NEW CODE FOR TOBACCO ADS
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Tobacco Manufacturers' Council (CTMC) released its Tobacco Industry Voluntary Packaging and Advertising code yesterday. Under this self-policing policy, the three CTMC member companies will be obliged to have all ads ok'd by a tribunal funded by the CTMC. The council is asking media to reject any advertising that hasn't been cleared by the tribunal which is composed of Association of Canadian Advertisers president Patrick McDougall, Institute of Canadian Advertising president John Sinclair and Joseph Mullie, general manager of the Quebec ad agency umbrella group L'Association des agences de publicité du Québec. The trio will consult with Ottawa law firm Scott & Aylen in clearing ads. The CTMC code only allows ads to target adults, and the CTMC says the code stops "lifestyle" advertising by banning any ads that depict people in whole or in part. The code prohibits tobacco trademarks on non-smoking items except for things such as T-shirts connected with events sponsored by tobacco companies. Ads for sponsored events may not show products or packages; they may only display the tobacco firm's name or trademark. Ads will have to include government health messages which will be attributed to Health Canada. These warnings will remain on packages in the same size and format as required by the Tobacco Products Control Act which was made law by the former Conservative government but was effectively struck down in Canada's Supreme Court this year. The Liberal government is in the process of resurrecting the act, which prohibited all tobacco advertising, in a form more acceptable to Supreme Court judges. The three member companies of the CTMC are Imperial Tobacco Ltd., RJR Macdonald Inc. and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.