated that Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), is flouting section 5(3) of COTPA by promoting an association between its cigarette brand 'Marlboro' and a participating team 'Scuderia Ferrari' through a campaign named "Marlboro - Feel the passion".

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• Cigarette firm violates tobacco law co-branding with F1  

The Formula 1 event in India has come as a great opportunity for brand promotion by various companies. But health activists are not taking kindly to the co-branding of one of the participating teams with a leading cigarette brand. Such association, they say, violates the Indian anti-tobacco law.

Godfrey Phillips India is promoting its cigarette brand 'Marlboro' by demonstrating its association with a popular team participating in the event - Scuderia Ferrari.

This violates Section 5 (3) (a) of the anti-tobacco law, which prescribes that 'no person shall, under a contract or otherwise, promote or agree to promote the use or consumption of cigarettes or any other tobacco product', voluntary group Hriday pointed out in a complaint filed with the Delhi tobacco control cell.

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• Motor racing, tobacco company sponsorship, barcodes and alibi marketing [FREE FULL TEXT] 

Objective

To determine whether the ‘barcode’ graphics used by Ferrari represent ‘alibi’ Marlboro advertising.

Methods

Academic and grey literature, and online tobacco industry document archives, were searched using terms relevant to tobacco marketing and motorsport.

Results

Tobacco sponsorship of F1 motor racing began in 1968, and Philip Morris has sponsored F1 teams since 1972. Phillip Morris first used a ‘barcode’ design, comprising red vertical parallel lines below the word Marlboro on the British Racing Motors F1 car in 1972. Vertical or horizontal ‘barcode’ designs have been used in this way, latterly without the word Marlboro, ever since. The modern ‘barcode’ logos occupied the same position on cars and drivers' clothing as conventional Marlboro logos in the past. The shared use of red colour by Marlboro and Ferrari is also recognised by Philip Morris as a means of promoting brand association between Marlboro and Ferrari.

Conclusion

The Ferrari ‘barcode’ designs are alibi Marlboro logos and hence constitute advertising prohibited by the 2005 EU Tobacco Advertising Directive. . . .

What is already known on this subject

Advertising of tobacco on Formula 1 (F1) race cars, and sponsorship of F1 by tobacco companies, was prohibited in the European Union (EU) by the 2005 EU Tobacco Advertising Directive.

However, the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team has maintained a sponsorship agreement with Philip Morris and in recent years has substituted the Marlboro logo with an increasingly complex ‘barcode’ design.

Scuderia Ferrari claim that the barcode design is part of the livery of the car, and is not a Marlboro logo or advertisement.

What this paper adds

Philip Morris has used barcode designs on racing cars since 1972. These designs have been substituted for conventional logos in circumstances in which overt advertising has been prevented in the past (‘dark markets’).

Philip Morris also recognise the shared use of the colour red as a means of promoting brand association between Marlboro and Ferrari.

The barcode designs occupy exactly the same position on cars, drivers' clothing and other livery as was specified for the conventional Marlboro logo in past years. The barcode designs in fact represent ‘alibi’ marketing. This mode of advertising, and indeed Philip Morris' continued sponsorship of F1 in the EU, appears to be in direct contravention of the 2005 Tobacco Advertising Directive.

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Scuderia Ferrari drops Marlboro from its name  

The last vestige of the collaboration between Ferrari and Philip Morris remained in the team's name, but reports now indicate that's over. The team is reverting from Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro to Scuderia Ferrari. This change comes after the two outfits recently announced a renewal of their contract, but you to wonder what Philip Morris is getting out of its multi-million-dollar sponsorship deal at this point, and by extension, how much longer it will last.

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• Ferrari reverts to its old name 

sharp-eyed fans at Silverstone may have noticed that while the cars livery remains unchanged, the pit signage and even the team's name in the official entry list no longer reads Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro but simply Scuderia Ferrari, the legendary stable formed by Enzo Ferrari in 1940 - though the first official Ferrari didn't appear until 1946.

Explaining the decision, Ferrari communications manager Luca Colajanni admitted to Pitpass that the name change is more about recent criticism by anti-tobacco campaign groups regarding the continued relationship with (Marlboro manufacturer) Philip Morris.

