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Tobacco Memos

Using sneaky, manipulative tactics to get you to buy cigarettes is nothing new to Big Tobacco. In fact, they’ve been doing it for decades. They try every trick in the book to lure in young, new customers. After all, how else can they replace their dead ones? Read on, and see what the companies themselves reveal in their own memos.

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[We Are, Then, in the Business of Selling Nicotine] (1963)

Infamous Philip Morris strategy document that states, "Nicotine is addictive. We are, then, in the business of selling nicotine -- an addictive drug effective in the release of stress mechanisms."

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We Are About to Go Into Production with the Motion Picture, "Run Sheep Run", a Suspense, Thriller, Set in Los Angeles (1972)

Offer of product placement in Run Sheep Run film; notes placement's potential power because "the audience is completely unaware of the sponsor involvement."

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Proactive Legislation (1988)

Strategy to get "friendly" Colorado elected officials to offer smoking bill with "desirable" provisions.

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Some Benefits of Smoking Report No. RD1461 Unclassified (1977)

British American Tobacco Company review of the "benefits" of smoking recommends investigation of the relative effectiveness (in terms of task performance) of cigarettes that deliver different amounts of nicotine.

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[Product Placement Activity Report: May 1- June 16, 1980] (1980)

List of successful placements of RJR products in several motion pictures. Discusses plan to provide product to stars to use on TV.

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