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Anti-Tobacco Marketing's 'Truth' Still Rings True

The American Legacy Foundation is rerunning a 2004 commercial that mocks the way tobacco marketers belatedly concede their products are unhealthy by presenting a corporate apologist for the make-believe maker of Shards O'Glass Freeze Pops, Stuart Elliott writes. They are, as the name implies, ice pops with shards of glass protruding from them.

The commercial is being revived as part of a new campaign, Eric Asche, senior vice president for marketing at the foundation, told Elliott. "We ran the spot less than a dozen times in 2004," Asche said, "and it's a favorite of ours. It's still very salient, and clearly communicates the tacks taken to market cigarettes to the American public."

The new commercials will be created by the foundation's agency, Arnold Worldwide, part of Havas. Arnold also worked on the original spot, along with Crispin Porter & Bogusky in Miami, part of MDC Partners; the two agencies shared the "Truth" creative account from 1999 until 2007, when the assignment was consolidated at Arnold.

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