Influencers Promote VELO Nicotine Pouches to Teens and Young Adults on Instagram

An analysis by the US organisation Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) of a British American Tobacco (BAT) Instagram campaign promoting VELO nicotine pouches shows that more than a quarter of their social media audience was aged 12 to 24. Lifestyle influencers were used to run the ads, which promoted the products in an attractive and ‘trendy’ way.

Eleven influencers posted 48 messages to an audience of over 1.4 million people, the majority of whom were in the UK. According to Klear, a social listening platform that analyses influencer audiences, 28,% of the audience who viewed this content were under the age of 24.

Since The Guardian newspaper[1] reported the campaign to Instagram, the company owned by META, and the content was removed.

Facebook and Instagram are banning ads that promote the sale or use of tobacco or nicotine “unless they are cessation products.” Meta has pledged to ban any ads that promote tobacco products, vaporizers, e-cigarettes or any other product that simulates smoking.

Lifestyle influencers who promote nicotine pouches as a cool product

British American Tobacco’s digital marketing for its new nicotine products directly targets teenagers and young adults. Influencers present VELO nicotine pouches as a trendy product that is part of their daily lives and can be consumed anywhere. By using DJs, influencers and video gamers, BAT ensures that they reach this target audience, including non-smokers and potential new customers. They associate a highly addictive product with socially valued situations.

For example, one of the influencers identified was D'vey, a London-based disco and house DJ with 62,000 followers on Instagram. In a video shared on social media, he performs at a ski resort. The caption of one of his posts read, "Giving them a show on the snow. Come with me to Tomorrowland Winter."[2] " It is followed by the hashtag #youvegotvelo. The content has since been removed by Instagram.

Caroline Renzulli, head of international communications for CTFK, pointed out that VELO's marketing presented nicotine pouches as a "cool product that you should try even if you're not a smoker."

In France, the manufacturer that also sells the VELO brand uses very similar digital marketing on Instagram by associating the consumption of nicotine sachets with certain practices or privileged moments, notably high-level sports but also social events such as concerts or moments with friends.

Influencers are also used in France to directly promote nicotine pouches at music events.

The Harm Reduction Argument Widely Used to Promote Nicotine Pouches

In 2020, British American Tobacco had already deployed a similar digital campaign on TikTok to promote its other brand of nicotine pouches: Lyft[3].

According to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the manufacturer had deployed a £1 billion marketing campaign relying heavily on social media and event sponsorship to promote its new products. The tobacco company heavily promoted the "harm reduction" argument in its product presentation, stating that there are 99% fewer harmful substances than a regular cigarette and that nicotine pouches are a good alternative to tobacco.

On the VELO France homepage, a product presentation video indicating these arguments is highlighted.

This strategy has several advantages for the tobacco industry: it increases the consumer base while reassuring current nicotine consumers and facilitates pressure on decision-makers to relax existing rules for these new products. BAT and other tobacco manufacturers are thus resuming a communication in which they highlight health effects, often unproven.

Keywords: VELO, Instagram, influencers, British American Tobacco, nicotine pouches, digital marketing

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[1] Sarah Marsh, Instagram influencers advertising nicotine products to young people, charity warns, The Guardian, published June 12, accessed the same day

[2] Tomorrowland is an electronic music festival

[3] Generation without tobacco, BAT invests £1bn to promote new products to young people, published on February 23, 2021, consulted on June 12, 2023