Why has new-age ITC resumed age-old cigarette advertising?

Kolkata: In the early years of the latest millennium, the COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act was a death knell for both media and agencies. It signalled the suspension of lucrative year-long advertising spending for cigarette brands, especially in print and outdoor vehicles.

To be totally fair, ITC’s stance was partially voluntary, admirably bordering on excessive restraint. The company had studied ‘Dark Market’ patterns globally and assessed that the authorities would be less punitive if corporate conduct was mature and collaborative. 

Another strategic imperative was the protection of the hard-earned tobacco trademarks, with Wills Lifestyle apparel being a potential use case for uncontroversial continuity. Do also note that at the time more than 90% of the group’s revenues came from a solitary industry and successful new-age entities like Ashirvaad, Bingo and Fiama had not yet been conceived.

As a much-considered outcome, a few basic guidelines were followed most sincerely, leading to an overnight turn of agendas and fortunes for the advertising partners.

 People would no longer feature in the communication and while there could be static objects, the packaging would clearly be the hero, and most vitally, all messaging would reside only in selling points and packs. Implicit in these initiatives was an embargo on ‘inspirational’ messaging, the standard tools of aspirational youth imagery discarded to concur with the legislation sincerely.

In 2022, twenty years after ITC embarked on its diversification drive, the scorecard is rather impressive. More than 60% of the conglomerate’s revenues come from the non-tobacco categories, led by the galloping FMCG and Foods, although the high-margin legacy business enjoys exceptional profit margins. 

The momentum, however, is clearly vested in the recent endeavours and given the prolific levels of talent and momentum, the trajectory can only be Northwards. On a corporate governance plane, the triple bottom line with significant demonstrations of intent has certainly elevated them to the highest echelons of sustainability.

This is exactly why, it is rather baffling that the management is doing a volte-face on its advertising policies, certainly not illegal but definitely uncool and unethical. 

Truthfully, the messaging still resides in selling outlets, but this format of retail has undergone a dramatic transformation over the decades. From being dodgy paan-cold drink-cigarette stores, they are now genuine multi-category hubs, from chips to chocolates and sundry ‘youth appeal’ brands. 

Equally, due to enhanced technology and diverted budgets, audio-visual screens can be installed and even the printing substrate is top-class.

Most worryingly, as the photos in the article suggest, there is a backdoor comeback to ‘inspirational’ advertising, which was voluntarily forsaken. 

ITC Cigarette Advertisement

Wills ‘Made for Each Other’ is back to demonstrating happy couples, their back profiles insufficiently concealing the intended associations. 

Gold Flake has chosen a techie route in promotion, and everything from variants to stimuli seems intent on attracting ambitious young audiences. 

Classic is back to the stables with the fullest regalia and possibly it is just a matter of time before the riders make a shadowy reappearance. 

You do not need a branding expert to realise that the intent of most communication is to positively veer youngsters towards consumption, no longer just placeholder POP material for business continuity.

My heartfelt question to the much-respected ITC is, why is this necessary? 

The company is a beacon for India-first development and its track record in integrity, commitment and innovation is undeniably impressive. So, it does come across as a distressing anachronism to see the comeback of this genre of cigarette advertising, forsaking much of the wisdom that went behind the self-restraint. 

It is certainly not becoming of a smart modern corporation to reverse global trends in this sensitive matter, as most parts of the civilised world have gone ‘dark’ in terms of advertising. 

On the subject of India’s scary lung cancer track record and its reported connection with tobacco consumption, I don't even wish to enter that zone of argument.

My sincere plea to the ITC management, on behalf of like-minded admirers of the organisation, would be to replicate the spirit of 2002, as the circumstances are also vastly different. 

The newer businesses no longer need the support of the cigarette trademarks, as indigenous creations are truly rocking and customers keenly await the next exceptional product launch. 

Cigarettes naturally constitute a legal and profitable business and that must continue as per legally-valid strategy, but this does little to enhance corporate citizenry.

So let’s not get into the petty trap of youth attraction to sell tobacco and in the words of Pink Floyd ‘leave them kids alone’. 

ITC has certainly proved itself to be much bigger than what we, and possibly they, ever imagined and the future must only be brighter.