Europe wants F1 to kick tobacco habit
Quote selected text Published by clive August 31st, 2007 in Main
The European Commission has vowed to redouble its efforts to stub-out formula one’s persistent last links to tobacco.
The EC’s health commissioner Markos Kyprianou will specifically target Ferrari, the last team on the grid still accepting sponsorship from a cigarette brand (Marlboro), and the three race venues that allow trackside tobacco-related adverts, according to the Financial Times.
“Formula one race drivers are viewed as heroes,” Kyprianou said.
“They can become role models. So the young people watch these people with tobacco signs on their chest and the wrong message goes out.”
The consultancy firm Sport+Markt estimates the value of Ferrari’s Marlboro contract at $200m, making it one of the most lucrative in F1 despite the team not being able to display the logos at many events because of the European Union’s 2005 ban.
Kyprianou is also reported to have met this week with Monaco’s Prince Albert, urging him to disallow cigarette advertising for the historic grand prix there.
F1 venues China and Bahrain also allow tobacco signage.
‘FT’, however, said Kyprianou was unlikely to win the support of F1’s governing body because the European Union does not share a good relationship with the FIA.
Bookmark to:
- Europe asks China to stop F1 smoking
- Ferrari to run Marlboro branding in 2007
- Group wants Ferrari sponsor Marlboro butted out
- No more Marlboro logos for Ferrari
- Advert ban looms for Bahrain’s F1 race
What has puzzled me this year is why Marlboro would pay so much for so little. Three races and a car that isn’t even painted in their red anymore…
Clive, I think that when we are looking at a Ferrari, we think Marlboro even if the sign is not there.
True, John. I wonder how long that will last.
Another interesting thing is the bar code design the Ferraris are putting on the rear wing this year. I’ve often wondered, if you ran a bar code scanner over it, would it pop up on the screen as a pack of Marlboros…?
The real question would be lights or regulars.
“They can become role models. So the young people watch these people with tobacco signs on their chest and the wrong message goes out.”
This is a stupid statement in my opinion
Honestly, who would start smoking because of a sing on a car or a driver?
Do we really think that “young people” watching a F1 race would be more interested on the publicity on a driver or car, rather than the actual race?
If I’m new to the sport, I will probably be curious on what those bar codes means.
I’m a smoker and I agree 100% with not being able to smoke in restaurants or in public places, but this is a bit too much
I’m a smoker too, John, and I can guarantee that this comments system will never become a smoke-free zone.
The message goes out but it is debatable how many receive it. Since so much is spent on advertising, I can only presume that there is some return on the investment - and I have always thought that the main function of advertising is to get the product name known. It may well be, therefore, that people are influenced by words written on a Formula 1 car (if they can read them as the car zooms by); they might come to know the name at least. Had you ever heard of Mild Seven before they started sponsoring the Benetton team, for instance?
But whether that means that they are immediately going to rush out and buy the product is a different matter entirely. I know that I have never smoked a Mild Seven; although if my local store had run out of my brand and Mild Seven was one of those still available, I might try it. It’s debatable how effective the mere name of a cigarette encourages non-smokers to try it, however. I know that advertising had nothing to do with my own reasons for starting…