This is an interesting piece of news. Apparently a group of doctors are demanding an investigation to be carried out regarding a possible Marlboro advertising on Ferrari’s Formula 1 team as part of a sponsorship deal worth US$100 million. The doctors are saying that the ‘bar code’ design on the car and team apparel is a subliminal Marlboro advertising.
Under EU legislation it is an offense to carry out tobacco advertising in sporting events. Marlboro’s parent company Phillip Morris previously signed a sponsorship deal with Ferrari that will go on till 2011. However it was understood that Ferrari will not carry Marlboro’s branding where there was a ban.
Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Director of the tobacco advisory group John Britton said, “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,” he added.
A Ferrari spokesperson then responded by saying, “The bar code is part of the livery of the car, it is not part of a subliminal advertising campaign. US$100 million is not a correct figure; we are not disclosing the figure but it is lower than the figure you mention.”
Ferrari is also the only Formula 1 team which carries a tobacco brand name in its official title. Do you think of the tobacco brand when you see the ‘bar code’ above?
Before this, I thought nothing of that barcode. Just a barcode to complement the design. Now, when I see the barcode, I think of Marlboro. Perhaps that group of doctors are part of the subliminal adverts campaign? What do you think?
hell noooo!!!!!
AGREE WITH U FEISAL HEHE
Yes I know about this barcode…during beijing race…I think I saw a word Malboro on the top of the car in front of the driver…it very dim though
They think too much, that’s what i felt.
i’ve been watching f1 since that marlboro name is still attached 2 the ferrari’s livery. Then they ban tobacco ad. And they replace it with the barcode where the marlboro used 2 be.
So, do i think about marlboro in the barcode?? The answer is no. But is it possible that it has something to do with marlboro??? Yes…
check out first la, bring it to Mydin and scan, if the scanner show : RM9.80 marlboro 20’s
haa then the barcode should be ban hee hee
not only mydin.Can go to giant or tesco etc. that has the scanner..
Well, the sure need a huge barcode scanner for that. :P
Marlboro 20’s RM9.30 la.
it reminds me back to the old logo used by ferrari
pfftt ~
everyone knows that la~
since so long already…y the sudden la..lol
ban cigarette!!
Yes absolutely, always thought over the years its basically an undercover branding thingy. And I don’t even smoke so yeah……
people will ban everything… is consumer really not that smart? In USA the indy car got sponsor by beer brand, is that mean the driver drink and drive as well?
if talking about health, is better don’t drive car, polluting the earth… funny how people think… just granting… argghhghghghgh
yeah I support you kennhyn….
Business will try their best to promote the product in many ways. It’s possible Malboro become undercover sponsor to Ferrari.
i think sponsoring is ok… but not advertising by putting the logo on car… that is what FIA ban… however i never thought of malboro tho i have seen the bar code millions time… these group of doctor r just looking for publisity…
Eyesore i totally agree with you.. it’s okayy as a sponsor, not advertising..
yea its true….but dun uguys think tat it totally doesnt look like a cigarete box! ppl r busy watching the race n stuff they wudnt be busy analising the sponsors logo on the car!!
To sponsor is to advertise. The only reason someone sponsors something is to get their name out.
It looks more like a Dunhill logo for me. LoL
The bar code is place there when the tobacco advertising is banned from F1. I guess a strategic advertisment by Malboro, people who often watch F1 will relate the barcode with malboro. Because the position and the colour is quite the same as before. Old news for us..but new news i guess for the doctors..
I agree what you say. All F1 fans should know the bar code is relate with Malboro because the tobacco company already sign long sponsor contract with Ferrari.
lol! Yeah.. The group of doctors must be a bunch of idiot (not education-wise at least)!
I’ve been watching F1 for some time and of course I know that the bar code reflects malboro sponsorship. But why only take action now? ‘I was stunned when i saw this’ – means they only started seeing F1 a few weeks ago..
Although I’m a Mclaren fan, I’m sure all Ferrari fans know this fact already. Associating F1 and cigarette is not new.
gudang garam maybe???
lol~~~
Don’t think so. It just a bar code. Knew that Marlboro sponsoring Ferrari
wow,I didn’t know that TATA sponsor Ferrari,look at the second pic,you can see a TATA logo emblem there.
yalo, it like Petronas sponsor for Mecedes GP not for Lotus, so Tata sponsor for Ferrari but not for Force India.
The Tata logo is too small, just can find it on the picture.
“Imagination is beyond our control”
Those doctors start to imagine things..
Be it a Marlboro barcode or as part of the livery of the car it is for public to see..
Well, Ferrari can always cook up some reasons for the barcode except admitting it is referring to Marlboro.
In future, maybe those doctors will start imagining the Marlboro bar code on a box of cholocate.
“Doctors suing Ferrero Rocher over Marlboro Barcode”
Wondering next in order to pist those doctors, Ferrari designed the car to a Marlboro box look alike. Hahahahaha..
