Product placement and other depictions of cigarette brands, brand imagery and smoking in public entertainment media.*
The appearance of cigarette brands, brand imagery and smoking scenes in movies, television shows and other public entertainment media continues to be a topic of concern to many in society. At Philip Morris USA, we do not want our brands or brand imagery depicted in public entertainment media.
There are many variables that contribute to youth smoking, and some researchers have concluded that youth exposure to smoking in movies can have an impact on their attitudes and behaviors related to smoking
1,2,3
PM USA does not pay for or endorse any placement of its products or brand imagery in movies, television shows or other public entertainment media.
- Our policy since 1990 has been both to refrain from paying for product placement and to decline all third-party requests to use, display or reference our cigarette brands, products, packages or advertisements in any movies or television shows or other public entertainment media.
- The tobacco settlement agreements reinforced this policy by strictly prohibiting participating manufacturers such as PM USA from paying for product placement in movies, television shows or other performances or video games. **
Although some continue to believe that the appearance of cigarette brands and brand imagery in public entertainment media is the result of product placement by tobacco companies, PM USA does not pay for, and continues to deny all requests for, depiction of its brands in public entertainment media.
Unfortunately, the fact that we do not engage in product placement does not mean that our brands are never shown. Some producers and directors choose to depict our brands in their work without our permission. But we are limited in our ability to stop all displays of our brands because federal and state trademark laws, as well as the U.S. Constitution, protect freedom of expression and the "fair use" of trademarks in works such as movies and television shows.
Our position is clear – we do not want our brands or brand imagery depicted in movies and television shows. The unauthorized use of our brands and brand imagery perpetuates the misunderstanding among some that we pay or are otherwise responsible for these depictions, which is simply not the case. We strongly encourage the movie studios to eliminate references to or depictions of our brands.
In addition to our positions on product placement and the depiction of our brands and brand imagery in public entertainment media, we believe that producers, directors and others involved in the creative process are in a unique position to voluntarily eliminate smoking scenes in movies and other public entertainment media directed at youth.
