R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company | Advertising & Promotion

Advertising & Promotion
Voluntary Cigarette Advertising and Promotion Code
The Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) that R.J. Reynolds and other cigarette manufacturers signed in November 1998 sets forth numerous tobacco-marketing restrictions. In addition to those restrictions, R.J. Reynolds continues to follow several rules, as stated in the Voluntary Cigarette Advertising and Promotion Code, regarding cigarette advertising. (The remainder of the voluntary code was included in or superseded by the MSA.) These rules state:

No one depicted in cigarette advertising shall be or appear to be under 25 years of age.

Cigarette advertising shall not suggest that smoking is essential to social prominence, distinction, success or sexual attraction, nor shall it picture a person smoking in an exaggerated manner.

Cigarette advertising may picture attractive, healthy looking persons provided there is no suggestion that their attractiveness and good health is due to cigarette smoking.

Cigarette advertising shall not depict as a smoker anyone who is or has been well known as an athlete, nor shall it show any smoker participating in, or obviously just having participated in, a physical activity requiring stamina or athletic conditioning beyond that of normal recreation.

No sports or celebrity testimonials shall be used or those of others who would have special appeal to persons under 21 years of age.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's Practice On Placing Print Advertising
As part of our placement practice, we:

Review audience-measurement data regarding the age of a publication's readership.

Where data are available on a publication's total readership aged 12 or older, we will only consider advertising in magazines with readership of at least 85 percent 18 or older.

For publications where audience measurement data are available only for readership age 18 and older, we consider advertising only if the median age of the audience is 23 or older.

Analyze the editorial content of the publications over time to be sure the topics covered have adult appeal and focus.

Evaluate the other advertisements which appear in those publications to ensure that they are products which have adult appeal and focus.

Assess such factors as the publication's business stability, circulation dynamics and method of distribution.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Policy Regarding Cigarette Flavor Communications
Virtually all U.S. cigarettes include common flavors such as cocoa, sugar, licorice and fruit- and mint-based derivatives. The ability to accurately describe the taste of cigarettes to adult smokers is protected commercial free speech and central to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's ability to compete. R.J. Reynolds seeks to protect its right to communicate product differences to adult smokers, while preventing unintended perceptions surrounding "flavored" cigarettes.
Therefore, the company voluntarily adopts the following restrictions on all non-age-restricted communication related to its cigarette brands and brand styles; the exterior of its cigarette packaging; magazine and newspaper cigarette advertising; as well as non-age-restricted point- of-sale for cigarettes. The company will not use:

The names or graphic depictions of candy as well as the words chocolate, cocoa, cacao, mocha, vanilla, honey, maple, cinnamon, licorice, mint (unless referring to menthol brands and styles), spearmint, peppermint, sugar, candy, sweet, creamy.

Names or graphic depictions of types of specific fruits (e.g. orange, lemon) or types of fruits (e.g. berry) and the words fruity, citrus, tart and tangy.

Names of types of alcoholic beverages (e.g. rum, bourbon) and alcoholic drink names to describe the flavor characteristics of a cigarette.