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Anne LandmanPosting Date:  Thursday, June 30, 2005
Marlboro Country Music Festival - Spain, Oct. 1987 
Company/Source Collection: Philip Morris
Document Date: 15 Oct 1987
Length: 2 pages
Bates No. 2500023074/3075
URL of this posting: http://www.smokefree.net/doc-alert/messages/247110.html
Document Images Only: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/dnt32e00

     This Philip Morris (PM) marketing memo shows how sponsoring musical events
allows cigarette makers to circumvent established laws, rules and regulations
restricting tobacco marketing.  In 1987 Marlboro sponsored a musical festival in
Madrid, Spain called the "Marlboro Country Music Festival."  The writer of this
internal memo, apparently from PM's marketing department in Spain, not only
brags that the event helped PM reach a young audience, but also describes how
the event helped PM get cheap and even free air time to advertise the "Marlboro"
brand widely across Spain while evading a number of Spanish laws and regulations
restricting tobacco promotion:

  "...the number one Spanish radio network broadcast the show free of charge and
with continuous mentioning of our brand Marlboro throughout the Country."
  "The scheduling of this Marlboro Country Music Festival gave us the
opportunity to place advertising in national television at half the price
charged to tobacco products, to advertise at time periods when tobacco is not
allowed (before 9:00 PM), and to mention continuously the name of Marlboro,
instead of Marlboro Lights, as it is required by the present Spanish law." 

    The insights provided by this memo show that Philip Morris failed to respect
Spanish laws designed to restrict tobacco promotion, and presents good public
health arguments for banning tobacco company sponsorship of musical events, both
in the U.S. and foreign countries.   

    Quotes 
  The second Marlboro Country Music Festival took place last Friday, October, 9,
at the Parque de Atracciones - Casa de Campo in Madrid.
  PM Services' organization presented to young audiences the most advanced state
of the art technology staging, and the performance of the long awaited reunion
of the legendary group "The Band," with special guest Doctor John...

  The young, enthusiastic audience cheerfully enjoyed the show and the cold
autumn evening, even at the end of the concert, when a sudden shower couldn't
stop the performance of the high spirit of the public.

  In the meantime, a five-camera crew taped the whole show for future
broadcasting in the Spanish Television Network, that will be viewed by an
audience of millions, as well as in the various Latin American countries that
have already requested this program.

  Cadena "SER," the number one Spanish radio network broadcast the show free of
charge and with continuous mentioning of our brand Marlboro throughout the
Country.

  Two of the main TV newscast programs in Spain reported the event at prime-time
programming hours.  

  The scheduling of this Marlboro Country Music Festival gave us the opportunity
to place advertising in national television at half the price charged to tobacco
products, to advertise at time periods when tobacco is not allowed (before 9:00
PM), and to mention continuously the name of Marlboro, instead of Marlboro
Lights, as it is required by the present Spanish law. 

  The strong advertising campaign on TV, radio, press and outdoor was conducted
in support of this promotion, in an effort to reach our young consumers target
group and to improve the awareness of Marlboro as a sponsor of high quality
international events. 

  A videocassette with the edited TV program of the Festival will be circulated
to the Region in the near future.  Enclosed please find samples of the
hand-program and the first press clippings reporting the success of this
promotion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
  Company 
  Philip Morris
  Author 
  Gaintan-Rojo, Eduardo
  Recipient 

  Marketing Managers (at Philip Morris)
  Region 
  Spain
  Litigation 
  STMN/PRODUCED Request Number: STMN/R1-093 
  Named Person 

  Type 
  Memorandum 
  Subject 
          Promotions, advertising, sponsorship, music

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