https://twitter.com/lucaskuffner/status/836308812483080192
My YouTube viewing on TV was interrupted by an ad. I uncharacteristically watched it because it seemed political. It was an astroturf ad by what looked like JTI-Macdonald Corp. in the disclaimer flashed at the end of the ad, and it had a spiky haired older guy going by “Mike” (I think), who said he quit smoking on his own (unlikely, but that’s what Tobacco companies want you to believe is possible), and plain packaging is the government interfering in personal decisions. And the result, he claimed, is that illegal tobacco trade will only increase, which is at least six year old nonsense, of course. He wanted people to visit his website to write MPs and Senators.
Laughably, their Twitter bio states:
“We don’t advertise or promote our tobacco brands.”
I thought I’d mention this, since others may see the ad where JTI are surreptitiously arguing they should have the right to promote their tobacco brands. The intention is for people to not realize it’s paid for by Big Tobacco, but shot to look like a home video by a wealthy-libertarian/concerned former smoker.
This is another ad by the same astroturf campaign:
bothsidesoftheargument[dot]ca/open-fact-based-discussion-7
Yep, JTI is going to need all the money they have, for the lawsuits against tobacco companies.
Can we stamp out the tobacco threat to our health? Can we convince Regina to catch up to other municipalities?
#JeffWeCan!
First tweet was at the end of August:
In conclusion, why is Big Tobacco fighting plain packaging?
Saskboy's Abandoned Stuff 