Philip Morris abandons cigarette advertising in Switzerland
The tobacco giant Philip Morris plans to limit its advertising in Switzerland to e-cigarettes in the future. In doing so, it is preempting any potential tightening of laws.
How the View has learned, the parent company of Marlboro in Switzerland will stop advertising conventional cigarettes with immediate effect. Dominique Leroux, Managing Director of Philip Morris Switzerland, told the newspaper that the company is convinced that the future belongs to new products and not to conventional cigarettes.
The step concerns advertisements, posters, cinema spots and sponsoring appearances at festivals. The Group's Marlboro, Philip Morris, Muratti, Brunette and Chesterfield brands will continue to be advertised at points of sale.
Philip Morris Switzerland now intends to focus its advertising activities on e-cigarettes and its own tobacco heating system Iqos.
The tobacco group is thus pre-empting possible amendments to the law that are on the horizon. While the Federal Council wants to ban cigarette advertising on the Internet and in free newspapers, for example, while continuing to allow cinema and billboard advertising and advertisements in paid press titles, an initiative is calling for tobacco advertising to be banned completely from public spaces (Werbewoche.ch reported). From now on, advertising activities would only be possible in places to which minors are not permitted by law - for example, clubs with age controls. Signatures are currently being collected for the initiative launched by doctors and politicians. The necessary 100,000 mark is to be reached this year. The umbrella organization KS Kommunikation Schweiz and the advertisers' association SWA have already spoken out against the definitive ban on tobacco advertising. (hae)
