Tobacco Sponsorship?

[80DGY]

Thought about putting this in the Motorbike Section but realised it applied to all motorsport, what are the actual rules regarding this?

I was under the impression that motosport raced in Australia had to be tobacco-advertising free?

But the MotoGP that was just on had all the Marlboro/Camel etc graphics?

[AndyMac]

I think you'll find all sport is banned from Tobacco Adveristing in Australia. With the F1, and Two World Bike Races extempt ?

[rowdytoot]

you'd be pretty correct there Andy... :)
State gumbyments can exempt an event from the ban.. (can't let a little ban get in the way of generating $$ can we!)

Rowds

[t__h__e__k]

Man thats a disgrace. In 20 years our kids will look back at us using tobacco sponsorship and laugh their heads off. Same with alcohol too. To associate something as healthy and positive as bike racing with something so evil and negative as smoking is really really bad form.

Even when the companies arnt allowed they just use the riders name with the tobacco graphics, that should be banned too. Although it does look cool ill have to admit.

Sorry rant over but I feel this topic warrants it.

[St00ge]

Without the tobacco $$$ not many race teams would be able to run (takes a while for teams to source multiple hundreads of millions of sponsorship to replace the tobacco companies). I have no problems with the advertising at international events like, indy, F1, Moto GP, if we ban the tobacco companies advertising being shown on cars in our events we would most probabily loose the events.

[AndyMac]

It pointless I think.

Its good to try and ban advertising smoking, but I'd perfer to see more effort in educating younger ones about what it does to you.

I fail to see how stopping a car having a brand name on it would help the cause, it may influence the brand you buy, but not the habit....... Its a peer group pressure thing smoking.

Rant Off/

[St00ge]

I agree, the brand name on the car does nothing to start people smoking. If so they are a little to fanatical about the team ;)

But the positive is that they bring lots of money to the table in the form of sponsorship, and intern more devlopment in all form of racing = :worship: :D . It is the Tobacco companies contribution back into the community in a twisted motorfreak mans mind. :knock:

[OMY30L]

Tobacco sponsorship was initially banned in Aus in 1992, being phased out for a total ban in 1996. Only 4 exemptions are allowed (major international events which may be lost to Australia is the ban is enforced) which are: F1, MotoGP, Indy 300 and the WRC.

Apparently all tobacco sponsorship will be gone in 2006 - much like England is now. I personally can't see it happening, these events attract too much money for them to be lost - even for just one year. The F1 Ferrari looks bare without it's Marlboro signage!

You tend to forget how much tobacco sponsorship was around, at almost every sport there was some company trying to flog off their brand of bunger. Remember the days of the Winfield Cup (league), Winfield GTR's and the old Triple Challenge, Peter Jackson Sierra's, Benson and Hedges cricket world series... the list goes on.

[t__h__e__k]

Cigarette advertising in general effects your subconcious mind like you would'nt believe. It contributes heavily to the glorification of smoking, which is at the root of almost EVERY smoking addiction. Why do you think the tobacco companies are so hell bent on motorsport advertisement?

Wake up. Cigarette advertising, especially in motorsport, is very bad.

But yeah its a difficult position. I'd hate to lose the motogp because of it. But Im sure blokes like Lindsay Fox would be able to chip something in to stop that occuring.

Whats funny to me are the amount of cigarette brands that you dont even realise are cigarette brands. Like gauloises and fortuna, I didnt know for the longest time what they were. But you can be sure people in Europe do.

[rowdytoot]

since this has become more general..

Motorsport isn't such a big deal I don't think-certainly going to the ATCC, NRL etc back in the ciggie advertising days didn't convince me smoking is kewl (nothing ever could!) but the ultimate glorification of smoking definately occurs in movies, and that's where efforts need to be made in reducing the appearance of ciggies and product placement etc..

Hot chicks smoking makes me think of them as very un hot instantly...

Rowds

[Spammy]

How do we feel about the fact that Osama Bin Laden's family compnay used to be major sponsor of the Williams F1 Team ??

It that a good or a bad thing?

Should Williams try and get them back onboard?

Would you prefer George Bush's family company to sponsor the cars?

What would Mike Moore say about all this??

[Nafe]

thek,

I vehemently hate smoking. I've never tried it, and never will. I refuse to date a chick who smokes either.

I've been watching motorsport and tobacco advertising for as long as I can remember.

So tell me how it affects my subconscious?

I also watch the V8Supercars with their blatant VB sponsorship - I don't drink either.

People with weak minds are easily influenced by such things.

[AndyMac]

Marlboro have already come out and said that they would be prepared to buy the entire sponsorship space available on the Ferrari's and just have it red, without wording.

Australia is pretty advanced in anti-tobacco I think, having gone to Europe, traveled the trains and all that, its pretty clear they are a population brought up on smoking (having to travel on a train where 75% of my carraige was smoking was proof enough...horrid).

So like any product, the more you can get seen, the more people will buy it. Think how people start, and I have been there and thankfully quit, you don't care what brand the cancer stick is, you just have it too be "teh cool", you bludge heaps of ciggies before you buy a pack and longer to develop a loyalty to a brand.

Soft drinks are on the same princple, your addicted early and follow a brand when you can buy your own.

PS. Pepsi Rocks

[JabberWocky]

The money that Tobacco companies put into racing is undoubtedly essential for it to prosper in this country and anywhere else. The money that the tobacco industry provides for the gumbyment through taxes more than out weighs the extra pressure put on the health system as a result of these people smoking. Personally I think some sports were better off when they could sponsor everything. The Winfield Cup was the height of Rugby League, One Day series etc as there was more than enough money to be thrown around to make things great.
People will always smoke and its Hollywood, not sport that has done it. Personally, i agree with many of you and find it disgusting and extremely weak of character to need to smoke in the first place. No other reason other than trying to be 'cool' as it tastes like shit, smells like shit and overal is a dirty, life threatening habit.

[Jim]

Spammy...George Bush's family = Bin Laden family. been proven many times over.

[t__h__e__k]

I've been watching motorsport and tobacco advertising for as long as I can remember.

So tell me how it affects my subconscious?


You, and people like you Nafe, are beyond being drawn it. But there are many people, especially young teenagers, who are not so staunch of mind. They are suceptable to infiltration.

Yeah the hollywood thing is worse but dont think for a moment the motorsport tobacco advertising isnt adding to the overall glorification either.

I was a smoker for 7 years and its only now that I am starting to realise exactly why I was drawn to smoking in the first place.

[Hypo]

When watching the F1 on ITV on the weekend they questioned Bernie on Silverstone.

His comments was something like this "You guys are worried about Silverstone, you should be worried about the proposal which says that you can't televise an event which incorporates tobacco sponsorship".

That would incredible if that came into effect.