TOBACCO ADS COMING
By Adnews Staff
Canada's three major cigarette manufacturers will begin advertising under their own voluntary code, says the Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers Council (CTMC). The announcement came yesterday, a day after federal Health Minister Diane Marleau unveiled proposed legislation she plans to table in the spring, which would ban tobacco advertising and place more restrictions on promotions and sponsorships. These laws would replace defective legislation banning tobacco ads that was shot down by the Supreme Court of Canada in September. The CTMC will release its code by early next week. It members are Imperial Tobacco Ltd., RJR-Macdonald Inc., and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges. The tobacco companies are revealing no details about advertising plans until the code is announced. The tobacco makers' self-imposed regulations lay out eight messages attributed to Health Canada that must be clearly displayed on packages. In addition, the code will address questions of lifestyle advertising, the age of target groups and the intended effect of all advertising. The CTMC said it would agree to clear any ads in advance with Health Canada. "A continuance of our industry's self-imposed ban on advertising and promotion activities is not acceptable to our member companies who are under significant competitive pressure to begin exercising the rights the Court confirmed they have: to communicate with adult customers of a legal product," CTMC president Robert Parker said in a release. "We remain available now, and after the code is announced and in place, for meaningful consultations," he continued. "We have told government that any reasonable proposals for refinements, in line with the letter and spirit of the court decision, would be carefully considered and implemented where possible, and we stand by that commitment." Advertising for Rothmans will be done by Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising of Toronto. Harrod & Mirlin and Sharpe Blackmore Partnership, both of Toronto, will create ads for RJR Macdonald. Armada Bates of Montreal is Imperial Tobacco's agency.