Tobacco industry targets children directly through Formula 1 racing
October 23, 2024
Par: National Committee Against Smoking
Dernière mise à jour: October 22, 2024
Temps de lecture: 10 minutes
A new one report Tobacco industry watchdog STOP warns that tobacco industry sponsorship of Formula 1 is putting a new generation of young fans, including young children, at risk of addiction to tobacco and nicotine products[1].
The report, entitled Driving Addiction: A Race for Future Generations, reveals how F1's efforts to win over a younger, more female fan base in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas align with the goals of major tobacco sponsors Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, which have already spent nearly $40 million by 2024 to expand their audience base.
Expand your audience base
Racing has been introduced in Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Americas to develop a new international audience. The traditional base of older European and Latin American fans who watched the television broadcasts is in decline, while younger fans from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the United States are making up an increasingly important segment of the fan base. F1 is thus allowing tobacco companies to reach consumers in these growing regions, particularly in countries with more lax tobacco control, as European countries adopt increasingly restrictive legislation on tobacco and nicotine products.
The sport has also worked to broaden its appeal to women, families and younger audiences, while offering content on more platforms, as seen in F1 Kids and Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” docuseries. The 2021 Global Fan Survey recorded the highest female participation rate in its history, at 18.3%, up from 10% in 2017. In the Middle East and Africa, 25% of respondents were women.
F1 has announced a cumulative global TV audience of 1.5 billion viewers in 2023. While this is lower than a few years ago, it is still a significant audience at a time when TV audiences are shrinking relative to online audiences. The sport is gaining huge popularity through Netflix and social media: F1 has almost 10 times the number of social media followers it had in 2016; the documentary “Drive to Survive” remains popular, reaching Netflix’s Top 10 in 61 countries in 2024.
Vape brands and nicotine pouches present in F1 Kids content
In 2023, the Formula 1 rights holder launched F1 Kids, “a brilliant way to engage children with Formula 1”, according to Formula 1’s director of media rights and content creation, Ian Holmes. The concept involves using young presenters to provide live commentary and analysis on selected F1 races. The shows feature simplified technical explanations to help young viewers understand what’s happening and colourful bespoke graphics, including cartoon avatars of the drivers.
At least three races featured in F1 Kids in 2024 featured BAT branding on McLaren cars (the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix and British Grand Prix), and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix also featured BAT branding in 2023. The F1 Kids service will be expanded to cover more races in the near future. Already, more than 4 million American and European children aged 8 to 12 are said to be following the sport.
F1 Kids uses the standard live race feed, which features not only nicotine brands, but also adverts for alcohol and gambling companies.
A new partnership between Formula 1 rights holder and LEGO could increase or strengthen young people's interest in the sport. The famous toymaker has announced that some of its F1 sets will be part of the Duplo range, aimed at preschoolers. The report's authors say that even though the LEGO replicas will not bear a manufacturer's brand, the partnership could lead children to watch races where the brands will be displayed.
A strong presence on social networks
Formula 1 claims to have 70.5 million followers in 2023, an increase of 43.6 million from 2021, spanning Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Weibo, WeChat, Toutiao and Douyin. Added to this is the considerable presence of teams and drivers on social media.
BAT’s logos on McLaren cars, visible in historical footage, are thus broadcast to a large and diverse online audience. As of early September 2024, McLaren had 13.8 million followers on Instagram, 5.5 million on TikTok, 4.3 million on Facebook, 4.1 million on X and 2.5 million on Threads, as well as 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube. Images and video clips posted to the accounts regularly feature BAT product and partner branding on the cars.
In addition to the brands of new tobacco and nicotine products, the cigarette brands of both tobacco companies are increasingly visible as F1 increases its use of historical footage, particularly from the decades when cigarette sponsorship was rampant. These ads can be viewed continuously on streaming platforms.
Philip Morris uses F1 to promote IQOS
The report also reveals a Philip Morris marketing strategy around the weekends of the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, a city where the company is expected to soon launch its IQOS heated tobacco device. This includes courting regional and national journalists by inviting them to attend events such as a secret concert by the rock band KISS and inviting them to the race of retail and convenience store executives. Back in 2019, PMI invited a reporter from Texas Lifestyle Magazine to its “Mission Winnow” box and received glowing coverage that included: “With a focus on science, technology and innovation for the future, the collaboration between Scuderia Ferrari and Mission Winnow is a match made in Formula 1 (F1) heaven.”
In 2021[2], Ferrari had announced that it would remove the Mission Winnow logos from all races held throughout the European Union. This compliance, which is still incomplete, is the direct consequence of a French court decision following proceedings initiated by the National Committee against Smoking (CNCT) in 2019.
While the tobacco company says the IQOS device is aimed at adult smokers, internal documents recently leaked from PMI's Japanese subsidiary reveal a broad marketing plan aimed at appealing to a much broader audience than adults looking to quit traditional cigarettes. The company appears to be focusing more on products that make consumers highly addictive by appealing to the public, including young people, and by gaining support from politicians and health professionals.
Tobacco industry sponsorship of F1 in violation of the provisions of the Framework Convention
Tobacco sponsorship of F1 violates the laws of many countries, particularly those that have ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Given the sport’s cross-border reach, the promotion of tobacco companies’ brands across a range of content and platforms directly contravenes the provisions of the treaty and national laws prohibiting all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
In 2019, the CNCT obtained an interim order prohibiting the making or display of any reference to the “Mission Winnow” brand of the cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris during the Le Mans Motorcycle Grand Prix in France.[3]Last April, the Angers Court of Appeal also condemned Philip Morris Products (PMP) for its Mission Winnow operation, ruling that the very existence of a contract between the tobacco manufacturer and a third party, having been executed in France, was a violation of French law which prohibits any advertising, sponsorship or patronage operation in favor of tobacco.[4].
In the Netherlands, months after Dutch lawmakers announced plans to ban the sale of nicotine pouches in 2023, the McLaren cars of two of the world’s most popular F1 drivers started the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with ads for British American Tobacco’s Velo pouches. In addition to the Velo branding on the halo and front wing, the anagram “Love” was emblazoned on the sides of the cars. Dutch health organizations then filed complaints with their country’s advertising authority, and the Velo branding on the cars was removed from the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix.
These situations show that, even in countries with strong health protection legislation, the tobacco and nicotine industry continues to use F1 to promote its addictive products. The authors point out that the vigilance of civil society and legal actions have, however, helped to change the situation for the better and exclude manufacturers from races.
AE
[1] Communicated, Tobacco Sponsorship of F1 Could Put Children on a Fast Track to Addiction, STOP, published October 16, 2024, accessed October 18, 2024
[2] Communicated, Mission Winnow logo banned from European races: a bitter defeat for cigarette manufacturers, CNCT, 2021, consulted on October 18, 2024
[3] Communicated, French Grand Prix at Le Mans: Justice rules in favor of the CNCT and prevents Philip Morris from returning to the circuits, CNCT, May 15, 2019, consulted on October 18, 2024
[4] Communicated, According to the Angers Court of Appeal, the very existence of a sponsorship contract between Philip Morris and Ducati is illegal, CNCT, published on April 29, 2024, consulted on October 18, 2024