Ferrari F1 barcode a ‘smokescreen for cigarette adverts’

I think Ferrari is certainly going to get a lot of latitude on a Ferrari site, and many disagree with the tobacco ban on race car advertising (me included).

However, for those who feel Ferrari is doing nothing wrong... what is PM paying them $100mm a year for, then? PM, as an established company who knows plenty about advertising, must be paying for the promotion value of Ferrari promoting their products.

If you disagree, then what is PM paying $100mm/yr to Ferrari for?

I think putting the barcode on the car was a stroke of advertising genius. If they put any text or any logo - even, for example, just a big green dot, it would clearly just be representative of PM/Marlboro. What they did it put something weird, unknown, unintelligible on the car. Everyone I know who follows F1 knows that the barcode is the Marlboro branded part of the car. Just like advertising for a movie like Cloverfield where they don't tell you the name of the movie or what it's about - just put a bunch of shocking scenes on the screen and wait for the consumer to seek out info. Same thing.... put a recognizable but un-associated image on the car and claim you're not advertising.

But I don't see how anyone could say they are not. At the most basic level, that's what PM paid Ferrari for, right? If not, then what was the $100mm/yr for?

 

He is....down in the Bahamas!!!

 

Shell didn't like my Royal Purple either.

I placated them , by accepting the RainX and Black Magic....it's all good.

Lost my Dad to lung cancer too, he only smoked in WW2 when they were shooting at him.
Go figure.....

 

In my opinion...

Any product that is legally produced, marketed and consumed should be free to advertise. It's called a free market. People should be able to decide what products they will or will not purchase. It's called choice and responsibility.

Tobacco is neither regulated (to any great extent) nor banned. It is a huge revenue producer for governments worldwide. So, who are the cynics....tobacco industry or governments?

I smoked cigarette for about 20 years. What brand advertised on the side of which race car had absolutely no influence on which or how many cigarettes I smoked. But it's a simple case for lazy social engineers to make to an even lazier public, so we go with it....

Jack

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned the millions who have died of lung cancer and never smoked a day in their life, whatup with that??

 

..or the healthy non-smokers, killed in flaming Ferraris! LOL!

 

More boredom

 

As tempting as it is to argue over the Nanny State, Tobacco advertising ban its a matter of settled law.
The question is what effects Ferrari's circumvention of the rule will have.

 

Unless the barcode on the Ferraris and Ferrari regalia is identical to the code on a pack or carton of Marlboros (if that's been established, sorry, I must have missed it), then this is just whining.

 

Lewis Hamilton, by accepting $$ from Jonnie Walker, is directly promoting liver disease; Period.

Your argument is invalid. And why are you against the barcode? Does it make you want to smoke? It sure doesn't make me want to, so I couldn't care less about it. A barcode won't appeal to a child the way Joe Camel does, so the only people understanding the barcode advertising are adults who should know better anyway.

Any legal product should be free to advertise. If the government doesn't want it marketed to it's citizens, then why is it legal therein to consume?

 

Since you feel so strongly about it, I presume that you have ceased to buy their products and have terminated all other activities that in any way promote or support those cancer promoters. Right?

 

And what happens if it turns out that the bar code actually reads: "FERRARI" ? (which is what I would have it say).

Surely it would be a bit difficult to link a bar code on a Ferrari that reads as: "FERRARI" to a tobacco company who do not use the barcode design as a registered trademark or as any kind of advertising for their own company?.

This would mean that the only relevant link to Marlboro would be the colour of the car, but as Ferrari have already shown, they've got that angle covered nicely already anyway.

 

You think that: " Any legal product should be free to advertise" but the UK and other countries don't and restrict Tobacco Advertising so it really doesn't matter what you or any of us think.

All that matters is whether or not UK regulators feel that The Barcode breaks the Ban on Tobacco advertising on UK TV.

If they rule that it does it's gone or F1 races won't be broadcast in the UK.

 

Once again all that matters is how the UK regulators rule. Now that Politicians have jumped on the Band Wagon IMO anything could happen.

 

Have you stopped beating your wife?

 

See My post #112. What if the barcode actually reads: "FERRARI".


Also, who forced the smokers to start smoking?. Does someone hold a gun to their heads or do they volunteer to start from their own free will?.

