Penske Sponsorship

[macdaddy]

This SpeedTV article from Robin Miller says, "You heard it here first"...

Red Bull won't be back with Eddie Cheever in 2006.

Roger Penske has found a way to keep Marlboro past 2006.

The former doesn't surprise me, but the latter is very interesting...

[marcus]

and what way might that be ????

[Kicking-back]

Keep the cars in livery but without Marlboro logos.

Then put pictures of the cars on Marlboro packets

[drdisque]

that wouldn't really do much since in the US, the packets aren't on display, they're generally kept behind the counter and you have to ask the cashier for what you want.

[macdaddy]

I just read a similar suggestion on the F1 forum, regarding Ferrari. But it is my understanding that the anti-tobacco legislation won't even allow the cars to carry the livery. And, putting pics of the cars on the packets would seem backward to me - like Penske should be paying Philip/Morris. Member dasc04 suggested that Marlboro may pay Ferrari, and then "sublet" the advertising space on the cars?

Makes no sense to me. How could having a picture of a racecar on the package, help to increase cigarette sales? The only way you'd see it would be if you had already purchased the product, and doesn't that defeat the purpose of advertising?

[Alex K]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Keep the cars in livery but without Marlboro logos.

Then put pictures of the cars on Marlboro packets

Yeah , yeah, yeah... I heard it somewhere.

[Raglanparade]

Maybe they will run engines that smoke to promote smoking.

[Snrub]

One should never underestimate Penske. He/they pull more rabits out of hats....

[brihev]

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Keep the cars in livery but without Marlboro logos.

Then put pictures of the cars on Marlboro packets

If you look at an aerial view of the Penske cars, they look like a pack of
Marlboros on wheels.
as Todd Harris would say "It's Penske perfect."

Brian

[jock25]

Lots of tobacco companies have considered this issue from many perspectives, trying to find solutions. My favourite example is Camel and the evolution of their Camel Trophy sponsorship and subsequent develop of bespoke clothing for the event that became a means to cross-market the Camel brand without actually promoting cigarettes. They introduced the Camel clothing range into the mass market, thus promoting the Camel cigarette brand indirectly.

However... most of the tobacco companies (particularly those facing ever-increasing restrictions within the EU) decided that it was not worth antagonising politicians in this way for the sake of a few more months or years of coverage.

Penske may have found a way to keep Marlboro beyond 2006 but expect whatever loophole or exception they have found to be closed shortly after. Then it becomes a question of who has the greater resolve and stamina - the race team/sponsor (to find ever more innovative solutions) or the government (to close each loophole)?

[Tenoch]

maybe they can badge the engines Marlboro

[macdaddy]

[Tenoch]

Laugh now but just wait till a Marlboro powered penske wins the 500.

[macdaddy]

Well, KK owns Cosworth and badges them Ford.
I suppose that it's not impossible for Ilmor to badge them Marlboro!
If there's a loophole to be found, Penske will find it!

[Hazza]

"It looks to me Jim, that that Penske Marlboro engine has gone up in smokes, err, smoker, I mean, has puffed out.

[macdaddy]

It would have a shorter life-expectancy, that's for sure.

[DefntlyDiffrnt]

So they're removing the name Marlboro from the tail fin and side pods, right? So? The car is painted to look like a pack of Marlboros with or without the word "marlboro" anywhere on the car. Anyone who has seen a pack of cigs knows what that car looks like. I have faith that Roger will pull a trick or two out of the bag to satisfy his sponsors.

I don't even get this anyway. If a kid starts smoking b/c he/she sees a race car with that word on it, they have bigger issues at home than smoking. Mom and Dad need to teach them morals themselves. Typical "blame American advertising" mentality. /rant

[rustyfan]

This one of the things I really like about forums, the ability to go back to an old thread and update it with how things turned out: GrandPrix.com reports today that Philip Morris USA will continue to sponsor Penske's IndyCar teams despite not being able to display the Marlboro logo or brand name on the cars.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

This one of the things I really like about forums, the ability to go back to an old thread and update it with how things turned out: GrandPrix.com reports today that Philip Morris USA will continue to sponsor Penske's IndyCar teams despite not being able to display the Marlboro logo or brand name on the cars.

I had heard that about 2 weeks ago. I'm not surprised.

[courageous]

Originally Posted by macdaddy

But it is my understanding that the anti-tobacco legislation won't even allow the cars to carry the livery.

This sounds plausible as in Europe there are no cars in any series that carry the red & white now (there was at least one car pre EU ban that turned up at Le Mans with the livery but not the Marlboro word & it fell within the French national law that banned tobacco ads).

So what are the Penske cars actually going to look like?

[Fish_Flake]

The world has seen Marlboro-sponsored race cars for over 30 years; the paint job has become ubiquitous. Philip Morris can sponsor a red-and-white car with no other resemblance to the Marlboro brand, and everyone with a passing knowledge of Formula 1 or IndyCar racing will know just who is backing that machine.

[kingfloopy]

I fail to understand how not letting cigarette companies sponsor sporting events is going to stop anyone from smoking. Heaven forbid anyone should actually take responsibility for actually deciding to smoke in the first place.

Phillip Morris owns part of Kraft and part of Miller Brewing. They're non cigarette brands are:
* Boca Burger
* Crystal Light (or Clight in several countries)
* Daim
* Gevalia
* Jacobs coffee
* Kaffee HAG (the world's first decaffeinated coffee)
* Kool-Aid
* Kraft spreads, dressings, cheeses and dinners
* Maxwell House
* Milka
* Miracle Whip
* Miracoli dinners
* Nabisco biscuits
* Onko
* Oscar Mayer meats
* Post Cereals (some brands are former Nabisco cereals)
* Pacific biscuits, China's number one biscuit
* Philadelphia cream cheese
* Shake 'n' Bake breading mixes
* Suchard cocoa
* Tang
* Tombstone pizzas
* Toblerone
* Vegemite

Couldn't they just as easily stick one of these companies on race cars?

Maybe Sam Hornish could change his to Sam Marlboro ?

J.D.

[Mekola]

Paul Stoddart has a company called Marlboro Air under his European Aviation scheme; could he offer that name to Penske???

[outflat]

Originally Posted by kingfloopy

I fail to understand how not letting cigarette companies sponsor sporting events is going to stop anyone from smoking. Heaven forbid anyone should actually take responsibility for actually deciding to smoke in the first place.

Phillip Morris owns part of Kraft and part of Miller Brewing. They're non cigarette brands are:
* Boca Burger
* Crystal Light (or Clight in several countries)
* Daim
* Gevalia
* Jacobs coffee
* Kaffee HAG (the world's first decaffeinated coffee)
* Kool-Aid
* Kraft spreads, dressings, cheeses and dinners
* Maxwell House
* Milka
* Miracle Whip
* Miracoli dinners
* Nabisco biscuits
* Onko
* Oscar Mayer meats
* Post Cereals (some brands are former Nabisco cereals)
* Pacific biscuits, China's number one biscuit
* Philadelphia cream cheese
* Shake 'n' Bake breading mixes
* Suchard cocoa
* Tang
* Tombstone pizzas
* Toblerone
* Vegemite

Couldn't they just as easily stick one of these companies on race cars?

Maybe Sam Hornish could change his to Sam Marlboro ?

J.D.

There would be no point in Philip Morris paying millions to Penske to promote cheese or coffee - they can advertise those anywhere.

The subliminal promotion of cigarettes - which can't be advertised anywhere else - is what makes the deal so valuable.

[GTRMagic]

How about the "Vegemite" Penskes?