Kenneth Glad
A global tobacco promotion has renewed scrutiny of how cigarette brands use lifestyle messaging. Public health advocates say the dispute reflects a broader fight over marketing, regulation and corporate promises.
Philip Morris International (PMI) is facing criticism after anti-tobacco campaigners accused it of promoting Marlboro cigarettes while also presenting itself as a company moving away from cigarette sales.
The dispute centers on the “I AM Marlboro” campaign, which The Guardian said has appeared on billboards, television and online platforms in several countries.
PMI says its business is changing, with more revenue coming from smoke-free products, including heated tobacco and vapes. Its chief executive, Jacek Olczak, previously said that “cigarettes belong in museums.”
A company spokesperson defended PMI’s direction, telling The Guardian:
“Philip Morris International today is a drastically different company from a decade ago. In Q1 2026, 43% of our net revenues were generated by smoke-free products, compared to essentially zero when we announced our smoke-free future. The fact is our shipments of smoke-free products have increased every year, while over the past 10 years PMI has sold 240bn fewer cigarettes.”
Ads meet reality
That defense now sits beside a cigarette campaign critics say is anything but backward-looking.
The Guardian said PMI has filed or owns campaign-related trademarks in about 20 countries, including Indonesia, Morocco, Bangladesh and Germany.
In the Philippines, roadside Marlboro sellers promoted competitions offering a scooter or branded merchandise to customers who, according to the newspaper, bought cigarettes.
In Indonesia, a television advert showed young adults climbing mountains and rehearsing with a rock band.
Lifestyle as leverage
Health advocates say the concern is not only that cigarettes are being advertised. It is that the campaign appears to link Marlboro with confidence, freedom, social belonging and self-expression.
Mark Hurley, vice-president at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told The Guardian:
“You can’t claim that cigarettes belong in a museum while launching a global campaign to make Marlboro cigarettes a core part of how young people see themselves.”
Hurley said the campaign exploits young people’s search for identity and belonging, and argued that PMI appeared to be reinforcing cigarette sales rather than leaving them behind.
PMI rejected claims that the marketing is aimed at minors. Its spokesperson said:
“To be clear, our marketing is restricted to adults and subject to both our own marketing code and legal requirements designed to prevent youth appeal or access.”
Teen appeal fears
The controversy has revived comparisons with PMI’s earlier “Be Marlboro” campaign, which was banned in Germany more than a decade ago because of concerns it appealed to teenagers.
Jorge Alday, director of STOP, a tobacco industry watchdog program at Vital Strategies, told the British newspaper:
“The ‘I AM’ campaign lays bare the duplicity in Philip Morris International’s claims to want to end cigarette sales.”
He added: “Let’s face the obvious: if the company was serious about ending cigarette sales, it wouldn’t be advertising cigarettes.”
Researchers at the University of Bath said PMI’s decline in cigarette sales had stalled since the company announced its smoke-free ambition.
Source: The Guardian.
