Ferrari has reacted angrily to reports claiming its Formula One livery is a subliminal form of advertising for its title sponsor Marlboro.
The tobacco company, owned by Philip Morris International, has a long association with the team and has retained its involvement until 2011 despite the advertising of tobacco products being banned from many countries F1 currently visits.
A report in The Times last week claimed leading health officials had called on British and Spanish governments to investigate the extent of Marlboro's involvement with Ferrari, how prominent the Marlboro-mimicking 'barcode' logo was on Ferrari's cars and whether the barcode was a form of subliminal advertising.
"These reports are based on two suppositions: that part of the graphics featured on the Formula 1 cars are reminiscent of the Marlboro logo and even that the red colour which is a traditional feature of our cars is a form of tobacco publicity," said a Ferrari statement posted on its official website.
"Neither of these arguments have any scientific basis, as they rely on some alleged studies which have never been published in academic journals. But more importantly, they do not correspond to the truth.
"The so called barcode is an integral part of the livery of the car and of all images coordinated by the Scuderia, as can be seen from the fact it is modified every year and, occasionally even during the season. Furthermore, if it was a case of advertising branding, Philip Morris would have to own a legal copyright on it."
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Re: Ferrari deny subliminal adverts
And mine ... with two cigarette smears on them, and one burn hole behind the steering wheel where the son-of-b!tch who borrowed the car decided he couldn't care less.
Cigarette butts (filter tips) take eons to degrade. My Georgian "A" listed conservation street is littered with them, empty fag packets tossed aside. In the USA tobacco barons for years lied through their teeth, and then collctively under oath in court, that they did not impregnate fags with addictive chemicals. They had, and got a massive fine. Bush the Decider reduced the fine to show mercy.
Keep cigarettes away fom cars, but above all, from the addictive.
Re: Ferrari deny subliminal adverts
For Nicorette?
Just let people live and make their own decisions, people in 3rd world countries have much more to worry about.
I would start smoking again if i lived in one because A. They're really cheap and B. They'd be a good stress reliever.
Get over yourself, do you drink?
Re: Ferrari deny subliminal adverts
@ Symanski:
Is smoking legal for adults in pretty much every country of the world? Yes.
Is banning tobacco companies from advertising a perfectly legal product for 'health reasons' while simultaneously raking in billions from taxes on the sale of said products the height of hypocrisy? Yes.
Your sweeping generalisation of smokers being "ignorant of anybody else about them" is not only wrong for many of the smokers I know, but also not relevant to the topic. The behavioural failings of individuals are not the fault of Ferrari, Marlboro or the government. It's like the greenies who blame McDonald's for kids littering; missing the point entirely.
If you are going to get up on your high horse about the alleged corruption of the tobacco industry in the Third World (and incidentally, how many GPs take place in those Third World countries?), why don't you address the real issue with the government, and petition for tobacco products to be banned forthwith? Otherwise, your own hypocrisy is staggering.