[Licensed-to-Kill] Company Lobbies WTO Delegates in Cancun

[Licensed to Kill, Inc]

Last week, thousands of trade negotiators from around the world came to
Cancun, Mexico for the 5th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade
Organization (WTO). Philip Morris was there, and so was Licensed to
Kill, Inc!

While the trade negotiations ultimately collapsed, Licensed to Kill made
the most of the opportunity to lobby WTO delegates face-to-face to
protect the tobacco industry from public health advocates. Our message:
More Trade, Less Health!

Below, please find links to photos of our lobbying efforts and press
interviews.

LICENSED TO KILL LOBBIES WTO DELEGATES

Licensed to Kill's Senior VP of Corporate Communications, Corrie
Prutspin, began the company's lobbying efforts by setting up shop at the
WTO Convention Center. Our booth included sample Licensed to Kill
cigarette packs, the company's latest press release in favor of "More
Trade, Less Health!", and promotional flyers featuring the company's
website and logo.

Read the press release:
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/media/pr030912.html

Check out the booth:
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/corrie.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/infodesk2.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/infodesk5.jpg

A security person soon showed up and asked what we were doing.  We
explained what our company is about and assured him that we were not
protesting -- that our company wholeheartedly supports the WTO's
objectives of liberalizing worldwide trade, even at the expense of
public health.

A member of the Mexican organizing committee then arrived and informed
us that they would prefer us to display our literature in the
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Center.  When we clarified that
Licensed to Kill is a corporation, not an NGO, we were informed that the
WTO classifies corporations as NGOs.  She then invited us to tape an
interview with WTO television -- a great way, she said, to get our
message across to WTO delegates.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/omcmex.jpg

But as our company was more interested in face-to-face lobbying, we
opted to go downstairs to the main floor of the WTO convention center.
Filled with a sea of WTO delegates and journalists, it was an ideal
place to get our message of "More Trade, Less Health!" across.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/moretrade2.jpg

We walked back and forth along the main thoroughfare, handing out our
press releases to WTO delegates and engaging them in conversation about
the importance of continuing to prioritize trade over health.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/lobbying3.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/lobbying.jpg

We ran into a delegate from Canada, who told us he was very close to the
Canadian trade minister. "You're from Canada? Boy, does our company need
to talk to you! What's up with all the anti-tobacco industry legislation
you've been passing recently? It's because of countries like yours that
companies like ours are forced to market all the more aggressively in
low-income countries," we scolded, "Perhaps you can pass on a few words
to the trade minister?" The delegate agreed, so we suggested that his
government reconsider a ban on tobacco industry sponsorship of Formula
One -- as our company plans to sponsor an F1 team in the near future, in
an effort to boost appeal for our "Global Massacre" cigarette brand
among youth worldwide.

We then entered into a philosophical discussion with a delegate from
Europe who took issue with our company's interest in targeting children.
"Adults, okay," he said, "but there should be some limits on marketing
to kids."  Whatever?! We've never understood the "children are sacred,
but adults are not" point of view (though our competitors have certainly
used it to their advantage). Our company views all life, young and old,
the same: as profit-delivery systems. Kids are merely future adults, so
why not start branding them early? It's called "cradle to grave"
marketing!

In the restaurant area, we came upon a table of delegates for the United
Arab Emirates. "It is a pleasure to meet you," we gushed, "We are very
interested in expanding our sales in the Middle East, especially among
women -- as we hear that smoking rates are exceedingly low among them."
The delegates shook their heads in disapproval. "But why not?  As we
understand it, the Koran forbids alcohol, but not tobacco," we
countered, conveniently failing to acknowledge that many Muslim scholars
do consider tobacco use "haram".

Soon after, we happened upon a table of delegates from Gabon to whom we
stated our position that "le commerce est beaucoup plus important que la
sante." We were a bit taken aback when they vigorously disagreed.

Later we went to the Convention Center entrance and lobbied delegates as
they arrived and exited.  We were pleased to run into a delegate from
Uganda, one of the countries in which Licensed to Kill is particularly
interested in expanding its sales.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/uganda.jpg

WTO Delegates were later overheard in the restroom reading our press
release and saying that the company was "really going over the top."
Funny how the truth rubs people the wrong way sometimes.

MEDIA HUNGRY FOR LICENSED TO KILL'S MESSAGE

Our lobbying efforts quickly drew the attention of the media, who were
hungry to photograph us and hear what we had to say.  Apparently most
tobacco companies are much less conspicuous in their efforts to exert
influence over countries' negotiating positions. We conducted dozens of
interviews for television, radio, and print media. Here are a few
photos:

Licensed to Kill conducting radio interviews
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/media.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/media2.jpg

Licensed to Kill speaking to an African media representative
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/lobbying2.jpg

"How come the WTO is letting you walk around here so openly?" this
Newsday reporter asked. "Oh, that's right -- you're a corporation," she
answered.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/newsday.jpg

Latin American media capturing the company's lobbying efforts
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/media4.jpg

Licensed to Kill does a television interview with Univision
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/univision.jpg

One journalist told us that he had run into some Philip Morris lobbyists
the evening before, but they had refused to answer any questions. Hmmm,
were they afraid to have their presence made known?
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/media3.jpg

And an Egyptian media representative lamented that he was a smoker. "Au
contraire, the world needs more, not less, smokers," we told him, "you
just need to switch to one of our brands!"
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/egyptiancig.jpg

NGO RESPONSE MIXED

Many NGO representatives found us amusing and were more than happy to
accept our literature.  Guess they had never encountered a company that
tells the truth before.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/ngos.jpg

Others seemed less amused by our "Tobacco Over Health" message.
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/ngo.jpg

PHOTOS FOR STOCKHOLDERS

Our company knows that our stockholders like to be kept regularly
informed of the company's worldwide activities -- to assure that we are
keeping their interests (higher and higher stock value) at heart. Here
are some corporate portraits taken of our lobbying efforts in front of
the WTO Convention Center. Our stockholders can rest assured that we
never fail to put their financial well-being over the lungs and lives of
millions worldwide...

"5 Million Deaths - Who Cares?"
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/5million.jpg

"More $, Less Health!"
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/moremoney.jpg

"Trade over Health!"
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/trade.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/wtowelcome.jpg

"We love U WTO!"
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/welovewto.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/welovewto2.jpg

NOTE OF THANKS: To our delight, the WTO Convention Center was one big
smokefest. Some WTO delegates apologized for smoking around us, but we
told them to keep on puffing away -- after all, the more they smoke, the
richer we get! Our company's found it highly lucrative to maintain
smokers' "freedom to poison the air." We would like to take this
opportunity to thank the WTO for its poison-friendly conference venue
policies.

AND FINALLY, SOME PHOTOS OF WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST...

Licensed to Kill's competition, aka Philip Morris, is alive and well in
Cancun.  The majority of small billboards lining the streets of downtown
Cancun have Marlboro advertisement on them:

http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/marlboroblue.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/vengamarlboro.jpg
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/marlboro.jpg

A few days later we passed by the latter and noticed that some crazy kid
must have defaced it. In our view, such hooligans need to "get a job"!
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/marlboro2.jpg

These photos and more are all online at:
http://www.licensedtokill.biz/photos/wto2003/

In the name of profit,
Corrie Prutspin
Senior VP of Corporate Communications
Licensed to Kill, Inc
http://www.licensedtokill.biz
Our motto: We're Rich, You're Dead!=99