WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

OPINION ONLY

The International Advertising Association (IAA) claims to be a worldwide network comprises 4000 members with 56 chapters in 76 countries, and with a permanent world secretariat located in 342 Madison Ave, New York City. It was founded in 1938.

It's Puff-Piece says it is an advocate of "freedom of commercial speech" and says in some documents that it "closely coordinates its activities with other major advertising tripartites such as the:

• Brussels-based European Advertising Tripartite (EAT),
  
• UK's Advertising Association (AA),
  
• Germany's ZAW, and the
  
• American Advertising Federation (AAF)

[The term 'tripartite' in ad-speak means a coalition of
1) the customer or advertising buyer;
2) the advertising agency and ad maker;
3) The media or advertising displayer.
Each of these groups has one or more separate umbrella organisations in the USA and Europe.]

The IAA closely associated itself with the tobacco industry in fighting against attempts around the world to limit tobacco advertising. Philip Morris led the projects on the side of tobacco, and News Corporation (and Rupert Murdoch himself — he was on the PM Board) led the newspaper and advertising groups.

Two organisations were particularly useful for propaganda purposes.

• LIBERTAD was a global group of media and legal 'celebrity curmudgeons' who went on world tours to promote the tobacco and advertising industries no-ad-ban arguments — but always indirectly — by complaining about PC (personal correctness), wowserism, health and environmental activism, and proliferation of welfare and the 'Nanny State' mentality.
  

  It was controlled originally by David Morse (ex ILO), but later by Andrew Whist of Philip Morris International in New York. Bernard Levin at Murdoch's London Times looking after some of the European and Asian/Australian operations along with his friend Auberon Waugh.
  

• The Children's Research Unit, mentioned here also as working with the IAA, was run by another Australian, Glen Smith. This three-man operation did faux-research around the world to prove that advertising didn't influence children.

Some key documents

• An Argentinian, Carlos Iampolsky, was listed as IAA president (maybe of Argentina only) He was also a key tobacco industry executive on Libertad

1979 Jul 17: A list of "Friends of the industry" includes many organisations in the Advertising Business. Hugh Holker (later with ICOSI and INFOTAB) is the World President of the IAA. The author of this document (almost certainly Mary Covington) says:

This body represents individuals in agencies, media groups and advertisers, and seems to be influential in many countries world-wide.

    I am an individual member of the UK Chapter, and no doubt there are others in the tobacco industry who are also members.

1981 Mar 30: First meeting of the Defence of Advertising Committee of INFOTAB (International tobacco lobby group in Brussels and London), which set up the coalition with the International Advertising Agency (sic - but meaning Assoc).

1981 June 10: Meeting held in London of tobacco with advertising groups.

• European Advertising Tripartite (EAST) delegates
• Defence of Advertising Committee of INFOTAB (Mary Covington, H Holker and PM Schuler)

The study will be completed by the end of 1981, but will foreseeably not be published. It was the clear impression of all DAC members and of the representatives of the Scandinavian industry, that the study will not be the tool that we had hoped because it appears to conclude that cigarette advertising restrictions cannot be proven to influence cigarette consumption ..[but] .. [T]hat mainly anti-smoking activities and also pricing are at the origin of the decrease over the last years.

1981 Oct: The third meeting of INFOTAB's Defence of Advertising Committee (DAC) Their report says that DAC's actions were coordinated through various European Advertising groups and the IAA.

"The channels of action [of INFOTAB] will be those traditionally followed for Infotab work, namely through NMAs and through member companies and their affiliates and a third channel, specfically concerning regional/International bodies concerned with advvertising and the media (EAAA, IAA, etc.) to be covered by the DAC's consultant Hugh Holker and the secretariat.

1983: INFOTAB report by Bryan Simpson (Secretary General) for the Bath, Board of Directors meeting. He says that the IAA has released two publications on behalf of the tobacco industry:

1. the CATAC Five Arguments Booklet
2. The Effects of Banning of Advertising (Bingham paper)

See Page 27

1983 April 12: INFOTAB Board meeting in Brussels International Advertising Association has agreed to publish INFOTAB material.

"Also of interest is the International Union of Advertiser's Associations agreed to work closely with INFOTAB and NMAs (the IUAA is seeking RJRTI membership)

    The various projects dealing with advertising restrictions are progressing very well. The International Advertising Association (IAA) has agreed to publish a revision of the CATAC Five Arguments document to be used with advertising agency personnel and will also publish a manuscript on advertising and its relation to consumption.

Media Relations: This section raises the question of how one can balance the amount of adverse news affecting the tobacco industry through international news agencies, particularly in the Third World. It is suggested that NMAs, with assistance from INFOTAB, could generate releases when material becomes available.

    It is possible that contacts with Rupert Murdoch might come up during the discussion period. Vernon Brink and Andrew Reid both had lunch with Murdoch in London and PMI met with him in New York. [Bryan Simpson, the Sec-Gen of INFOTAB was a Murdoch employee and relative by marriage]

    Advertising restrictions and taxation were the two main issues discussed. Murdoch has told Bryan Simpson that if anyone from RJR will be in New York during the period April 18-22 and April 25-29 he would enjoy a luncheon meeting.

