Tobacco Documents Online

.r From THE NEW YORK TIMES Monday, July 1, 1963 ..F1P(:.r ` . 1 YJ1'T ~ M ,?31dt ]1Arl"f VrHt~f 't 7` ; .• . Ad~e~.~t~i;~g~:W . ; ~'a~~--~-,acr.:1R0~ed I By PETER BART The couAtry's leading tobacco companies, having decided to drop college promotions, are i considering further basic changes in cigarette advertis- ing. "Within the next few months the whole 'virility approach' of cigarette advertising will be abandoned," an official of one major company predicted. Tobacco officials are relucta to discuss their advertising changes, other than to acknowl- edge that a "basic reassess- ment" of advertising strategy ~s taking place throughout the industry. ~ However officials predict that hnost companies will probably eliminate the use of endorse- ments by athletes or other glamorous figures from their cigarette ads. They will also drop the use of young-looking models, glamorous party set- tings, suggestive romantic scenes and other scenes that might associate cigarettes with virility. There is considerable disa- greement In the industry, over how far to go with these, vol+ untary restrictions. Morgan J. Cramer, president of the P. Lorillard Company, and Bow- man Gray, chitirman of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; are understood to favor wide- spread restrictions to answer public criticism of cigarette ad- vertising. Opinions to Be Heard Several other industry lead- ers, however, favor a more-con- servative approach. These diver- gent opinions will probably be heard at a meeting of the execu- tive committee of the Tobacco Institute scheduled for July 9. The industry is particularly sensitive about these informal discussions in view of antitrust laws. Tobacco officials emph- asize that there is no Intention of evolving a self-regulatory code. Any policy changes af- fecting advertising, they say, would be unilateral and volun- tary. Last week, ma jor cigarette companies decided to 'drop ad- vertising in college newspapers, Agency Appoints 2 High Of f icials Stephens Dietz The appointment of Step- hens Dietz and Robert' A. Dearth as executive vice pres- ident of Kenyon & Eckhardt, Inc., was announced over the Vveekend. Mr. Dietz, a senior vice pre ident and member of the ey- and other campus media and to disband their networks of cam- pus representatives. At the time, George V. Allen, president of the tobacco Insti- position has always been that tute, said that "the industry's smoking is an adult' custom " Flavor Appeal , One company official specu- lates that cigarette advertisers will be limited to a straight flavor appeal. Discussions of filters, he says, are already Because the use of people would be so sharply restricted, many cigarette campaigns prob ably will be completely devoid of models. New campaigns for York (P. Robert A. Dearth ecutive committee, joined the agency in 1955. He had been with the -Proctor & Gamble Company and with Ted Bates & Co., Inc. Mr. Dearth joined Kenyon Eckhardt in 1961 as senior vice president and manager of the agency's Detroit office. Lorillard) and Winston (R. J. Reynolds) already reflect this approach: They show no models or outdoor settings, merely dis- playing their cigarette packages Most spokesman doubt whether the new restrictions wi inhibit total advertising spend- ing. Last year, tobacco com- panies spent $109,395,523 on television advertising alone, compared with $104,362,698 in gross-time billings a year earlier If United States tobacco com- panies find themselves in a stat' flux, their British counter-, parts are involved in even morei trying circumstances. The British Ministry of Healt' has put up 1,000,000 posters in tngland that warn of health hazards from smoking cigar- ettes. The ministry also is weighing the possibility of a television campaign bearing this message. It is just this sort of Gov- ernment action t~at American cigarette companies are eager to avoid: Steps Likely The industry seems prepared to take sti1L further steps to emphasize its position. One curb willi doubtless affect the use of endorsements by.ath- let'es. Marlboro, for example,, often advertises these endorse- ments, and last year used Paul Hornung, the football player, xtensively. Lucky ' Strike oc- I, Fcasionally features a former football player, Frank Gifford. Some crittcs argue that the use of these personalities tends to associate smoking with mas- culinity and vigor and, thus, in- fluences teen-agers to take up cigarettes. Industry officials are vague in discussing a possible ban on "glamorous" settings. Any new restrictions, however, probably would bar cigarette ads that' sought to associate smoking wi stylishness or sophistication. The use of young-looking models-particularly those re- sembling teen-agers--would be specifically ruled out. Discussions along this line predictably cause uneasiness among advertising copy writers. "If all this is true, 'Pwonder what we're going to putt in our ads," one agency man said. I