Invitation to Roland-Garros: Philip Morris tries to seduce journalists

A Politico article reveals that the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris is organizing a major communication campaign with more than sixty journalists, as part of the tennis tournament at Roland-Garros. The objective: to improve its public image, and impose its arguments in the public debate on tobacco regulation.

More than a thousand euros for an invitation to Roland-Garros

The newspaper indicates that around sixty journalists from the national and specialist press have been invited by the cigarette manufacturer to attend the Roland-Garros matches. In addition to the tournament itself, the manufacturer is planning several gourmet lunches prepared by Potel and Chabot. These “hospitality offers”, estimated at more than a thousand euros per invitation by Politico, will be an opportunity for the manufacturer to develop its key themes with journalists: illicit trade, taxation and social responsibility. During the women's semi-finals, the multinational also plans to discuss the issue of media coverage of tobacco, while the CEO of Philip Morris France will chair the lunch on Saturday, June 8, the day of the men's semi-final. According to Politico, the Philip Morris press agency stated that this communication operation did not give rise to a request for articles. However, a communication operation of this magnitude, a fortiori aimed at journalists, its primary purpose is to maintain privileged relations with the press and obtain favorable media coverage, and indirectly, influence public debate.

Parallel markets, taxation: a busy agenda for the cigarette manufacturer

This invitation by the cigarette manufacturer comes at a crucial time for the cigarette manufacturer and the tobacco industry as a whole. Indeed, a few days earlier, a parliamentary assessment mission delivered its conclusions on behavioral taxation in the health sector (tobacco, alcohol, sugary or sweetened drinks), calling on the public authorities to reinstate a tax trajectory, with the recommendation of introducing a pack of cigarettes at 25 euros by 2040, or a strict alignment of the taxation of heated tobacco with that of manufactured cigarettes. These proposals are a serious cause for concern for the cigarette manufacturer, especially since the report downplays the importance of parallel markets, and the role of tax increases in their evolution, which is the usual narrative of the tobacco industry. Furthermore, the invitation comes a few weeks before the probable study published by KPMG on illicit trade, fully financed by Philip Morris for several years. The unreliability of this report, highlighted by a growing number of researchers, health actors and public actors, could explain the manufacturer's desire to strengthen its communication strategy with journalists this year.

Roland-Garros and the tobacco industry: a recurring public relations operation

This is not the first time that the tobacco industry has used the Roland Garros tournament to deploy a public relations strategy. In 2000, the National Committee against Smoking launched proceedings against Philip Morris: the investigation revealed the existence of a three-year contract between the cigarette manufacturer and Roland Garros, including promotional operations. The manufacturer was convicted at first instance and on appeal, and did not file an appeal in cassation.

Later, in 2013, the CNCT had noted the existence of communication operations during the tournament by three tobacco manufacturers: Philip Morris, Davidoff, and British American Tobacco. Estimated at more than one million euros, these contracts included invitations to boxes of administrative officials, elected officials, or ministerial collaborators. Considering such a campaign as a propaganda operation in favor of tobacco, the CNCT had sued the three manufacturers. While the Paris Court of Appeal had condemned the three manufacturers for propaganda in favor of tobacco in 2016, this decision had been overturned by the Court of Cassation a year later. However, following this operation, the law was amended to strengthen the regulatory framework, with a strict ban on advertising, sponsorship and patronage actions.

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