TOBACCO IN MOVIES AND IMPACT ON YOUTH - Smoke Free ...

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Tobacco in Movies & Impact on Youth industry contained, there was a striking increase in the type of brand appearance depicted, with actor endorsement increasing from 1% of films before the ban to 11% after. Four US cigarette brands accounted for 80% of brand appearances. Revenues outside the USA accounted for 49% of total revenues for these films, indicating a large international audience. This showed that tobacco-brand appearances are common in films and are becoming increasingly endorsed by actors. The most highly advertised US cigarette brands account for most brand appearances, which suggests an advertising motive to this practice. 44 The advertising literature notes that movie product placements are effective if the viewer interprets the brand image according to who the character is and how the brand is used by the character. 45 Brand appearances in movies are part of a larger advertising trend that aims to place brands in movies and television shows in response to the weakening effectiveness of paid commercial advertising or ban on direct advertising. Brand placements are a particularly effective form of advertising because the public does not view them with the same scepticism as other advertising. Because movies are marketed globally, cigarettes placed in movies are viewed by an international audience. 46 The tobacco industry understood the value of placing and encouraging tobacco use in films, and the ways to do it. While the industry claims to have ended this practice, smoking in motion pictures increased throughout the 1990s and remains a public health problem even today. 47 Some people thought that the brand visibility and tobacco product placement or star endorsement might be just an accident. Someone who is ignorant of the issue may be tempted to say but if the revelation comes from the horses’ mouth, then little is left to speculation. Amir Khan an immensely successful Bollywood star says that, “I have been approached many times by tobacco companies with very attractive offers, so far I have refused all such offers. If smoking is harmful to me, how can I recommend it to my fans?” 48 Another successful actor Jackie Shroff, who was a model for a tobacco company till sometime back claimed that even after his contract with the tobacco company finished he was still being approached by cigarette companies despite the fact that he being no more interested to endorse any tobacco product. Subhash Ghai, a successful film producer and director also claims that he has been approached umpteen times by the agents of tobacco companies for product placement but he refused. 49 Vivek Oberoi, the young star and the new style icon of India also tells a similar story, in his words; “Three days after the release of my first film, Company, I was called up by several tobacco and alcohol brand (owners) for endorsement, offering me crores of rupees. I was three days old in the industry, but in five minutes I said no to all of them.” 50 During an interview of a Japanese director, he without any hesitation claimed to have visited a tobacco factory in Cuba to discuss a script of the movie 51 he directed and also about casting a girl designated as Miss Tobacco. And so is the story with many successful actors, producers and directors. While those who refuse, tell the story publicly, but the story of hundreds others who succumb to the temptation is never known. Those who give in to financial 12
Tobacco in Movies & Impact on Youth consideration by tobacco and liquor companies adjust brand visibility in their movies and that’s how we see movies containing tobacco brands/products so commonly these days. With most of the successful movies being dubbed into other languages, the tobacco companies, especially the trans-national ones, have discovered the gains of product placements. The fact that movies also have an unlimited life and the advertising cost is not recurring clearly adds to the attractiveness of movies as vehicle of promoting tobacco. 52 THE STUDY Objective: India ratified the FCTC in 2004 53 and also enacted legislation called “Cigarette and other tobacco products Act 2003” which specifically called for an end to direct and indirect form of tobacco advertisements 54 . Since the enactment of the legislation, the tobacco companies are prohibited from any kind of advertisement. We intend to find if they resorting to covert form of advertisement which included product placement in Indian movies. Such product placements and visibility of tobacco in movies creates a very high impact on the youngsters and children. Are myths about tobacco use being promoted through movies? This study also attempts to study the actual incidents of tobacco use in the Indian movies after 2003 and to have a snapshot view of the influence it creates on young peoples mind so as to understand the influence and actual impact of showing smoking images in movies on youngsters. There are two parts of the present study. In the first part we intended to study the usage of tobacco in Hindi movies released during the year 2004 and 2005. The second part of the study was questionnaire designed with an intention to understand the mindset and the popular perception. We interacted with over one thousand and one hundred youngsters and sought their reaction, opinion and recall on various aspects of tobacco usage in movies. RESEARCH DESIGN PART I – ANALYZ<strong>IN</strong>G <strong>MOVIES</strong> List of Movies This research goes beyond evaluating only the popular and successful movies on the basis of the revenue collection or their success and failure by other parameters as the box office collection can not be a qualifying yardstick. Each movie is produced with an expectation of its being successful. So even if a movie is not a success by some yardstick still it will not lessen its role as an intended mass media 13
Page 1 and 2: A STUDY ON TOBACCO IN MOVIES AND IM
Page 3 and 4: INTRODUCTION Tobacco in Movies & Im
Page 5 and 6: Tobacco in Movies & Impact on Youth
Page 11: Tobacco in Movies & Impact on Youth
Page 15 and 16: The Questions and their rationale T
Page 17 and 18: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS
Page 19 and 20: 120 100 80 Number of movies 60 40 2
Page 37 and 38: RECOMMENDATIONS In view of the abov
Page 39 and 40: AUTHORS & INVESTIGATORS Tobacco in
Page 41 and 42: 60. Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya 61. Mangal
Page 43 and 44: 27 McCool JP, Cameron LD, Petrie KJ

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