"Philip Morris and Ferrari have responded to recent concerns regarding the official Ferrari team name and have decided, effective immediately and worldwide, that "Marlboro" will no longer be a part of the team name," he said. "Whilst we do not agree with the concerns raised, our decision has been taken in line with our history of responsiveness on similar issues and to avoid what would likely be an unnecessary and unproductive debate."

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Philip Morris and Ferrari have responded to recent concerns regarding the official Ferrari team name and have decided, effective immediately and worldwide, that "Marlboro" will no longer be a part of the team name. Whilst we do not agree with the concerns raised, our decision has been taken in line with our history of responsiveness on similar issues and to avoid what would likely be an unnecessary and unproductive debate.
Luca Colajanni, communications manager for Ferrari, whose sponsorship contract with Philip Morris was recently renewed.

• Ferrari-Marlboro F1 sponsorship deal provokes anger of the health lobby  

Anti-smoking groups condemn Formula One team's renewed collaboration with Marlboro cigarette brand

Health experts have reacted with fury to news that one of the world's largest tobacco firms has renewed its sponsorship of the Ferrari motor-racing team.

In a one-sentence press release, "Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro" recently said it had "extended its collaboration agreement with Philip Morris International to the end of 2015". . . .

The EU banned tobacco advertising in motorsport in 2007. But the new deal means the team's name away from the track -- and on parts of its website -- remains Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.

Both Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have written to Jean Todt, president of Formula One's governing body, the FIA, urging him to investigate the deal.

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'New Malboro deal worth $480m for Ferrari' 

Ferrari have extended their sponsorship deal with tobacco company Philip Morris with the latter reportedly coughing up $480m for the three years.

Philip Morris's brand Marlboro has been Ferrari's title sponsor since 1997, even extending their deal when tobacco advertising was banned, meaning the Marlboro could no longer appear on the Scuderia's F1 cars.

And once again, Philip Morris have signed a new deal with the Italian marque, which will cover 2013 to 2015.

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• Ferrari extends Philip Morris deal to 2015  

Ferrari's Formula One team has extended its longtime sponsorship deal with Philip Morris International through the end of 2015.

A tobacco sponsorship ban in F1 that began six years ago has prevented Ferrari from displaying the Marlboro brand on its cars. . . .

However, the team still calls itself "Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro."

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• Renault colour scheme cleared for Canadian GP  

The Renault Formula One team have been cleared to race in their black-and-gold colours in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix after fears that they would fall foul of anti-tobacco advertising laws.

Principal Eric Boullier said in a statement that the Lotus-sponsored team, who have no connection with the tobacco industry, had contacted the Quebec authorities recently to discuss the livery and the legislation. . . .

"The Quebec authorities noted that the current livery makes a reference to images from the 1980s when the car was sponsored by the tobacco industry, but it has also accepted the fact that Lotus Renault GP receives no direct or indirect financing from the industry in question.

"We would like to thank them for acknowledging our good faith."

The team's 2011 black-and-gold livery harks back to the days when the old Lotus team were sponsored by cigarette brand John Player Special, whose packs are still sold in the distinctive colours.

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The Ferrari brandname has not only survived, but thrived without conventional advertising 

THE Ferrari marque is one of the most iconic and well-known automotive brands in the world.

But here's an interesting fact: The Italian sports car manufacturer does not spend a penny on advertising!

At least not via conventional advertising. Flip through the pages of any automotive magazine or newspapers and you won't find a commercial by Ferrari promoting its latest cars.

Says Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro commercial department head Philippe Tardivel: "It's been a philosophy since the beginning. Enzo Ferrari (Ferrari's founder) himself decided that Ferrari would not advertise." . . .

Tardivel, together with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team, was in Malaysia recently for the 2011 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile company. . . .

So where does the all brand recognition come from? How does Ferrari publicise its latest cars to boost sales? . . .

the best way Ferrari communicates its brand (in F1) is through its various sponsors, whose names are strategically planted on the Scuderia Ferrari team's racing cars for the world to see.

Some of the team's sponsors include Philip Morris International (the producer of the Marlboro brand), global oil and gas company Shell, computer systems and hardware company, Acer, anti-virus software developer Kaspersky and Santander, one of the biggest banks in the world by market capitalisation.

