[Intl-tobacco] Australia: Tobacco giant targets women through fashion

[Robert Weissman]

Tobacco giant targets women through fashion
by KEITH MOOR and EMILY RICE
Source: Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, 12/11/00

CIGARETTE giant Philip Morris is promoting its tobacco products at fashion
parades and rave parties aimed at young women.

Internet company wavesnet, which is linked to Philip Morris, is running a
national fashion competition in which a state contest was held in Adelaide
last night.

At similar events in other states, staff of anti-smoking group Quit say
Alpine cigarettes have also been on unattended display at the nightclub
bar for patrons to sample.

Women dressed in Alpine colors have been selling discounted cigarettes
during the events, attended mainly by young women.

Philip Morris has also been providing Alpine packs for sale with
promotional items that appeal to young women, particularly rave
partygoers.

The tobacco company is also providing dance parties and nightclubs with
free go-go dancers in corporate colors.

Among the entrants at the Fashion's Future Designer Awards show at Heaven
nightclub in Adelaide last night was Nathan Rudd, 25, who also is a
leading model.

A third-year Marleston TAFE student and assistant with designers George
Gross and Harry Watt, Rudd said he was inspired to forge a career in
design after modelling for about two years.

"I love the industry and I'm prepared to work hard," he said.

>From SA, one winner will be chosen to attend the national final in
Melbourne on Thursday. From the national final, three entrants will win a
trip to Europe.

But, interstate, some angry sponsors have pulled out of the awards after
being warned about the cigarette company's involvement.

Chief operating officer of Sanity music stores Daniel Agostinelli is among
them.

"Obviously it was a youth-driven thing and being Sanity music stores we
thought it could be good for us to get involved, but we had no idea about
Philip Morris," he said.

"That's very, very tricky and we are quite upset about it.

"If they had mentioned the words Philip Morris and cigarettes we would
just have said forget it, we are not interested."

Two of wavesnet's three directors are also directors of Philip Morris's
advertising agent Mojo.

 The third is a former Mojo director. The wavesnet company secretary
Robert Davies holds the same position at Mojo.

Mojo markets the Alpine brand for Philip Morris, which has annual
supermarket sales of more than $100 million in Australia.

The wavesnet domain name was registered in September this year, with the
same street address as Mojo's listed as the contact point.

Philip Morris spokeswoman Nerida White denied the company was doing
anything illegal or unethical in its marketing strategies. She said only
those aged over 18 were admitted to wavesnet events.

"And it is legal to sell cigarettes to people aged 18 and over," she said.

"We take fairly strenuous steps to ensure that all of our activities
comply with the law."

On the wavesnet website, users are enticed with free offers to become
members and attend events. To go online shopping users must supply
personal details.

The wavesnet general manager Dean McBeth confirmed building up a database
on clients was one of the reasons for the web site.