Abstract
This "private and strictly confidential" R. J. Reynolds document describes the global tobacco industry's 1980 Project Mayfly, an ambitious, highly organized and all-encompassing plan to "influence, modify or change public opinion to the industry, smokers and smoking, to create a more favourable climate [for smoking and the industry], however directly or indirectly."
Objectives for Project Mayfly were to:
"--Protect smokers and their behavior
--Separate smokers and non-smokers from anti-smokers
--Discredit the anti's."
The plan sought to promote the "social benefits of smoking," "expose anti-smoking groups" and portray "smoking as normal behavior."
Project Mayfly's remarkably wide-ranging plans included influencing politicians and the media through multiple channels, surveillance of public health groups, organizing and publicizing tightly controlled scientific symposia, running advertising campaigns focusing on individual freedoms, development of an "Allies Project" to recruit a wide range of non-tobacco parties to speak on behalf of the tobacco industry. It also included recruiting National [Tobacco]Manufacturers' Associations worldwide, "who would bear the major costs of implementation work."
Provisional ideas included a "fair play" competition for press and media, smokers' short stories that would highlight smoking as a social benefit, cartoon campaigns, "awards for personalities displaying an active role on tolerance and courtesy issues," and "image campaigns" highlighting freedom of choice by individuals.
The document contains an organizational chart showing the member-companies of ICOSI (the International Committee on Smoking Issues): British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Philip Morris, Reentsma (German tobacco industry), R.J. Reynolds and Rothmans International. A subcommittee of ICOSI called the Social Acceptability Working Party, or SAWP,
organized Project Mayfly.
Fields
- Quotes
There is little doubt that the project is "ambitious," as noted by the Executive Committee...and as a first amendment to our earlier notes, it would seem wise to withdraw our statement on primary thrust (15th February) from "...halting and turning the tide of public opinion and attitudes." Our revised objective is to influence, modify or change public opinion to the industry, smokers and smoking, to create a more favourable climate, however directly or indirectly. This applies to all ICOSI activities, countermeasures and strategic approaches.
We will need to set our objective in terms that will enable
measurable criteria to be used in assessing and monitoring our achievements.
Sub-objectlves
- protect smokers and their behaviour
- separate smokers and non-smokers from anti-smokers
- discredit the anti's.
[From Page 7, Bates No. 502120728]
...The "Allies" project. We see use of "Allies" as most important channels of communication for arguments/concepts to be developed...We see "Allies" as communicators on our behalf and their importance can be gauged by:
Each individual, or group of individuals, or institution, willing and prepared to protect tobacco interests directly or indirectly via personal contacts, opinion leaders or media, aiming at:
- neutralizing opponents' publicity and their effectiveness
- creating positive publicity and more favourable climate
- strengthening international/national solidarity of the tobacco family
[From Page 24, Bates No. 502120745]:
It will take time to influence and change people's attitudes, particularly if television, the most potent medium, cannot be used. The channel of communication has to be open and the audience receptive, before the desired message can be got through, and adopted into the target market's system of beliefs.
- Company
- R.J. Reynolds (source collection)
- Author
- Organizational authors:
- ICOSI (International Committee on Smoking Issues)
- SAWP: Social Acceptability Working Party
- Recipient
- Organizational recipient, ICOSI SAWP
- Region
- Australia
- Named Organization
- International Committee on Smoking Issues (ICOSI)
Was formed to address and reverse the global decline in social acceptability of smoking occurring in the 1970s Consisted of the major tobacco manufacturers worldwide, was created to deal with the global decline in social acceptability of smoking. ICOSI was created
- SAWP, Social Acceptability Working Party (Subcommittee of ICOSI, Int'l Committe on Smoking Issues)
Monitored health groups, developed countermeasures to fight their efforts
- Named Person
- *Ely, Bob (Robert) (use Ely, Robert L. O.) (British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. (BAT))
Head of Public Affairs, British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. (BAT), UK (United Kingdom)Attended the INFOTAB/NMA Workshop, Brussels, 13-16, 1986.
