Tobacco Treaty Passes

[Napoleon]

today a world wide treaty banning/heavily restricting Tobbaco advertising passed, which IMO pretty much spells the end of tobacco sponsorship in CART and other racing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3046223.stm

[rabbit]

I wonder what Penske's sponsor will want him to do now, seeing how he is subject to their every whim.

[Wheel-Nut]

Originally posted by rabbit
I wonder what Penske's sponsor will want him to do now, seeing how he is subject to their every whim.

I think he is going Submarine Racing!

[RaceChic]

Originally posted by rabbit
I wonder what Penske's sponsor will want him to do now, seeing how he is subject to their every whim.

Looks good on him if he looses the sponsor. I'm sure he'll get another, but that was a biggy.
Knew it was coming. Last year for Team Players as we know it. :cry:

[ChrisB]

Does anyone know if this also affects F1 sponsorships like Marlboro/Ferrari, West/McClaren, etc?

Otherwise, this is good in a way. The thing about tobacco in racing is that tobacco is the 800lb gorilla of advertising. There is probably no other industry in the world which makes so much money, and needs to spend so much of it on advertsing as the tobacco industry does. (Tobacco derives nearly all of its value from brand advertising).

If an individual race team has a tobacco sponsor, it's the golden goose. It's in a category of its own compared to its competitors. Take that away, and the money parity gets more level.

Nascar had it right... let tobacco be the *series* sponsor and the individual teams be sponsored by other things. USAC in the early 70's had Marlboro as a series sponsor, but they pulled out apparently because of the Vels-Parnelli Viceroy superteam. If USAC had disallowed individual teams to have tobacco sponsorship, Marlboro might have stayed as series sponsor (like Nascar WC) and things mighta turned out different.

[Napoleon]

Originally posted by ChrisB
Does anyone know if this also affects F1 sponsorships like Marlboro/Ferrari, West/McClaren, etc?



It covers something like 193 countries, so I would guess it picks up everywhere F1 races (only the ussual suspects like N. Korea, Iraq, Switzerland and the like must not have signed).

Each country is on its own on formulating laws to satisfy the treaty, but the way I read it the changes ultimately will be huge in the restrictions made to advertising.

[Hink]

This just in ... World Death Rate Holding Steady at 100%...

.

Hopefully "Penske's sponsors*" tell him to get the hell out of Auto Racing before the turncoat gives another "We're probaly just victims" cry in a publicized interview.

* read - Penske can't accept responsibility for his actions.

[nrc]

Oh goody, there's a piranha loose in the sponsorship kiddie pool. Could it be that someone else is about to get the PPI treatment?

[JoeBob]

There's already talk that Budweiser will sponsor the Ferraris in F1. When you're a big dog, there's never a problem finding some food.

[Chaos]

FWIW, i remember Coca-Cola was being bantied as a Ferrari sponsor as well...

[Kate]

Prospect among the Tobacco Companies' websites and you'll find that they own practically everything in the world. They'll likely just shift the money to another division and carry on.

[Joe in LA]

Originally posted by Kate
Prospect among the Tobacco Companies' websites and you'll find that they own practically everything in the world. They'll likely just shift the money to another division and carry on.

While the could do this, don't count on it. Tobacco has very limited advertising opportunities. That is why they dump huge sums of money on racing. The other products can advertise anywhere.

[oddlycalm]

F1 is going to be the real tell. Between Marlboro, BAT, Benson Hedges, West and Mild Sevens (did I leave any out), half the cars on the grid will been in need of new sponsorship. Not great timing for the race teams.

[Gurneyflap]

The timing has been YEARS coming...anyone not prepared for this SHOULD fold! The NASCAB Wal-Mart Cup?

[sundaydriver]

Peniske losing a about a 25 million dollar a year budget has got to be the reason he is squealing like a pig lately.

Who else is going to step up to the plate with that kind of cash? Probably nobody which is the reason he is calling for CART to go away. Penske knows that trying to sign up new sponsors with the decline in TV numbers and track attendance is killing his chances for new sponsors. And even if CART does fold, the long term viability of the IRL is in jeopordy too. Just look at the situation with the engine mfgs, if they decide to bail, they most likely take their teams with them or disband them. Either way, the IRL loses.

My hope and prayer is that Toyota and Honda pull a move like they did in CART and abandon the IRL. The look on TG's face would make my year.
:D