Comments on: Philip Morris's Reverse Marketing Brilliance

By: Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:55:56 +0000

Now I discover they’ve taken down Shards-o-glass and replaced it with one of their crummy ads that aren’t very entertaining. Foo.

By: Paul Robinson

Paul Robinson — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 04:54:23 +0000

One of my favorite anti-smoking “advertisements” is the Shards O’ Glass Popsicle ad site, which they should give more promotion to.

http://www.shards-o-glass.com

Basically it’s a website for a (fake) company that makes Popsicles with embedded broken glass. Why would anyone want to eat Popsicles that have broken glass in them? Good question; knowing that Cigarettes will kill you, why would you continue to smoke? (Probably because they’re addictive).

Anyway, the Shards O’ Glass website is very funny.

By: Noah Kagan

Noah Kagan — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 07:34:22 +0000

I don’t think the tobacco company deliberately planned to do reverse marketing. I just think its a consequence at their pathetic attempt to reduce smoking. Nedra, amazing points for really highlighting what gets kids attention and helps them take action.

By: Nedra Weinreich

Nedra Weinreich — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 06:47:45 +0000

The brilliance of the truth campaign is that it takes the values that adolescents live by — rebellion against authority, independence, self-expression, the need to belong — and made the truth “brand” fill the same need that the cigarette brands had been filling. They turned the rebellion against the tobacco industry and gave teens a way to participate in the anti-tobacco movement.

The truth campaign came about as a result of Florida’s settlement with the tobacco industry in 1997. I’m not sure about when the Parent Resource Center came about, but I just checked out their website and saw that I know two people on their advisory board who are definitely not shills for the tobacco industry. So while I agree that PRC’s approach may not be the most effective, I don’t think this is a deliberate attempt to undermine their own campaign.

By: Court

Court — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 03:11:16 +0000

It’s a good theory you have going here about reverse marketing, but something tells me that’s not what Philip Morris has in mind. I think if kids are going to rebel, they’re going to do it anyway. Since when has good parenting been a BARRIER to raising a kid right?

I think when parents talk to their kids about ANY issue the right way, it’s going to help the kid make better choices. Even if it is just a subtle, perhaps even subconcious influence.

Out of curiousity, do you know which came first, the Truth campaign, or the Parent Resource Center?

By: LandingTheDeal

LandingTheDeal — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 00:17:47 +0000

Avoiding Small Talk When Selling…

Or, anytime really. Noah at Okdork.com has a fun little list of things to do when you want to avoid "small talk". In sales, there’s lots of small talk. Is it worthwhile? Probably not. Big Talk, however, is worth…

By: She

She — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:51:25 +0000

I always found those ads slightly suspicious and assumed it was something that came out as a result of a lawsuit or an attempt to avoid another one for big tobacco.

Do you think it is working?What is the stats?

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 07 Jul 2006 22:17:32 +0000

You’re right. I never thought of it that way.

NK = brilliant.