- Berman, George (PM Social Acceptability Working Party (SAWP))
Philip Morris employee between Sept. 1976 and Feb. 1979 (estimate, could have been longer). Left PM to become independent consultant c. 1979. President of Devon Management Resources, Inc. 1979. Presented a talk on social costs for ICOSI, the International Committee on Smoking Issues, and assisted ICOSI with organization and implementation of the Social Costs/Social Values Project. WAs a member of ICOSI/SAWP. Appears to have been on a social costs working group with the Tobacco Institute arouned 1979-80.
- Hartogh, Jules M (Philip Morris Europe Corporate Affairs)
- Pittman, Robert A. (BW Sr. Brand Marketing Supervisor, 1968-70)
Sr. Brand Marketing Supervisor, B&W 1968-70
- Hargrove, Gwynn C.
INFOTAB
- Kuhlenschmidt, E.
RJR Germany, Employee [NM
- Rothmans - British tobacco company
- Imperial - British tobacco company
- Reemtsma - Germany tobacco company
- NMA, National Manufacturers Association(s)
- Ogilvy Mather - public relations company
- Hill & Knowlton - public relations company
- Operation/Project
- Project Mayfly
- Type
- REPORT
- Subject
- industry activity
- industry influence
- industry response
- industry sponsored conference
- industry strategy
- industry surveillance (Intelligence-gathering on public health forces)
Document Images
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PRIVATE AND STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
PR" IFCT MAYFLY
An ICOSI/SAWP project report for a long term
communications plan. Prepared for SAWP
meeting, 31st March/lst April, 1980
TCIIK
24th March 1980
f
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4. kTHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
This section is intended to be a broad review of what
we believe needs to be done to initiate and develop
the project towards on-going implementation of agreed
communication plans. At this early stage, particularly
without meetings of the project group, much of the items
reviewed here is imprecise and lacking in direction.
This is inevitable in view of the huge scope of the
project and its early stage of development.
Nevertheless, there are a number of key areas to be
explored in helping to determine our way forward,
and these are outlined in the following sub-sections.
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The perceived need at this stage is not simply to
ensure co-ordination, but also to ensure compatibility
so that our particular group is aware of other work,
and that such work is compatible with each others
requirements. The role of the SC will be critical
in ensuring the high degree of co-ordination necessary.
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2. REVISED OBJECTIVE
There is little doubt that the project is "ambitious", as
noted by the Executive Committee. It is ambitious in scope
and objective, and as a first amendment to our earlier notes,
it would seem wise to withdraw our statement on primary
thrust (15th February) from "..... halting and turning the
tide of public opinion and attitudes."0ur revised objective
is to influence, modify or change public opinion to the
industry, smokers and smoking,to create a more favourable
climate, however directly or indirectly. This applies to
all ICOSI activities, countermeasures and strategic approaches.
We will need to set our objective in terms that will enable
measurable criteria to be used in assessing and monitoring our
achievements.
Sub-objectives
- protect smokers and their behaviour
- separate smokers and non-smokers from anti-smokers
- discredit the anti's.
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I N D E X
Page
1. INTRODUCTION ................... 1
2. REVISED OBJECTIVE 2
3. MEMBER COMPANY COMMITMENT ........ 3
4. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? ...... 4
4.1. REVIEW OF EXISTING WORK... 5
4.2. MAJOR ISSUES ........ 9
4.3. METHOD OF WORKING........ 11
4.4. NMA's INVOLVEMENT .. 14
4.5. 5-STAGE DEVELOPr1ENT PROGRAMME 15
4.6. STRUCTURE 22
5. BUDGET REQUIREMENTS .... 23
6. TIMETABLE .................... 25
7. S UIvIIV1ARY .......................... 26
APPENDICES
A. Simplified outline of project planning process
B. Some provisional ideas for review
C. Diagrammatic outline of ICOSI communication process
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(c) Case studies
arguments used (e.g. T.I. Australia)
success/failure
media used (including allies)
national/international campaigns (e.g. T.I.)
