New Phillip Morris campaign (1 Viewer)

[Hunter P]

I'm not one of those tree hugging political activists. You will more likely see me bashing in some protestors' heads than tying myself to a tree. But something has me disturbed enough to start a new thread on it.

Phillip Morris has been running a new PR campaign for the last few weeks. I have heard their ads on the radio and TV. Basically, they are trying to show how responsible they are by (finally) admitting the ill effects of cigarettes.

An excerpt from their website www.philipmorrisusa.com:




Outward message:
We at Phillip Morris are against people dying from smoking. We care about you. Smoking is bad and could kill you. Love, your friends at Phillip Morris USA.

Hidden message:
We're gonna keep making these things as long as you addicted bastards keep buying them. In fact we hope that our new touchy-feely campaign will move you to buy our brand over the others. Our competitors are heartless monsters who still want to delude you into thinking smoking is not bad for you. At least we admit it.

How do they sleep at night?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Their motto could be "The tobacco company with heart (disease)".

 

[cafink]

What do you want them to do, stop making cigarettes? They aren't holding a gun to anyone's head. If they can get the American consumer to give 'em millions (billions?) of dollars yearly for cigarettes, then more power to them.

 

[Hunter P]

Um, yeah.

Realistically, they shouldn't even try this approach because they are insincere and two-faced. If they really cared about the public then they really would stop selling cigarettes. They shouldn't try to tell us about how much smoking kills when they are the leading contributor to it. Are they bragging or something?

They want to appear compassionate. We all know the real motivator to this is money. They hope this will increase revenue and help them win lawsuits.

"Judge, how can we be expected to pay XX billions of dollars when the plaintiff was adequately warned by us through several public service announcements?"

 

[cafink]

We all know the real motivator to this is money.

No shit. Phillip Mossis is business, and exists to make money, just like EVERY OTHER BUSINESS IN THE WORLD.

If someone wants to smoke and is willing to pay PM for the privilege, and PM wants to sell him a pack of cigarettes (AND has adequately warned him of the dangers of smoking), what business is that of yours or mine?

 

[ThomasC]

I don't think they're doing this because they want to appear compassionate. I believe they're doing this because they lost a lawsuit and as one of the terms, they had to make public service announcements.

 

[Gary->dee]

They could try almost any other approach and still get the same results:

All of us here at Phillip Morris agree that your mother is a fat disgusting good for nothing pig and that her cooking is one step below vending machine corn nuts. In an effort to relieve you of the stress of us knowing this we will continue to sell you cigarettes and you will smoke them.

Realizing that perhaps one day you may find a wife and raise children of your own if you ever evolve from the habitual loser that you are, we feel it is important to market cigarettes to the next generation as well because afterall your wife won't be able to cook for shit either and eventually your kids will need a good smoke.

Live long and continue to make us prosper.

 

[Hunter P]

Carl, why are you arguing a point that is not in refute? My disgust is not the ends but the means. Try saving your "no shits" for the main topic and not the obvious "PM is a business" stuff. I don't recall saying "PM shouldn't sell cigarettes" or "people shouldn't smoke."

 

[Brian Perry]

I'd love for them to come out with an honest message, such as:

"Cigarettes are like many other risks in life--they provide temporary enjoyment at the expense of possibly causing long-term health problems. Just as eating a cheeseburger is pleasurable but may increase your odds of getting heart disease, smoking cigarettes is something that won't increase your life expectancy. But neither will riding roller coasters, getting drunk, skydiving, or eating pork rinds, all of which are legal activities. So we at PM encourage you to life your life as you see fit, balancing the risks and rewards."

 

[Gary->dee]

LOL too true, Brian. Hell breathing this thick stench they call L.A. smog will likely kill me faster than smoking cigarettes.

 

[cafink]

I don't recall saying "PM shouldn't sell cigarettes"

right here

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

And here I thought this thread was about the new ad campaign:

"Life sucks. We'll help you end it faster."

 

[cafink]

Brian wins.

 

[Paul McElligott]

"Don't Overstay Your Welcome. Smoke Camels."

"Getting Old Sucks. Avoid it with cigarettes."