Corporate author, Philip Morris; (Found in area of "Planning Ryebrook/Boardroom")
In this 1986 Philip Morris (PM) marketing presentation about Saudi Arabia, the presenter describes methods PM uses to circumvent a total ban on cigarette advertising in Saudi Arabia.
The writer begins,
"Saudi Arabia provides a striking example of how it is possible to grow volume, market share and income in a market where advertising is completely banned...."
PM used "creative approaches" to get around the ad ban, including placing advertisements in "local journals from Pan Arab publications which find their way into Saudi Arabia." PM also "develop[ed] sponsorships in neighboring markets which provide good opportunities for promotion and publicity on TV."
PM teamed with car companies to sponsor motorsports in the Gulf, because "events such as these are widely televised...Saudi networks cover some directly while neighboring countries cover others." PM also sought to "profit from the Arab interest in motor sports by exhibiting a simulator of a Formula One Marlboro car at this year's motor show in Jeddah. This attracted large crowds."
The writer also says, "Since both Arabic, mainly Kuwaiti and English foreign language press do get into Saudi, we use these to promote Marlboro and other brands..." PM also says, "We've also been using cross-border television advertising in a joint program with Canon cameras. These carry shots of Marlboro Formula One cars intermingled with the main advertisement, Canon cameras."
PM also made an agreement with a private home video distribution company to promote Marlboro by putting commercials on video cassette movies for home rental "to advertise the distributors extensive library of 'Westerns'."
In the same presentation, PM describes its vigorous fight against the Gulf Council Health Ministry's attempts to require them to put bigger warning labels on cigarettes, as well as a proposal to restrict nicotine content of cigarettes.
The report also documents a huge increase in cigarette exports from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia by PM alone between 1975 and 1985. PM says that in 1975, the company exported 3/4 of a billion cigarettes to Saudi Arabia. By 1985 that number had jumped to fifteen billion "units" (cigarettes).
This document demonstrates why tobacco control agreements need to be coordinated internationally (and globally, through such vehicles such as the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) to achieve effective progress against the tobacco industry worldwide.