Counteracting tobacco motor sports sponsorship as a promotional tool: is the tobacco settlement enough?

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to quantify television advertising exposure achieved by tobacco companies through sponsorship of motor sports events and to evaluate the likely effect of the Master Settlement Agreement on this advertising. METHODS: Data from Sponsors Report, which quantifies the exposure that sponsors of selected televised sporting events receive during broadcasts of those events, were compiled for all motor sports events covered by the service for the period 1997 through 1999. RESULTS: From 1997 through 1999, tobacco companies achieved 169 hours of television advertising exposure and $410.5 million of advertising value for their products by sponsoring motor sports events. If tobacco companies comply with the Master Settlement Agreement and maintain their advertising at 1999 levels, they will still be able to achieve more than 25 hours of television exposure and an equivalent television advertising value of $99.1 million per year. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a federal ban on tobacco advertising on television, tobacco companies achieve the equivalent of more than $150 million in television advertising per year through their sponsorship of motor sports events. The Master Settlement Agreement likely will do little to address this problem.

Influences of Tobacco Advertising Exposure and Conduct Problems on Smoking Behaviors Among Adolescent Males and Females

“…If at the time of the study such ads were more likely to appear in media channels assessed by our measures (e.g., magazines), this could have affected our results. Similarly, if advertising through channels not captured by our measure differentially affect males, such as point-of-sale promotions or event sponsorships (e.g., music, sports), this could have influenced our findings as well (Hafez & Ling, 2006;Henriksen, Feighery, Wang & Fortmann, 2004;Siegel, 2001). Continued investigation into gender differences in adolescent exposure to tobacco advertising, particularly as tobacco companies shift the channels through which they promote their products in light of increasingly stronger advertising restrictions (e.g., Freeman & Chapman, 2010), is an important avenue for future research to clarify these results.…”

Commercial determinants of health: advertising of alcohol and unhealthy foods during sporting events

“…For example, Philip Morris International used the women’s tennis tour to promote their Virginia Slims brand throughout the 1970s and 1980s 19 . Motor sports were strongly associated with tobacco sponsorship from 1968 20 18 .…”