We shall be asking the SG to initiate bringing this
work together from various countries and NMA's.
(d) Miscellaneous.
- international catalogue of references and
usable quotations (e.g. Background Briefing
Papers).
- economic/political studies (e.g. Third World EIU
report, Metra Study).
- medical research studies/findings (e.g. Surgeon
General's reports).
international catalogue/brochure of "questions and
answers" on smoking and health issues (e.g. TAC's
"pub one-liners").
semi-permanent updating of information and
evaluation of strategies and executions from
NMA's.
4.1.5. - The plan for the U.S. industry and the Tobacco Institute,
already mentioned.
4.1.6. - Any other ICOSI group set up with a particular task may
have a relevant input, and is likely to have a relevant
output from our inforilion-processing work.
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local NMA needs, would have certain advantages, but
probably would not be acceptable by NMA's.
There are of course other forms of intermediate structures
which could be developed, and in the end the structure
will be influenced heavily by the degree of central control
and local NMA autonomy required by SAWP.
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4.2.8. - Third World issues (co-ordination with
Secretary General and Gwynn Hargrove's
group).
4.2.9. - smoking and women
The issues listed above appear to be those with which
we should be most concerned. However, two factors in
particular are likely to heavily influence our eventual
listing:-
- a review of key NMA requirements of the
issues to be faced
- views on the possible grouping together
of issues on a geographical basis.
We anticipate that there may be some issues which have a
similar degree of importance in several countries and there
may be other issues which are important in only one country.
It is also key to this project to initiate and continue with
an exploration of possible future issues.
At this early stage, it seems clear that it is the "commonality"
of each identified issue that will largely determine how our
group will work to develop conceptual, aRnroaches. In such
wotk we shall need to view them in the light of consumer
exposure in a broader perspective; for instance, a smokers'
courtesy campaign might be conducted in terms of a public
transport environment, or an industry defence of our right
to advertise may well be developed as a "freedom of choice"
issue, possibly with the other endangered species of advertising.
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4.2. MAJOR ISSUES
There are a number of major issues which the industry
is facing, and on many of which substantial work has
already been undertaken. These issues will be fundamental
to those eventually chosen for communications exposure.
At the present time these issues appear to be:-
4.2.1. - an industry defence of our right to
advertise. (the co-ordination will need
to be with Jules Hartogh's "Defence of
Advertising Committee" (due to meet on
17th April)).
4.2.2. - exposure of the social costs enefits
fallacy (co-ordination with George Berman's
work).
4.2.3. - the social benefits of smoking
(co-ordination with George Berman).
4.2.4. - smokers' c urtesy/non-smokers' tolerance
_,.._ - .
campaign (co-ordination with Bob Pittman's
group).
4.2.5. - exposure of the public smoking issue
(co-ordination with Bob Pittman, and any
continuing work on a "symposium" concept).
4.2.6. - exposing anti-smokinggrQUps
(co-ordination with George Berman's work).
4.2.7. - smoking as normal behaviour
. n/1`-jAo
_J.,,
-4
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3. MEMBER COMPANY CO*LiITiIF.NT
The requirement for a long-term communications plan has
arisen as a result of a SAWP initiative, and as approved
by the Executive Committee. Whilst not wishing to
exaggerate the difficulties that such a project faces, it
is important that we are realistic in our approach and
objective-setting, if 'only to ensure that the corporate
and individual impetus and morale of those concerned will
be sustained. With this in mind, we believe that the project
must have the highest level backing from member companies,
with the authority to co-opt the necessary people and other
resources as eventually determined. It is important that
this backing is given and that this is made known to NMA's
and to local manufacturer representatives, without which
there can be little commitment by them to the project.
Stage I, item 4.6, emphasises the importance of this step.
Appendix C helps to demonstrate the relationship between the
relevant industry organisations and our public.
