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Cigarette Advertising: Ethical Aspect

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Final Assignment in Public Relations and Advertising Course Cigarette Advertising: Ethical Aspect

December 2008 Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract
The aim of the final assignment is to analyze the issue of cigarette advertising from the ethical point of view. The evidence examined basically tells about the unsuccessful restrictions of cigarette advertising. Relevant theories are applied, such as Consequentialism and Elaboration Likelihood model to make a more explicit research of the topic. The analysis part combines theory, cases, author’s opinion and values and tries to provide an objective viewpoint from two perspectives: advertising and users/non-users of cigarettes, and advertising and producers/distributors and cigarettes. …show more content…

A specific example of controversial tobacco marketing is the sponsorships of sport teams and events. The sport clubs agree to these sponsorships as they might be concerned with financial survival, and media is focused on keeping advertising revenues constant. Therefore, there has been little discussion in the field of appropriateness of tobacco companies sponsorships of sport teams (Crompton, 1993:160) This kind of sponsorships are exemplified by Marlboro endorsements of Marlboro since 2006, but it should also be noted that the company sponsored the McLaren team for many years. The European Union has taken serious measurements as a response to tobacco usage in the line of their health politics. Focus is on smoking prevention and control of tobacco products with the motivation that smoking is the primary source of death that could be avoided. However, the results of attempts to decrease the consumption of tobacco and the number of smokers are not satisfactory (http://ec.europa.eu, accessed 3.12.2008). The Council also claims in its reports that tobacco advertising and marketing increases the consumption which in turn affects the smoking related mortality. They also accuse the producers of using strategies focused on youngsters and students to replace the people dying from smoking, a fact that is supported by research that proves that 60% of smokers start using cigarettes before the age of 13 and 90% before they turn 18 (http://ec.europa.eu, accessed

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