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Smoke Free Movies has launched a series of print advertisements
in the Daily Variety and other publications.
This advertisement first ran in the Daily Variety
on April 25, 2006.
Mickey
Mouse and the Marlboro Man
Disney
and Philip Morris USA have the same ad agency. Not that
it means anything.
Of
all major studios, Disney would appear to have the most
brand equity to lose by pushing tobacco at kids.
Perhaps that’s why The Disney Company was the
first major media company to announce a policy on tobacco
in film, in late 2004.
Unfortunately,
Disney’s policy seems more intent on protecting
the Disney brand than protecting Disney’s audience.
For
example, the company pledges to reduce tobacco content
in Disney-branded movies—almost all G/PG-rated
and contributing little to kids’ total exposure
to tobacco on screen. But it makes only nebulous promises
about its prolific PG-13 film labels: Touchstone and
Miramax.
Disney’s
policy has been in effect for more than a year, time
enough to see how well it works.
Results:
The percentage of Disney’s live-action releases
with tobacco shows no substantial change since Disney
adopted its tobacco policy.
Bottom-line:
Since 1999, tobacco incidents in Disney films have recruited
an estimated average of 66,000 new teen smokers, annually,
worth $690 million in lifetime sales revenue (npv) to
Philip Morris and other tobacco giants.*
Put
another way, for every $1 Disney Studio Entertainment
generated in 2005 operating income, it also generated
about 72¢ in profit for Big Tobacco.
What
can other film companies and their corporate parents
learn from Disney’s Mickey Mouse effort?
1]
When you make corporate policy on tobacco in film, follow
the basic management rule: the policy must be concrete
and verifiable. Vague terms and waffling language provide
neither internal guidance nor external reassurance.
2]
Delay gains nothing. Global consensus solidly opposes
promoting tobacco to young people. The film industry
has big enough challenges without acting like Big Tobacco’s
sidekick. You’re going to have to do the right
thing some time. Who goes first gets the most credit.
3]
Using the industry’s existing rating system to
discourage tobacco in G, PG and PG-13 movies breaks
no new ground. Creative freedom is unimpaired.
4] Just get tobacco out of kid-rated movies. It’s
really that simple.
[PHOTO
CAPTION]
Philip
Morris (alias Altria) no stranger to other media giants
Time
Warner CEO Richard Parsons [L] sat on Philip Morris’
board for ten years. Since 1999, Warner Bros. has delivered
an estimated 10 billion tobacco impressions to U.S.
theater audiences alone. News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch
[R] served on Philip Morris’ board and PM’s
ex-chairman Geoffrey Bible sat on News Corp.’s.
[TABLE]
The
Disney Company’s track record on tobacco
Brand
Display (Top-Grossing Films):
89
percent of the tobacco brands displayed in Disney films
1991-2004 were Philip Morris brands; 78 percent were
Marlboro
%
of Films with Tobacco (1999-2005):
RATING
DISNEY INDUSTRY AVG.
G/PG 40% 44%
PG-13 84% 74%
R-rated 93% 85%
%
with Tobacco under Announced Policy
RATING
2004 2005
G/PG 44% 43%
PG-13 73% 71%
R-rated 100% 100%
View all studo track records at SmokeFreeMovies.ucsf.edu
The
R-rating, among other Smoke Free Movies policy proposals,
is endorsed by the World Health Organization, American
Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Heart Association, American Lung Association,
American Legacy Foundation, Campaign for Tobacco-Free
Kids, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Society
for Adolescent Medicine, L.A. County Dept. of Health
Services, and others. This project is supported by the
Arimathea Fund of the Tides Foundation and other donors.
To explore this critical health issue, visit our web
site or write: Smoke Free Movies, UCSF School of Medicine,
San Francisco, CA 94143-1390.
*Methodology
at http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/problem/new_smokers.html
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