"When Marlboro, for instance, organises one of its communications activities, it creates a snowball effect for Ferrari (which rides on the activities of its sponsors)," says Tardivel.

He adds that many of its sponsors are global brands, and this, in effect, helps to catapult Ferrari's brand awareness in the respective countries.

"With our portfolio of brands, Ferrari is present all over the world," says Tardivel.

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Renault chief denies tobacco link to Lotus  

Renault F1 chairman Gerard Lopez dismissed concern yesterday that his Lotus-backed team's new black and gold livery could fall foul of anti-tobacco legislation.

The new R31 car harks back to the 1970s and '80s when Lotus won races with the likes of Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Ayrton Senna with cars painted in the colours of a British tobacco brand.

The same Imperial Tobacco-owned brand is still marketed around the world now, although it no longer has any commercial links with Formula One.

That has led to suggestions, notably in the Canadian media, that Renault could be in breach of strict anti-tobacco advertising laws when they compete in the country because of the past association.

"No 1, we have no relationship with a tobacco company," Lopez said after the team launch at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit. Even if we had had, there is another famous team racing around in a colour that is ... very close to a cigarette manufacturer."

Ferrari, the most successful team in Formula One, are the only outfit still sponsored by a cigarette maker, Philip Morris's Marlboro brand.

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• No tobacco link with new Renault livery - Lopez  

Renault has hit back at reports that its new livery runs too close to laws against tobacco advertising.

The R31's black and gold colours are a tribute to the famous Lotus cars of the 70s and 80s, which were sponsored by the Imperial Tobacco label John Player Special.

A Health Canada spokesperson said last month that inspectors will look into whether the livery will voilate the Tobacco Act when the F1 circus arrives in Montreal this year.

And an Imperial Tobacco spokesperson confirmed: "It is categorically against the law to present any likeness to a cigarette pack."

But Renault team owner Gerard Lopez hit back by saying the new black and gold livery has no connection with tobacco.

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• Ferrari looks set to renew Marlboro sponsorship  

Ferrari is reportedly on the brink of signing a new Marlboro sponsorship deal until 2014 with tobacco company Philip Morris.

Marlboro has been Ferrari's title sponsor since 1997, but its latest agreement is set to expire at the end of 2011. The current deal does not involve any branding on the car - tobacco sponsorship was banned in 2007 - and even the controversial barcode, which was seen by some as subliminal advertising, disappeared from the car's engine cover last year.

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Group Lotus seek summary judgement on main legal issues with Team Lotus over use of car maker's name  

The British car company caused widespread confusion before Christmas by announcing a £100 million, seven-year sponsorship deal with the Renault F1 team when there was already a Lotus team on the grid.

Tony Fernandes' Team Lotus, who competed in 2010 as Lotus Racing, took out a licence with Group Lotus at the start of last year which was terminated when the car maker decided to do a deal instead with Renault F1.

However, Fernandes had separately agreed to purchase the iconic Team Lotus name from David Hunt, who himself bought it from the administrators in 1994, and he believes he does not have to give it up.

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HETMAN: My beef with tobacco advertising in racing  

The ongoing row over the "Lotus" name in Formula 1 is becoming so large that it is spinning off smaller debates for us to pour over.

A very interesting post on Joe Saward's blog yesterday mentions the possibility that Canadian health officials may possibly be finding fault with Group Lotus' new black and gold paint scheme. . . .

Personally, I have always been an adamant anti-smoker, and I have been nothing but fully supportive of any effort to rid tobacco form public life. I even go so far as to walk around to other entrances to buildings when I see people outside smoking. My social life has been made tremendously more enjoyable since statewide smoking regulations took effect in Pennsylvania a few years back, as I would previously avoid establishments that permitted smoking.

With all this in mind, I really am not opposed to the black-and-gold colors making a return. There is clearly no tobacco company logos or branding marking the cars, and I think seeing a classic color scheme in the sport- now free of the tobacco junk- will be good for fans young and old. But I can understand how such an idea could come under fire in Canada, so we shall need to wait and see what happens in this case.

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