United States: RJ Reynolds appears in NASCAR via a brand of nicotine pouches

On April 7, 2025, Kaulig Racing formalized its expanded partnership with Grizzly Nicotine Pouches, a product distributed by American Snuff Company, a subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc., which is itself owned by British American Tobacco. Already featured on the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Ty Dillon in nine races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, the brand is now expanding its visibility to the No. 16 car driven by veteran AJ Allmendinger.

This partnership will be effective from the first key events of the 2025 season.[1]The Grizzly livery will be visible at major competitions such as those held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana and Watkins Glen International in New York State. Grizzly asserts its presence in the NASCAR universe with communication built around values such as determination, performance and the virile character of motor racing.

The association of nicotine pouch consumption with a sporty lifestyle

This partnership illustrates a now well-known strategy of the tobacco and nicotine industry, which is to associate its products with spectacular sporting environments, such as motor racing.[2], which convey an image of virility, power, speed and self-improvement. This staging clearly targets an audience composed mainly of young men, historically at the heart of the commercial targets of this type of product. This communication associating sport and consumption of these products refers to strategies already observed in other disciplines, notably baseball[3]-[4], where the consumption of nicotine pouches has grown significantly among young athletes.

Nicotine pouches are often presented as modern, clean, and socially acceptable alternatives to traditional tobacco products. Their image is based on a graphic and lexical universe borrowed from sports and performance. Packaging, product names, and online advertising echo the codes of the sports lifestyle. The same was true for e-cigarettes at the time of their launch.

Anti-smoking organizations like the Truth Initiative in the United States and the National Committee Against Smoking in France highlight the striking similarity between campaigns promoting nicotine pouches and e-cigarettes. The pitch relies on dynamic staging, a sympathetic tone, a visual universe inspired by adventure or racing, and a strong presence on social media popular with young adults. The proliferation of sports partnerships allows these brands to circumvent advertising restrictions in force on nicotine products, while still benefiting from broad visibility.

An old strategy, but still effective for the tobacco industry

The tobacco industry's use of motorsport as a means of communication is nothing new. In 1971, the RJ Reynolds group's Winston brand became the title sponsor of the NASCAR series, which was renamed the Winston Cup Series until 2003. This alliance helped make NASCAR a mass-market event in the United States, while also ensuring the brand widespread exposure, including to a teenage audience.

In Formula 1, giants like Philip Morris International, with Marlboro, and British American Tobacco, with the McLaren team, have maintained their presence over the decades. These connections still exist today in more discreet forms: technological partnerships, lifestyle platforms, or stylized logos, all of which help maintain an implicit association between the brand and the competition.

The use of visual and symbolic messages associating nicotine consumption with a dynamic, sporty, and valued lifestyle contributes to trivializing these products, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Their presentation as "less risky" alternatives fosters dangerous confusion among young people, especially when their promotion relies on popular icons from the world of sport. The visible presence of these brands in paddocks, on drivers' outfits, or on racing cars contributes to the implicit legitimization of their consumption.

Partnerships under surveillance

As nicotine brands increase their presence in motor racing, health associations are calling for vigilance and the discontinuation of these partnerships. In France, the CNCT (National Center for Trade and Industry) has obtained the removal of the logo. Mission Winnow Philip Morris International during Formula 1 races[5] the very existence of this sponsorship contract being deemed unlawful. In the Netherlands[6], health organizations have also contacted the authorities to denounce the use of the logo of the nicotine brand VELO (from British American Tobacco) on the McLaren team's single-seaters, believing that this communication circumvented the bans on advertising and sponsorship of tobacco products.

These steps are part of a very clear international context, that of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which prohibits all forms of advertising and sponsorship. The ratification of this international treaty by more than 180 countries has led to the removal of tobacco giants from motorsports. But the stakes are so high for these manufacturers that they are trying to return to the sport through new products launched on the market. The issue of sponsorship in motorsports thus highlights the challenge of enforcing advertising and sponsorship bans for all tobacco industry products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Strengthens Kaulig Racing for 2025 NASCAR, BVM Sports, published April 8, 2025, accessed April 9, 2025

[2] Tobacco-free generation, The tobacco industry and motor sports, published April 9, 2021, accessed April 9, 2025

[3] Tobacco-free generation, Baseball, a historic advertising medium for the tobacco industry, published June 30, 2023, accessed April 9, 2025

[4] Tobacco and baseball have a long, shared history. Is Zyn the latest chapter? Truth Initiative, published May 13, 2024, accessed April 9, 2025

[5] Press release, French Grand Prix at Le Mans: Justice rules in favor of the CNCT and prevents Philip Morris from returning to the circuits, CNCT, published May 15, 2019, consulted April 9, 2025

[6] Tobacco-free generation, Netherlands: Complaint filed against McLaren for advertising VELO nicotine pouches during Formula 1 championship, published August 23, 2023, accessed April 9, 2025