Review and Background discussion

The influence movies create on youngsters is now quite well researched and documented. The impact movies create on promoting tobacco is also now well understood. It is known that social learning through mass media is a major factor which contributes to adoption of smoking by young people.23 The use of tobacco in television dramas and in movies reinforces misleading ideas that smoking is socially acceptable and desirable.[i] Adolescent exposed to high pervasiveness of smoking in movies associate it with a perceptions that smoking is a normative social and stress reaction behaviour[ii] and depiction of smoking in movies and television appears to operate through promoting more favourable attitudes toward smoking even among never-smokers.[iii] 

Movies influence fashion, lifestyles, and represent smoking as an acceptable behaviour. Using this knowledge the greatest tobacco companies have built relationships with Hollywood's actors and producers, in order to show smoking and cigarette brands in films. This results in making the teenagers watching these "smoking films" as the most exposed to start smoking.[iv] In popular contemporary movies, smoking is frequently associated with characteristics many adolescents find appealing; such as toughness, sexiness, and rebelliousness.[v] 

A study by Dozier et.al showed that in 92% of incidences, smoking had no consequences. The most frequent consequence was a verbal reprimand. Although tobacco is a leading cause of preventable deaths globally, only 0.4% of tobacco incidences depicted in the movies resulted in death. No deaths were caused by disease. Characters who smoked tended to be major characters playing leadership roles. They tended to be from privileged elites. The study concluded that films portray characters that smoke as leaders from privileged elites, making smoking more attractive to audience members. Because 99.6% of characters suffer no life threatening consequences from smoking on screen, smokers seem invincible, contradicting tobacco’s role as a leading cause of preventable deaths. [vi]

A question may arise, “If smoking in movies was a true reflection of the society?” The answer to this question is a clear “No.” Research has documented that smoking was three times more prevalent in movies than in the general population from 1960 to 1990.[vii]

This has made smoking in movies as the most powerful pro-tobacco influence on kids today, accounting for 52% of adolescents who start smoking, an effect even stronger than cigarette advertising.[viii] Feature films can be used in marketing tobacco to adolescents as they are an acceptable format of communication and young people like going to the movies.28  It has been established that Children who are more receptive to such exposure are also more susceptible to start smoking.^[ix]  

It has been found that adolescents who choose movie stars who use tobacco on-screen are significantly more likely to have an advanced smoking status and more favourable attitudes toward smoking than adolescents who choose non-smoking stars. The portrayal of tobacco use in contemporary motion pictures, particularly by the stars admired by adolescents, contributes to adolescent smoking.[x] Results of two more cross- sectional studies indicated that adolescents were more likely to have tried smoking if their favourite movie stars smoked on screen. [xi]^,[xii] The young people exposed to movies showing actors smoking often identify tobacco with the stress-relieving and social aspects of smoking, despite being well aware of the harmful health effects. Its acceptability as part of a ‘cool’ image is also well established. Positive images of smoking in the media have the potential to down-play the serious health consequences of smoking by portraying it in a way that young people interpret as a normal part of everyday life. Such movies and stars also encourage a more neutral or tolerant attitude towards smoking among young people and therefore act to counteract other health promotion efforts to reduce teenage smoking.[xiii] 

Studies show that experience as a smoker appears to further inflate the credibility of realistic smoking images, particularly those presented in gritty realism/drama film. Pervasive and credible smoking scenes in film also offer support and reassurance to older teens already smoking or having ambivalent views about smoking.[xiv] A cross sectional study published in the British Medical Journal way back in December 2001 also showed that smoking scenes in the Hollywood films had a very strong influence on young minds. Prof. James Sargent’s study " Effect of seeing tobacco use in films on trying smoking among adolescents” showed that the likelihood of an adolescent trying smoking was directly linked to the number of exposures he/she had of smoking scenes in the films.[xv]  

Sargent and his team also studied adolescents aged 10 to 14 and found that youth had a higher risk of smoking initiation as their exposure to movie smoking increased, with those youth most exposed to movie smoking being most at risk. Adolescents with the greatest exposure to movie smoking were 2.6 times more likely to try smoking than their peers in the least exposed group, after controlling for other factors. The increased risk of smoking initiation associated with exposure to smoking in the movies was similar to that of other well-known risk factors, such as having a parent or sibling who smokes. This increased risk was seen across youth of all racial and ethnic groups, in all geographic regions of the country.[xvi] It was also found that even after controlling for the effects of other social influences, parenting, and personality characteristics of the child; exposure to smoking in movies was associated with smoking experimentation.[xvii] In another previous study, Dr. Sargent established that among adolescents there was a strong, direct, and independent association between seeing tobacco use in films and trying cigarettes, a finding that further supports the previous findings that smoking in films has a role in the initiation of smoking in adolescents. 