Would say there’s no relevance to Marlboro unless u wants to think it’s the same. Like those doctors.
The Ferrari-Marlboro partnership has been there so many years that even if you take away the word “Marlboro”, you will still perceive its presence to be there. Especially when the red-white livery has never changed position.
Hmm, has the bar code design evolved? Cause I’m pretty sure it was just plain before…
I can see a slight Marlboro-ish design in the bar code, but these doctors are just being ridiculous about it…
it look like this | V | to me..which is most likely marlboro.
For me all barcodes looks the same at a glance.Of course its not the same at all anyway.
How do they know its Marlboro brand?By its design?Maybe it could be Colgate.Who knows.Does putting barcodes on cars,etc means you are advertising?Doesn’t make sense to me.Not everybody knows a brand by looking at the barcode.
Those doctors are bollocks. Next time I put Colgate’s barcode on my car and I will ask those dumbass doctors what cigaratte brand it is..Just for the fun of it..Lol
every1 knows that’s marlboro
they set up booth at sepang with that very same barcode
should ferrari be punished?
they should
The EU legislation says its illegal to carry out tobacco advertising.
Now, without the words ‘Marlboro’, does this constitute to tobacco advertising?
Of course it’s Malrlboro. Whoever been following F1 know it’s Marlboro on the Ferrari. But it’s Ferrari maa.. FIA or Bernie won’t touch them. They are untouchable in F1. To all the doctors, please stop watching F1. Period..
TOBACCO SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT ADVERTISEMENT ON F1 CARS.
by putting the bottom half of their Malaysian package, such as burnt lungs, defected fetus, etc… :)
yeah right, at the same time F1 fans going to decrease.
If ferrari = Everthing is okay.
else / others team = you’ll be ban, penalti, strips down points, took back champion ship bla bla bla..
tipical FIA.
yes.. ban all tobacco… BMW is better than tobacco
i smoke Marlboro, but the bar code not reflecting Marlboro from my point of view.. maybe need a huge barcode scanner to scan it :)
All this crap about smoking..,….
Ban booze la, causes more deaths and violence on the road and to society than smoking ever did
Yeah, and I smoke, so deal with it!
That’s because smoking remains the top cause of preventable death at least in the U.S. while alcohol can still be deemed healthy (wine etc) for your body if taken once in a while.
Yeah you smoke, so what? You deal with it.
my maggi mee bar code it look strikingly very similar…umm
or Sedap mee….umm…now im confuse.
Spokesperson for Ferrari responded to the acquisition:
“it feels like marlboro…
it subliminally looks like marlboro…
it is definitely not marlboro “
He used VK Lingam’s tactic – it looks like me, it sounds like me, but its not me!
lol.
Correct, Correct, Correct!!!
Put at it this way, after marlboro paid so much for that Prime Spot on the back of the car, it then banned. wanna give away that spot just like dat? no……better put something there to secure it though doesn’t make sense. The best thing they come up with, tadaaaa bar coding. But yeah, still remind me of that cowboy’s brand. Them doctor shud bring this matter long ago laaa….lame punya dokto!
So the Bar Code to be symbol for Malboro on F1 after banned
nope. i don see a marlboro logo over there.
What if my surname is Dunhill and i am into F1 and wants to set up a racing team, can i not use the Dunhill name? doesn’t make any sense to me. If that is what marlboro paid for – $100 m, that is probably a bad advertising.
That is old news. Everyone in F1 knows that branding is Malboro’s design. It came out since the ban started then for tracks where there were no bans, they put back the malboro logo.
We published the news because someone wants to take action now.
It seems that whoever is reporting it is quite late. Maybe the doctor’s don’t watch F1 or if they do are a passionate Ferrari fan to bother complaining about it. One more year into sponsorship deal, then its all over. Ferrari could put Pirelli or any other italian brand to replace it. I don’t think they will get any sort of punishment from this. Highest will be just to remove the logo, and Malboro will think of something else to place there.
looks like dunhill to me
Barcodes part of a government conspiracy… LOL
TATA sponsored Ferrari??
Damn, i’ma visit TATA showroom soon ^^
is equivalent to…
Proton and Naza sponsored Lotus???
I’m a BIG fan of Lotus Elise… might visit Proton and Naza showroom soon ^^
tata nano? hehehe. or jaguar?
should ask the people fro ferrari what the bar code stand for……
huh? i already been thinking it’s a subliminal malboro ads since the first day they replace malboro logo with the barcode. and i assume it is a widely known fact…
so i guess im wrong.
those docs are slow…they should realize this 4 years ago.
the bar code looks like kretek Gudang Garam. Not Marlboro
print barcode on paper.. then bring to mydin or tesco and scan it. wait and see what brand appear
Sorry, only bar but no code so can’t testing at Hypermarket.
i bet the doctors work as a 7/11 salesperson back then for summer job before they were graduated. hahahaha
when i see the barcode it doesn’t make me think about Marlboro even i know its was..it already there for many years…..shut up larr doc..aiyooo
The saying goes “People see what tthey want to see”.
