Source: Philip Morris USA
Date: 2010-03-01
Author: [item Undated]

Since 1990, our policy has been to decline all third party
requests to use, display or reference our cigarette brands,
products, packages or advertisements in any movies or television
shows or other public entertainment media. This policy was
reinforced in 1998 by the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) . .
.
Unfortunately, the fact that PM USA does not engage in product
placement does not mean that our brands are never shown. Some
producers and directors choose to depict PM USA brands in their
work without our permission. But we are limited in our ability to
stop all displays of our brands, because federal and state
trademark laws, as well as the U.S. Constitution, protect freedom
of expression and the “fair use” of trademarks in works such
as movies and television shows.

PM USA believes that producers, directors and others involved in
the creative process are in a unique position to voluntarily
eliminate smoking scenes in movies and other entertainment media
directed at youth, and we encourage them to do so.

Recently, a major National Cancer Institute (2008) review of the
literature related to media communications in tobacco promotion
and tobacco control concluded that, “The total weight of
evidence from cross-sectional, longitudinal, and experimental
studies indicates a causal relationship between exposure to movie
smoking depictions and youth smoking initiation (p. 357)." 

In 2004, PM USA began a stakeholder engagement effort to explore
our role in helping to achieve a reduction in the amount of
smoking scenes in all entertainment programming intended for
youth and to help in the elimination of the use of PM USA brand
imagery in all entertainment programming. . . .

In 2008, there was another outreach to our key stakeholders at
major and minor motion picture studios to reiterate our policies
and positions and to encourage them to take additional steps to
eliminate smoking scenes in movies directed at youth. In
addition, We also held a roundtable discussion with directors,
producers and film makers at an independent film festival on
product placement and the impact of smoking and brand imagery on
youth.

PM USA will continue outreach to key stakeholders within the
entertainment industry in order to continue to inform them about
our efforts. Additionally, we hope to maintain these
relationships so that we gain additional insight and feedback to
help guide our efforts.