In 2002, 2004, and again in 2005 the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also named tobacco in the movies a major factor in teen smoking. The research explains that non-smoking teens whose favourite stars frequently smoke on screen are sixteen times more likely to have positive attitudes about smoking in the future. Equally important, exposure to smoking in the movies quadrupled the chance that non-smokers’ kids would start.[xviii] 

Movies are an obsession with Indians. India produces more than 900 films a year in different languages watched by over 188 million viewers every year. Satellite television has increased the reach out to a much larger audience. There are more than 10 movie channels that telecast movies round the clock. Two of the prominent movie channels reach 35-40% of the 40 million Cable and Satellite (C&S) households in India each week. The four major general entertainment channels show 5-10 movies a week and reach 60-70% of the cable and satellite audience every week. Films and film based programming account for 25% to 30% of programming content and are the key viewership drivers for all general entertainment channels. Newly released films are aired on TV within six months of their debut in theatres, talking them to the remotest corners of the country. The reach of cinema is further increased by the pirated copies of films and it is estimated that 230,000 people each day watch a movie illegally in India.[xix] 

These facts are tempting for any commercial organisation for the promotion of its products through moving images. Since tobacco and alcoholic beverages companies are cash rich and have fewer options of advertising directly so they are more prone to spend higher amount of money through this mode. The added revenue also makes good proposition for the film producers too resulting in a large number of product placements in motion pictures. Over a period of time cigarette companies have developed sophisticated campaigns targeting men, women, and children in different socioeconomic groups. Many of these strategies circumvent the Indian tobacco advertising ban.[xx]  

Targeting Children: Researchers at Dartmouth Medical School found that 38 percent of adolescents who tried cigarettes did so because they saw smoking in movies, according to a study of 6,522 U.S. kids ages 10 to 14. [xxi] 

At least one character in more than two-thirds of animated feature films produced for children over the past 60 years in the United States used tobacco or alcohol with no indication that the practices were unhealthy. Dr. Adam O. Goldstein reported that of the 50 animation movies reviewed 68 percent (or 34 movies), displayed at least one episode of tobacco or alcohol use. Seventy-six characters smoked for a total duration in all films of more than 45 minutes and 63 characters drank alcohol for 27 minutes. He found that good characters consumed the substances as frequently as bad characters did. The feature-length animated films showed cigar and wine consumption most often, but cigarettes, pipes, beer, spirits and champagne were also depicted.[xxii]  

It may be mentioned that India hardly produces any animation movies. Most of the animation movies originate from the US and other foreign countries and are dubbed in Hindi or other regional language. The depiction of tobacco and alcohol affect the youngsters and influence their decision to smoke or drink in their future life, the above mention study clearly reported. As cited earlier a relationship of increased risk of smoking initiation with the greatest exposure to movies showing smoking has been clearly established across all racial and ethnic groups. 

Another study to evaluate the use of tobacco in Japanese cartoon and comic character concluded that young adults, adolescents, and children are frequently exposed to smoking scenes in Japanese cartoons and animations too. The youngsters are likely to identify themselves with characters of the same sex and age; teens with teen smokers in boys’ comics; young male adults with smokers of main characters in the 20s or 30s in youths’ comics; young women with female smokers in women’s comics. This is likely to increase the chances of smoking initiation and an increasing trend of smoking among teens and young women. Comics are a medium with influence over children and adolescents in many Asian countries. Most comics are imported from Japan where comic magazines sell several million copies every week. Popular titles become TV animation series or theatrical animated films.[xxiii] Japanese comics and animation movies are popular and circulations are increasing in many countries including India, this raises serious questions. 

Targeting Females – a new segment in India: Studies suggest that the tobacco companies specifically position their products to attract female smokers from all segments, strata and age groups of society. The tobacco companies’ communications targeting females is carefully designed for younger women stressing on female camaraderie, self confidence, freedom, and independence; cigarette brands for older women are tailored to address the needs for pleasure, relaxation, social acceptability, and escape from daily stresses.[xxiv] 

Smoking is highly prevalent in Hollywood films featuring popular actresses and may influence young audiences for whom movie stars serve as role models[xxv] and there is enough evidence that smoking by movie stars can play an important role in even encouraging female adolescents to start smoking.[xxvi] 

Direct brand placement and tobacco product promotion: Values and lifestyles play a central role in the global marketing of tobacco to young adults and tobacco companies are known to create associations between young adult values and tobacco brands.[xxvii] It is now well known that owning tobacco promotional items and being able to recall cigarette advertisements can double the odds that an adolescent will become an established smoker. Movie images associate smoking with celebrities and depict it as an attractive behaviour.[xxviii] Evidence exists that adolescent smoking is partially attributable to aggressive tobacco marketing strategies aimed at youths via popular culture. One such strategy is to ensure that stars smoke in popular movies. Placing products or brand identifiers in movies is recognized as a standard marketing option to advertise and promote product use.

