British American Tobacco launches illegal marketing campaign to promote its new products

Imperial Tobacco Canada, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco (BAT), has launched a new illegal advertising campaign, "Clear the Smoke," to promote its vaping products. This campaign uses a long-standing tobacco industry strategy of using medical/scientific experts as spokespeople for its products to build public credibility.

Through this campaign, BAT seeks to position itself as a legitimate player in reducing the risks associated with tobacco and to reverse certain regulations concerning vaping products.

Using scientific discourse to position oneself as a credible interlocutor

The Clear the Smoke campaign is a new episode in the tobacco industry's efforts to create "scientific controversy" that began in the 1950s.[1]. The industry's campaigns at the time aimed to minimize or even deny the harmful health effects and addictive nature of its products. These campaigns were intended to sow doubt about the scientific evidence showing the harmful effects of tobacco on smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke. Similar to the campaigns deployed decades ago, the current campaign website includes direct quotes from researchers, governments, and public health agencies (WHO Europe office, Centers for Disease Control, Canadian Ministry of Health, etc.) on vaping products.

The following statements can be read there:

“E-cigarettes expose users to fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes.” - Centers for Disease Control

“Completely replacing cigarettes with vaping will reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals.” - Ministry of Health of Canada

"There is conclusive evidence that completely substituting electronic delivery systems for cigarettes reduces users' exposure to many of the toxic and carcinogenic products present in cigarettes." WHO European Office

Distributed on social media, newspapers, and public displays, these statements are often not presented in context and do not refer to the source document. In an interview, the president of Imperial Tobacco Canada[2] says there is a "lack of understanding" about vaping products, especially regarding the positive role they can play in reducing tobacco-related harm. This is due, he says, to a lack of "accurate, credible, and independent information on the subject."

In reality, this discourse is part of the tobacco industry's strategy of reconquest in recent years, which positions itself in its communication in favor of a "smoke-free world" through new tobacco and nicotine products that it presents as "safer" products. The tobacco industry uses vaping products as an icebreaker for the promotion of other tobacco products, notably heated tobacco.

Canadian federal law prohibits promotions with health claims and information.

Although BAT's campaign does not directly display the branding of its vaping products, Clear the Smoke meets the definition of a promotion under the Federal Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA): “a representation of a product or service by any means, directly or indirectly, including any communication of information about a product or service, its price and distribution, that is likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviors toward the product or service”This law therefore applies to all forms of promotion of vaping products, not just promotions that mention brands or contain specific brand elements.

The law also states that vendors are prohibited from promoting vaping products by using testimonials or endorsements, creating false impressions about health effects, claiming that “health benefits may be derived” from vaping, or suggesting that vaping is safer than smoking.

Similar tactics used in France

In France, the manufacturer BAT also uses a similar, scientifically-based narrative to directly promote its "Vuse" brand vaping products online and at points of sale. BAT positions its products as healthier alternatives to traditional smoking by heavily promoting the scientific testing of its products. This communication around the risk reduction strategy is similar to that deployed by the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris with its heated tobacco product IQOS.

By denying the toxicity of its new products, whatever they may be, and by offering them indiscriminately as safer alternatives, the industry seeks to maintain or even expand its markets in France. It also aims to improve its image by presenting itself as a player offering solutions to the problem it creates while seeking to divide healthcare stakeholders by exploiting the notion of risk reduction.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE