To all you smokers out there, the habit’s about to become a whole lot less stylish. Those pretty colours, logos and fonts are about to be wiped away, replaced with a hideously ugly olive packet, decorated only with the gruesome picture of some poor soul with mouth cancer or foot gangrene.
On August 16th 2012, the High Court rejected Big Tobacco’s claim that the plain packaging legislation infringed section 51 of the Australian Constitution, the right to acquire property ‘on just terms’ (the section that The Castle’s all about). Having restricted television and radio advertising already, the legislation to ban package branding marks a point in time where the public advertising of tobacco brands will become something entirely of the past.
Stripping away a company of its marketing power raises a whole lot of tricky issues – intellectual property infringement and increased black market trading just to name a couple. Yet, on the other hand, we’ve been shown the dangerous impacts individualised packaging can have on current and potential tobacco consumers. Studies by GFK Bluemoon revealed that brands and designs were seen to distort logical opinions of tobacco products. For instance, lighter coloured packs were seen as better for ones health, and particular brand logos, such as Benson and Hedges, indicated wealth and success of the owner.
Online campaigning has comprised the majority of the campaign’s momentum. Although traditional media outlets have played their part, YouTube advertisemens, online polls and petitions have been the main player in the fight against cigarette branding. To support the plain packaging campaign, head to https://action.cancerresearchuk.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=149&ea.campaign.id=15571
So… here’s my own little poll (#shamelesssearchformarks #hookmeupwithanH1doug)
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