Do smokers start smoking without knowing the risks to their health in this day and age?, I don't think so!. It's a gamble with their own lives that they choose to take,nobody forces them to do it.

I've watched Ferrari race for over 30 years with varying degrees of tobacco advertising on them and yet I've never felt that I had to start smoking because it was on the Ferrari. I chose not to smoke through My own free will, just as smokers choose to smoke.

I can't help feeling that the anger shown towards people being encouraged to smoke would be better directed at Hollywood and the TV companies who like to show how "COOL" it is to smoke after a bit of action. That to Me is far more damaging than a bar code on an F1 car.

 

I may totally disagree with you but least you're honest. A bit of Hollywood never hurt anyone...

 

All that matters is how the regulators see it and I doubt they'll be asking me about how they should rule.

 

But you're debating the validity of a tobacco advertising ban. That isn't up for debate.. it is the law in the UK. When you get pulled over for speeding, the cops won't want to hear that in your view, the speed limit is just way too low. What they will care about is whether you were exceeding the limit or not.

Same with the tobacco ad ban. We may feel it is unwarranted, but the bottom line is that it is the law. And as such, all that matters is whether Ferrari is breaking that law. And if one claims they are not, then what is PM paying $100mm to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro for then, if not for advertising?

 

Unless the barcode on the Ferrari and associated items is, in fact, Marlboro barcode, I don't see how the ban on tobacco advertising applies. What's so complicated about that?

I'm strongly opposed to the use of the faux barcode on the Ferrari......BECAUSE IT'S FARKING UGLY!....not because it's going to compel some nine year old kid in Indonesia to start smoking. Because it won't.

 

Everything is complicated within the EU. Tobacco advertising ban falls under a EU directive that pretty much bans it in F1: No ands, ifs or buts. In addition the member nations have their own laws that are often even stricter but also contain exemptions --or loopholes, if you will-- to presumably prevent damage to local economies. In the case of UK, I believe they could apply a "global audience" or other such exemption if the government decides that it would maximize their election result. Many EU member nations have been in violation of various EU directives for years without any real consequences.

 

I'm more concerned about the frigging smoke and ash coming from that Icelandic volcano.

At this rate its gonna spoil my holiday plans, its kicked off again..

Philip Morris, whose financial backing of Ferrari is in place until the end of next season, said: “We are confident that our relationship with Ferrari does not violate the UK 2002 Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act.

Whether or not they are who knows/cares. If there are to be campaigns justified by public health concerns then there should also be advertising bans on junk food, as this is the cause of far more trouble in the world today, a fact highlighted by the rising obesity statistics in the world.

I really have a job believing PM gets value for money with a bar code..however its a avenue thats probably going to get closed, to keep the peace.

Motorsport is a dangerous habit full stop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wud8X8pucuo&feature=player_embedded

 

Perhaps they are massive Ferrari fans and just want to make sure Ferrari can afford to go racing!.

The point I'm making is that it is yet to proven that, because some people think the barcode graphic represents Marlboro, that it is indeed the case.

Marlboro do not use the barcode on any of their products or in any of their advertising. It is not a design that they have as a registered as a trademark anywhere in the world. They don't own any part of it!. In fact, the only people who use this type of design on their products are Ferrari and Ducati (who seem to have no problem with each other using it!), and so far ferrari are saying that it's their design, not Marlboro's.
As it appears on a Ferrari product and not on any of Marlboro's, how can it be argued that it is in fact Marlboro's?.


The argument people seem to be coming out with is that it is advertising a product - by not advertising a product! (and that's going to be pretty hard to argue in a court of law as I see it).


The law states that it is against the law to show tobacco logo's and insignia's for sponsorship and advertising (which as noted above,the barcode is not as Marlboro do not use it or own it). The law does not stipulate that a team cannot legally use money from a tobacco company in any way, shape or form.

Don't forget by the way, that Philip Morris Tobacco have said that they are more than happy to continue to sponsor Ferrari to the same amount, even if they have to have their name removed from the Team's title and have no direct links whatsoever to the team. Until the law changes to ban the use of any tobacco money in any way,shape or form, then Ferrari are doing nothing wrong.

 

Take comfort in knowing that many are wishing devoutly that you'll be leaving
Got to admire some one who takes volcanic activity as a personal affront

 

You Bstrd.. like you wouldn't whine you if it spoilt your holiday..