Letter from the Chairman, British American
Tobacco, to the Clerk of the Committee (TB 28A)
Mindful of the assurance I gave Mr Hinchliffe
at the outset of yesterday's rather lengthy session, I have been
reflecting upon my answer to the question concerning the use of
cartoon characters in advertising.
I believe that I said that to the best of my
knowledge British American Tobacco companies had not used cartoon
characters in tobacco advertising. I felt it appropriate to check
subsequently whether my recollection was supported by the facts.
My answer was accurate in respect to the UK although you will
appreciate that British American Tobacco, before the recent merger
with Rothmans, had virtually no business in the UK, even though
we have had major manufacturing and research facilities here.
However, I have been advised that cartoon characters have been
used in a small number of markets overseas on a very limited basis
and typically many years ago. In more recent years certain of
British American Tobacco's operating companies in Latin America,
as licensees of R J Reynolds Camel brand, have used some "Joe
Camel" advertising. Whilst I do not believe or accept that
this type of advertising was in any way directed at attracting
under-age smokers, or indeed had that effect[1].
I can confirm that we do not now use cartoon characters in any
of our tobacco advertising.
I also believe that I stated that the first
major Doll and Hill epidemiologic study was published in 1952.
That should have been 1950.
14 January 2000
1 The US regulatory body for advertising, the Federal
Trade Commission, investigated the charge that "Joe Camel"
adverts were increasing the incidence of smoking and concluded,
in 1994, that there was no evidence to support the allegation.
In 1997, the FTC reopened the investigation in repsonse, RJ Reynolds
claimed, to poliltical pressure. This further investigation was
not completed after RJ Reynolds announced that they would drop
the campaign. Back
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