For the subliminal message to work, people should unconciously have in their mind what the message is, but since most people didnt think of Malboro when they saw the bar code, i say the message fail, IF it’s a subliminal message at all.
Whats the big fuss? YOu people at FIA “very free shaking legs ah”?
Reduce the F1 race or limited to 15, don’t be unscrupulous bizmen
??????? I thought its a known items???????
To the question in article, yes i think of Marlboro. I’ve been a fan of Ferrari for years, and Marlboro ad was there before they put the barcode. The image is still there in my mind.
To the new fans, it will definitely raise their curiosity. When they ask around, they will eventually find out what it is for, and that is for Marlboro.
hmm… only the smokers notice that if its really tobacco barcode… i dont think the non-smokers will know that.
only F1 fans will know it
I work in a hospital and I know so many doctors who smoke. Should we then suggest that the practising license of these doctors to be taken away??
Most of them are dumb assholes anyway. They are a bunch of attention seekers and full of hot air.
Barcode or no barcode, makes no difference. It’s been proven that many of the anti-smoking initiatives DOES NOT work. They can ban advertising, they can put gruesome pictures of smokers’ organ, but people still would smoke. And people who don’t have an inclination to smoke won’t smoke even if they’re bombarded with things like this barcode. I mean, I’ve been watching F1 for a while, I’ve seen Ferrari and their Marlboro branded cars whiz around, but I don’t have a slightest inclination to pick up a packet of smokes.
spell check pls… marlboro… not malboro…
i just see lines and im not a smoker… docs, get some better work to do… not checking F1 car stickers… and im waiting to see what they come out of it…
Pure evil.
I like it.
why these genius human, got nothing to do, go check ppl, those ferrari never publish Marlboro logo, just a barcode which “look like it” also they go kacau ppl.
i don’t know. to me it is definitely Marlboro. i was there during the start of the ban. but i always thought it represent Marlboro. just enough to fool non smoker…….
what the different between alcohol and cigar?
~then i see this as a good comparison on what happen to malaysian sport sponsor…
ermm,,,, for muslim country,,they ban alcohol,,,so why dont cigar become main sponsor for their sport? especially FAM ban Dunhill to become MSL sponsor … why not people…. why should we follow western as they to band cigar to sponsor sport?? They not bann alcohol … but could we put alcohol company as our sport sponsor? …
You think of “Swoosh”, u think of Nike, it’s a same concept. Jus my view….
between car and cigarette , which one killed more human?
between cars and cigarettes, which one do humans actually need?
Gosh. Now I see Marlboro on every product packaging. BAN all barcodes now!
shocking !!!!! does displaying the bar code influence people to smoke????
i think the doctor are too far..plus i dont think anyone of the doctors’s family doesnt smoke..mybe his son,daughter or grandpa smoke..LOL
docs got nothing better to do mah! ask them to sponnsor instead.
please BAN FERRARI!
better ban the bar code
I’ve always known it was a Marlboro barcode on the Ferrari F1 car as well as the Ducati MotoGP bike. And the name Marlboro does appear on both the Ferrari and, I believe, the Ducati in their respective Chinese GP’s. And, if I’m not mistaken, the Japanese and, when it was on the calendar, US GP. And television networks throughout Europe did and do continue to broadcast the fore mentioned gp’s despite the EU ban.
Haha, I thought the Marlboro thing was obvious?
Even if you go to sundry shops which has a Philip Morris sponsored cashier counter, you can see the barcodes. The barcodes were always associated with Marlboro, since back when they first banned cigarette adverts. Even here in Malaysia you can see those barcodes at some places.
Took these dumb doctors so many year to figure out, no wonder so many people die of cancer, and they have no absolute prevention to cancer. Sugar kill more people than lung cancer direct or indirectly. Should it be banned totally?
Btw, i am none smoker.
wait till they hear or read the full name of the team: Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. they’ll be crapping in their pants or smashing up every Ferraris in the world (the ones they own will probably be an exception).
Ban cigarettes!!! Full stop. List 10 benefits of smoking???
actually there are 20 benefits of smoking…
…in every pack, effective next year :(
What’s the fuss with who advertise what? Who’s gonna dig F1 anyway, it’s plain boring.
Can you then advertise ‘Playboy’ or ‘Penthouse’ magazine using barcode or braille then?
I used to work for phillip morris msia under the marketing team…..
trust me, it is advertising for them although we are supposed to keep our lips tight outside the office.
All the Speedzone (pre party b4 race day at sepang for F1 or MotoGP) parties that lure young crowds. Back drops and party build up with bar code F1 car on it, cigarette selling kiosk everywhere with lots of promoter girls.
Mind you, Philip Morris sort of owned DTM (Ducati Team Marlboro) which have even bigger barcode on their bike…..