Advertising is generally aimed at creating a "personality" for a product by associating it with favourable social images. A brand’s personality is built with attractive imagery in magazines, newspapers, and at racing events; which is one way to get brands onto the television screen. It affects youth smoking by associating cigarette brands with images of strength and independence (Marlboro), having a good time (Newport), and sexual potency (Kool) among other characteristics that appeal to adolescents. The ads don’t have to depict smoking; for example, ads for Newport (the second most popular brand among adolescents in USA) show young people having a good time together without showing anyone smoking. Youth smoke highly advertised premium brands; the top three brands among adolescents are Marlboro, Newport, and Camel cigarettes (In USA). In addition, adolescents are avid readers of magazines and also spend time searching the Internet. This adds to the impact. Clearly, mass media plays a prominent role in the life of the contemporary adolescent. Adolescents gain information about their world and about smoking by watching celebrity behaviour in the media. 

A person watching a movie rarely gets the impression as if the smokers are compelled to smoke because of their own addiction. The smokers as shown in the movies are, for the most part, affluent and powerful and, because of their star status, larger than life, in contrast to real-life smokers who are more likely to be poor. Actors smoke in the context of romance, or to appear tough and personify the bad guy or girl, and also to relieve stress—all situations adolescents might aspire to. Actors are increasingly endorsing brands when they smoke on screen, even though paid brand placement was eliminated in USA.[xxix] Actors who also smoke off-screen are even more tempting branding options for tobacco companies because it is known that quite often on-camera smoking is influenced by actors' off-camera tobacco use[xxx] and by endorsing such an actor the impact can be doubled. 

Despite the settlement with the tobacco companies in USA prohibiting brand appearance in movies, the situation did not change overall. Instead of the tobacco industry contained, there was a striking increase in the type of brand appearance depicted, with actor endorsement increasing from 1% of films before the ban to 11% after. Four US cigarette brands accounted for 80% of brand appearances. Revenues outside the USA accounted for 49% of total revenues for these films, indicating a large international audience. This showed that tobacco-brand appearances are common in films and are becoming increasingly endorsed by actors. The most highly advertised US cigarette brands account for most brand appearances, which suggests an advertising motive to this practice.[xxxi] 

The advertising literature notes that movie product placements are effective if the viewer interprets the brand image according to who the character is and how the brand is used by the character.[xxxii] Brand appearances in movies are part of a larger advertising trend that aims to place brands in movies and television shows in response to the weakening effectiveness of paid commercial advertising or ban on direct advertising. Brand placements are a particularly effective form of advertising because the public does not view them with the same scepticism as other advertising. Because movies are marketed globally, cigarettes placed in movies are viewed by an international audience.[xxxiii] The tobacco industry understood the value of placing and encouraging tobacco use in films, and the ways to do it. While the industry claims to have ended this practice, smoking in motion pictures increased throughout the 1990s and remains a public health problem even today.[xxxiv] 

Some people thought that the brand visibility and tobacco product placement or star endorsement might be just an accident. Someone who is ignorant of the issue may be tempted to say but if the revelation comes from the horses’ mouth, then little is left to speculation.

Amir Khan an immensely successful Bollywood star says that, “I have been approached many times by tobacco companies with very attractive offers, so far I have refused all such offers. If smoking is harmful to me, how can I recommend it to my fans?”[xxxv] Another successful actor Jackie Shroff, who was a model for a tobacco company till sometime back claimed that even after his contract with the tobacco company finished he was still being approached by cigarette companies despite the fact that he being no more interested to endorse any tobacco product. Subhash Ghai, a successful film producer and director also claims that he has been approached umpteen times by the agents of tobacco companies for product placement but he refused.[xxxvi] Vivek Oberoi, the young star and the new style icon of India also tells a similar story, in his words; “Three days after the release of my first film, Company, I was called up by several tobacco and alcohol brand (owners) for endorsement, offering me crores of rupees. I was three days old in the industry, but in five minutes I said no to all of them.”[xxxvii] During an interview of a Japanese director, he without any hesitation claimed to have visited a tobacco factory in Cuba to discuss a script of the movie[xxxviii] he directed and also about casting a girl designated as Miss Tobacco.

And so is the story with many successful actors, producers and directors. While those who refuse, tell the story publicly, but the story of hundreds others who succumb to the temptation is never known. Those who give in to financial consideration by tobacco and liquor companies adjust brand visibility in their movies and that’s how we see movies containing tobacco brands/products so commonly these days.

With most of the successful movies being dubbed into other languages, the tobacco companies, especially the trans-national ones, have discovered the gains of product placements. The fact that movies also have an unlimited life and the advertising cost is not recurring clearly adds to the attractiveness of movies as vehicle of promoting tobacco.[xxxix]