FerrariFormula 1News

Do you see barcodes? Or Marlboro? Ferrari in trouble for using subliminal cigarette branding

A report has emerged that said doctors have called for an investigation in what they describe as subliminal tobacco advertising on Ferrari’s Formula One cars.

Subliminal is something that “exists or operates below the threshold of consciousness”, the report went on to state that the red, white and black bar code on Ferrari’s cars and overalls was aimed at linking viewers with the Marlboro brand. Well, truth be said, Ferrari and Marlboro have done a tremendous job because everyone has known since it first started that those barcodes represent Marlboro.

Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro, has backed Ferrari and other Formula One teams for decades now. But a EU ban on tobacco advertising has seen the brand facing a difficult situation because Ferrari and Marlboro went into a ten-year contract in 2001 a time where cigarette branding was still allowed. The contract is said to be worth US$1 billion but Ferrari has always refused to disclose the figure. Well even if its not US1 billion, its still got to be a lot of money, such prominent branding on the most successful Formula One team ever will never come cheap. Ever.

John Britton, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and director of its tobacco advisory group, told the Times: “The bar code looks like the bottom half of a packet of Marlboro cigarettes. I was stunned when I saw it. This is pushing at the limits. If you look at how the bar code has evolved over the last four years, it looks like creeping branding.”

A spokesman for Ferrari told the newspaper: “The bar code is part of the livery of the car. It is not part of a subliminal advertising campaign.” A spokesman for Philip Morris said the deal complied with the law.

Ferrari is the only F1 team with a tobacco brand in its formal title – Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Its official logo also features a bar code and its drivers wear overalls bearing the bar code next to the Ferrari logo.

Our verdict: Ferrari is going to have some answering to do pretty soon if the heat stays on this way. A few hundred million fine coming its way for promoting tobacco use? No way, never Ferrari, it just doesn’t work that way.

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    williamclw
  • Apr 30, 2010
i got a tshirt with a barcode saying "John Britton, fuck you"
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    pakcikkau
  • Apr 30, 2010
|| | ||| | |||| | |||||| <----- read this
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    Lancewood
  • Apr 30, 2010
Why am i still on Dunhill? Proves their concept doesnt work :P
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    Juannabe
  • Apr 30, 2010
so what if there's subliminal advertising on Ferrari's cars, uniforms and wateva else.

rules were made to be broken, and in this case, it wasn't even broken, cos they actually played by the rules.

hell, here alone we already see how red equates to malboro since they can't advertise. and real soon alcohol boys are gonna face the same restrictions, so expect to see your next tiger beer ads in your fav magazine with stripes.

mr Johnny Britton, smoke a spliff and chill out will ya! barcodes ain't gonna win Ferrari any races!
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    Andrew
  • Apr 30, 2010
yea i agree wit that.

they didnt break the rules,they just bend the rules.
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    speed
  • Apr 30, 2010
i bet all of u guys smoke..sadd....
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    tis
  • Apr 30, 2010
wow. dat means marlboro? nice ad. im going to start smoking now.
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    F.John
  • May 1, 2010
oh wow, I'm going to start smoking nw.
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    andy
  • May 1, 2010
so technically Ducati should also be in trouble right? they also carry the barcode livery mah... oops.
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    netmatrix
  • May 2, 2010
Since very very long time when they banned tobacco ads, and then poof!!! Malboro is bar codes. And only after all these years they dig this out and slap it on the table? What the hell???
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    vincent
  • May 3, 2010
"Scuderia Ferrari and Philip Morris International Sponsorship

Maranello, 29 April – Today and in recent weeks, articles have been published relating to the partnership contract between Scuderia Ferrari and Philip Morris International, questioning its legality. These reports are based on two suppositions: that part of the graphics featured on the Formula 1 cars are reminiscent of the Marlboro logo and even that the red colour which is a traditional feature of our cars is a form of tobacco publicity.

Neither of these arguments have any scientific basis, as they rely on some alleged studies which have never been published in academic journals. But more importantly, they do not correspond to the truth. The so called barcode is an integral part of the livery of the car and of all images coordinated by the Scuderia, as can be seen from the fact it is modified every year and, occasionally even during the season. Furthermore, if it was a case of advertising branding, Philip Morris would have to own a legal copyright on it.

The partnership between Ferrari and Philip Morris is now only exploited in certain initiatives, such as factory visits, meetings with the drivers, merchandising products, all carried out fully within the laws of the various countries where these activities take place. There has been no logo or branding on the race cars since 2008, even in countries where local laws would still have permitted it.

The premise that simply looking at a red Ferrari can be a more effective means of publicity than a cigarette advertisement seems incredible: how should one assess the choice made by other Formula 1 teams to race a car with a predominantly red livery or to link the image of a driver to a sports car of the same colour? Maybe these companies also want to advertise smoking! It should be pointed out that red has been the recognised colour for Italian racing cars since the very beginning of motor sport, at the start of the twentieth century: if there is an immediate association to be made, it is with our company rather than with our partner."

-Autoblog

But we know that the bar codes still represents Malboro. ;)
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