According to a report in the Observer on July 30, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JTI) are promoting nicotine packs in the UK.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is frequently working with young Instagram influencers in the UK to promote its nicotine bag brand Velo; Japan Tobacco (JTI) has also partnered with 12 music festivals in the UK to heavily promote its nicotine bag brand Nordic Spirit.
British media criticized BAT and JTI for vigorously marketing nicotine bags in the United Kingdom Advertising Bureau: is reviewing whether violations.
British American Tobacco (BAT) claims to have a 52% share of the UK nicotine bag market. According to Japan Tobacco (JTI), the total UK Nicotin bag market is worth 45.8 million pounds.
According to a report in the Observer on July 30, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Japan Tobacco (JTI) are vigorously promoting nicotine bags in the UK.
British American Tobacco (BAT) is frequently working with young Instagram influencers in the UK to promote its nicotine bag brand Velo; Japan Tobacco (JTI) has also partnered with 12 music festivals in the UK to heavily promote its nicotine bag brand Nordic Spirit.
A composite picture showing social-media-style marketing images for Velo pouches, including a promotional stand, people at an outdoor event, and someone holding a packet of Velos
British American Tobacco’s Velo nicotine packs were handed out free samples at a party attended by DJS and rappers.
Despite significant investment by tobacco companies in marketing, sales of nicotine packs in the UK are still small. However, figures show that the nicotine bag market share is growing – according to Japan Tobacco, the total nicotine bag market in the UK has reached £45.8 million, up from just £3 million in 2020.
British American Tobacco (BAT) claims to have a 52% share of the UK nicotine bag market.
The marketing campaigns have raised concerns among health experts and activists. They say tobacco companies have been able to position nicotine packs as “fashion lifestyle products” rather than marketing them as smoking alternatives because these products are largely unregulated.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the sale of all nicotine products to people under the age of 21 and banned companies from giving away free samples. The Netherlands also recently banned the sale of nicotine packs altogether. However, in the UK, nicotine packs, unlike e-cigarettes, are not classified as tobacco-related products and can be legally sold to young people under the age of 18. The nicotine packs, which come in a variety of concentrations and flavors such as watermelon, strawberry and mint, can also be legally advertised on social media, where the promotion of e-cigarettes is generally banned.
The advertising watchdog said promotions must be “responsible” and not directly targeted at children, but statutory restrictions covering e-cigarettes and other age-restricted products also did not apply – meaning price promotions, celebrity endorsements and content “beyond factual information” were not explicitly prohibited.
Companies promoting nicotine packs in the UK say they market responsibly, despite the looser rules, and that their promotions are never aimed at under-18s. They say the nicotine packs do not contain tobacco, are a risk-reducing alternative to smoking and are aimed primarily at existing nicotine users.
However, judging from the marketing of nicotine packs by British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco, this is not quite the case.
The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority said it was reviewing several ads flagged by the Observer to see if they complied with regulations. They said nicotine bag advertising must be “socially responsible” and not directly targeted at children, but because the products are not subject to legal age limits, statutory restrictions do not apply.
Instagram said the ads violated its rules. “We do not allow advertising or branded content promoting tobacco-related products and will continue to remove content that violates our rules,” they said.
Bat said Velo’s marketing “complies with all applicable laws” and that they only work with influencers over the age of 25, with the “vast majority” of followers over the age of 18.
Japan Tobacco says it promotes Nordic Spirit only to “adult smokers, e-cigarette users and nicotine consumers” and that its products are intended for “situations where smoking or e-cigarette use is not possible.” “Nikki International is fully committed to the principle of never using or touching nicotine-containing products by minors,” they said.
References:
[1] Influencers and freebies: Big Tobacco’s push to sell nicotine pouches in UK