Anne Landman's Collection
Oops, Wrong Number.
Abstract
Philip Morris ran this advertisement in the Richmond News Leader on March 7, 1986. The ad attacks the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company over its workplace smoking restrictions. The ad gives an idea of the intimidation tactics employers could expect from tobacco companies in retaliation for enacting smoking policies to protect the health of their workers. The ad says, "Never mind that world-class scientific minds have found no conclusive health risk to others from ambient smoke, information available to C&P for the asking." The tag line says the ad was "presented in the public interest" by Philip Morris USA.
Today Philip Morris' web site displays different point of view, saying:
"Public health officials have concluded that secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes disease, including lung cancer and heart disease, in non-smoking adults...We also believe that the conclusions of public health officials concerning environmental tobacco smoke are sufficient to warrant measures that regulate smoking in public places..." http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/en/health_issues/secondhand_smoke.asp
It remains unknown whether PM ever apologized to the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone company for running this ad. The entire text of PM's ad is below. A clipping of the ad from the News Leader (showing it actually ran publicly) can be seen at http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc'tid=etk46e00&fmt=pdf&ref=results
Fields
- Quotes
OOPS, WRONG NUMBER.
Shades of Ma Bell! The children of The Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company--some 43,000 of them-- now must behave under new rules established by the benevolent parent. In the way of the righteous (mother knows best!) C&P has set down daunting and far reaching smoking regulations. Never mind that world-class scientific minds have found no conclusive health risk to others from ambient smoke, information available to C&P for the asking. Never mind that an overwhelming number of U.S. companies do not regulate employee smoking behavior. C&P needed only to find that in a published study of Fortune 500 companies. Never mind that other issues are closer to the hearts of their employees, something C&P could learn simply by listening. THE MANAGEMENT OF C&P MIGHT BETTER HAVE DIALED INFORMATION.
Presented in the public interest by Philip Morris USA. We'd like your views. Write to Corporate Affairs. Philip Morris USA, 120 Park Avenue, New York, NY 1001
- Company
- Philip Morris
- Author
- Philip Morris
- Region
- Virginia
- United States
- Named Organization
- Chesapeake + Potomac Telephone
- Fortune 500
- Type
- ADVE, ADVERTISEMENT
- Litigation
- Stmn/Produced
- Subject
- secondhand smoke
- secondhand smoke strategy (Corporate strategy to deal with ETS issue)
- mass media
- advertisement
- advertising activity
- advertising message
- workplace
- smoking restriction
Document Images
