TobaccoReviews

UK was the first Member State, which launched plain packaging on cigarette packs. In accordance with this bill all cigarette packages marketed in UK should be identical in size, shape, be without any logos, pictures, without eye-catching colors and of course to include graphic health warnings.

After the introduction in UK of cigarette plain packages bill, several cigarette producers started to think how to make their cigarette packages suit the new boundaries but to stay away from losing their personality. Time for such modifications left quite a bit, as the regulation was adopted before May 2023.

The first, who tried to show its concepts about how a new cigarette package design should be like, was a well-known producer of tobacco products Philip Morris. PM released past year its new Marlboro plain packaging for five Marlboro packages: Marlboro Red, Gold, Silver Blue, Ice Blast and White Menthol.

The new cigarette package design had been launched in France last year and introduced past summer. The design is described by the entire lack of any labels and logos; the design is maintained just in two colors.

Cigarette packages have kept the familiar Marlboro chevron – red strip on white background for Marlboro Red, green strip on a white background for White Menthol, blue strip on black background for Ice Blast, golden strap on a white background for Gold and blue on white for Marlboro Silver Blue.

Over half a package will bear graphic health warnings. Based on the company associates, along with packaging modifications and cigarettes will be transformed too, of course for the better, the Marlboro brand-new design displays the “continuous advancement of the brand over its 90 year history” – Philip Morris representatives explained.

Obviously, producers still are concerned that to cigarette users may look that Marlboro cigarettes will lose their special taste. Philip Morris managing director for the UK – Martin Inkster explained, that this renovation will “guarantee that adult smokers get the high-quality smoking experience ever possible” and these new packs» include the world’s best-selling cigarette selection”.

Marlboro cigarettes will also have a new tipping paper styles and have been improved to contain a firm filter that definitely will not prevent Marlboro fans to take pleasure in deep and rich tobacco taste, so typical for this well-known cigarette brand.

The world’s view of smoking habit has changed considerably throughout the last millennium. This famous habit was one time considered as something trendy, appealing and was typically enjoyed by many people. It was promoted on TV and billboards by popular superstars and sportsmen. Practically no one would be found acting in a film without smoking a cigarette. Even so in recent times the global recognition of cigarette consumption is reduced primarily due to the massive anti-smoking activities occurring all over the world. If you are interested in some cigarette facts, please look through the ones listed below.

• Cigarettes till present are the most traded products in the world, with approximately 1 trillion being sold from country to country each year. With about $400 billion, it is one of the world’s largest industries.

• At present U.S. tobacco manufacturers yield more funds trading cigarettes to countries around the world than they do to Americans.

• Legendary American cigarette brands such as Marlboro, Camel and Winston own around 70% of the world cigarette market.

• In the vast majority of countries all over the world, the legal age for the purchase of tobacco products is at present 18, raised from 16, not to say that in Japan the minimum age is currently 20 years old.

• In contrast to well-known social belief, it is not banned to smoke tobacco products at any age. Parents determine to allow their children to light up, and teenagers are within the law to smoke cigarettes without restraint. However, the sale of tobacco products is massively ruled with legal legislation.

• Based on estimations, the U.S. states with the major percentage of cigarette users are thought to be: Kentucky with around 28.7%, Indiana with 27.3%, and Tennessee owning 26.8%, while the states with the smallest smoking rates are: Utah -11.5%, California – 15.2%, and Connecticut- 16.5%.

• The United States is without doubt the largest cigarette market in the entire world in which the rate of women using cigarettes is 25% approaching to the 35% of men who smoke. Europe has a larger gap – 46% of men as compared to 26% of women smokers.

The client came to us with a new product – a stronger smelling “aromatic” tobacco. the task was to come up with multiple ways to market this new product. My concept was to package it as a “72” – a shorter cigarette, due to the more intense flavor.

A range of advertisements from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) made promises that are not able to be well-founded and cracked the UK advertising code based on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA has declared that the advertisements in a number of nationwide magazines in September 2019 were deceptive and that JTI is unable to state that “the illicit market in tobacco is growing”.

The most current conclusion is in reaction to issues produced by Cancer Research UK and follows an earlier ruling in March about prior adverts, when the ASA informed JTI it could not declare that the Government had totally “declined” the policy of plain packaging for cigarettes in 2008. JTI started a £2 million advertising campaign in July 2019 disagree the strategy of placing all smoking products in plain packages of standard size, shape and design. JTI’s most recent advertising campaign utilizes a 2018 letter between civil servants in the UK and Australia in one more attempt to disrepute plain, standardized packages as being without facts.

Australia launched standard packages in December 2019.
The continuing use of this kind of advertising budget to attempt to prevent this measure highlights the industry’s worry of how efficient this step will be in decreasing the appeal of their products.
The judgment mentioned that JTI had themselves recognized that the questionable trade in smoking products has apparently been a decreasing trend in the last ten years.

JTI was also advised it could not state that the UK had experienced “£3 billion lost in unpaid duty in 2019”. The ASA also mentioned that because the advertisement included an image of a cigarette package, it was not evident that the figure was meant to link to a matched total for both cigarettes and hand-rolled tobacco.
Sarah Woolnough, Cancer Research UK’s representative stated:  “This demonstrates that more of Japan Tobacco’s statements are deceiving. The tobacco industry has concentrated its opposition to plain packages on a claim the black trade would boost. Independent experts have frequently mentioned these statements do not have any sense. As JTI launched its newest round of national advertisements, this choice comes as an opportune reminder about an industry that just cannot be dependable on public health policy.