All that matters to them is how close to the wind they are sailing and how to bend the rules. The investigation is based on advice given to tobacco firms from the five main agencies responsible for tobacco advertising in the UK, which they were forced to hand it over to the House of Commons health committee. It examines how tobacco companies target young smokers and use packaging and design to convey the impression that certain brands of cigarettes have health benefits.
Cigarettes have a key role to play as they are an ever-present statement of identity.
Any break with a brand's heritage must be carefully considered in order not to throw doubt into the minds of young adult smokers. It is their badge and all we are trying to do is celebrate it. Having identified its target market, the tobacco lobby uses all forms of communication, not just advertising, to approach it, claims the report. It cites a list of ideas submitted by one agency. The authors note that whether some of the suggestions make it to market or not is beside the point.