South Africa: Influencers promote IQOS

Tobacco companies are banned from advertising their products, so they are reaching out to social media influencers to blur the lines between what is legal and what is not. In early 2019, Phillip Morris South Africa hosted the launch of its new IQOS product in Johannesburg and Cape Town, inviting local celebrities, and then in April sent MetroFm talk show host Pearl Modiadie to Italy to open Milan Design Week. In South Africa, Modiadie is one of the most prominent influencers sharing information about IQOS. Milan Design Week attracts hundreds of designers each year to showcase their latest innovations. Among the new attractions this year is IQOS, Philip Morris International’s new heated tobacco product, IQOS being short for “I Quit Ordinary Smoking.” While in Milan, Modiadie posted about 20 posts about the IQOS exhibition on her Instagram Stories. His posts are followed by more than 2 million followers and they included short videos of the IQOS exhibition as well as an interview with Rishaad Hajee, marketing director of Philip Morris, in which he talks about IQOS as a better option for traditional smokers: " The technology can still provide the taste satisfaction of tobacco, but it reduces the levels of harmful components [found] in cigarettes " he tells Modiadie. South Africa's Tobacco Products Control Act of 1993 prohibits tobacco advertising. In addition, a 1999 amendment to the Act went even further by prohibiting any sponsorship of tobacco products (sponsored sporting events, celebrities using the product's brand, etc.). Finally, in 2009, the law was tightened again by stipulating that tobacco companies are prohibited from advertising not only directly, but also indirectly through a third party. In the age of the hashtag, legal experts warn that South African influencers could now be in breach of the law, especially as new research shows that tobacco companies around the world are increasingly using social media to appeal to young customers. Read the full article (in English) ©Tobacco Free Generation

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