1985: IAA World Headquarters were 475 Fifth Ave NY. (at the time of Libertad) [TIMN0278256]

1986 March 4: -7 The Corporate Affairs Conference meeting which discusses the role of LIBERTAD and various other Philip Morris International operations to foil WHO and the anti-smoking movement has:

• Andrew Whist (PMI), Bryan Simpson (INFOTAB), John Dollison (TIA) and Bill Murray (CEO of PMI) all key speakers [and all Australians]
• Rupert Murdoch, Australian Chairman and CEO of News Corp and a few of his 20th C Fox and News henchmen present. Murdoch was keynote lunch speaker. [also on PM board shortly after]
• Paul Dietrich, "Publisher and Editor-in-chief" of the Saturday Review ... who is listed under the LIBERTAD banner.
• Steve Rabin, VP Ogilvy & Mather, Washington ... listed under the LIBERTAD banner.
• Quique Iampolsky, President of Radix Publicided, and President of the IAA, Argentina ... listed under the LIBERTAD banner

1986 Aug 25: Notes for Corporate Issues Management Committee of Philip Morris refers to the Hong Kong Ad Ban proposal:

Philip Morris, with the Tobacco Institute, has made a series of submissions related to the proposed ban including:

• The results of a study on the effect of cigarette advertising on children by the Children's Research Unit (comnissioned by the Tobacco Institute).
• Submission by the International Advertising Association (IAA) including a 16 country ad ban study (requested'by the Tobacco Institute).
• A comprehensive letter to [Hong Kong] Executive Council members drawing the distinction between the emotive health issue and the role of advertising utilizing a Philip Morris-prepared analysis of consumption trends in some 20 markets.

Philip Morris has been instrunental in orchestrating,industry strategy and activities on this issue.

    Due to the enormous public pressure, it appears that further restrictions are likely to be imposed.

    Increased restrictions and proposed bans on advertising are beccming a growing problem — fueled by the AMA and legislative proposals here in the US, Hong Kong, Ecuador and more recently Venezuela each have proposed'greater or total bans on advertising in recent months (and Ecuador resolved in our favor, Hong Kong andi Venezuela yet to be determined).

    PMI [International] working more and more closely with PM/USA on programs and strategies to address the issue of commercial free speech..

• Whole morning of International presentation devoted to this issue at Worldwide Corporate Affairs Conference next month (LIBERTAD),
• Cite Philip Morris response to propose ad ban in Ecuador; ie, within three days a broad range of worldwide contacts sent telexes to the President of Ecuador who ultimately vetoed the proposal

1987 Apr: A study on juvenile smoking initiation, "Why do juveniles start smoking?" was conducted [starting in Dec 1985] by the London-based Children's Research Unit [working secretly for the tobacco industry].

• Field work was done in December 1985/January 1986 and the report submitted in May 1986. It was sent by the Industry Association to all [Hong Kong] members of the Executive and Legislative Councils and senior officials.
• When the five-country report "Why do juveniles start smoking?" was published by the International Advertising Association, it was translated into Chinese and published in Hong Kong. It was sent by the IAA to senior officials and members of the Legislative and Executive Councils.
• The Industry Association distributed the report on the Hong Kong study to senior officials and members of the two Councils. It also sent the English and Chinese versions of the five-country report to all District Board members and the media.

1987 Nov: Why do Juveniles Start Smoking?, editor J. Boddewyn,

In a ten-country study published by the International Advertising Association in November 1987, research by the CRU established that, whatever the nature of the tobacco advertising controls in the countries studied, "family and peer influences appear to be the determining factors."

[Jean Boddewyn was a cash-for-comments academic at Baruch College, CUNY. The CRU is the UK-based Children's Research Unit run by Glen Smith, which had a twenty year profitable relationship with the tobacco industry proving that advertising wasn't effective with children.]

1987 Dec 9: The IAA has published [actually paid for by cigarette companies] a new study:

"Why Do Juveniles Start Smoking?" based on [so-called] research conducted in ten countries by the Children's Research Unit in London [under secret contract to the tobacco industry.]

    It was edited by Professor JJ Boddewyn, PhD, Baruch College, City University of New York. [Who was, himself, a generously-paid promoter of the tobacco industry.]

    The latest report, which provides statistical information on advertising and the initiation of smoking by the young, concludes that "fami!y and peer influences appear to be the determining factors, irrespective of whether the young are exposed to cigarette advertising or not."

    The IAA is the only worldwide association representing the three major sectors of advertising — advertisers, agencies and media." It has 2750 individual members in 74 countries, and 41 chapters in 35 countries. The Association also holds non-government organisation status at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN and at UNESCO.

1988: "The Plan" by Susan Stuntz at the Tobacco Institute has Mary Covington as a "Potential Witness" [She is a long-term employee of Philip Morris, both before and after this stint with the IAA.] The entry also notes the role of Boddewyn:

"Ad Bans Don't Work"

    Empirical evidence and studies from all over the world demonstrate that advertising prohibitions and restrictions simply do not affect the consumption of cigarettes.

Potential Witnesses:

1. Michael Waterson PhD .
2. Prof J J Boddewyn
3. Mary Covington, executive director, International Advertising Association.

The Tobacco Institute's readiness to deal with alternatives to an advertising ban, ie "tombstone" and counter-advertising is largely covered by the above. Any program to combat the counter-advertising and tombstone alternatives must rely on arguments, coalitions and witnesses that have been valuable in combating the ad ban legislation.

See page 23

1989 Oct: Philip Morris EEMA Regional Annual Report regarding PMI corporate affairs action plan.They are setting up LIBERTAD chapters in Middle East.

We are working in cooperation with PM EEC to publicize in EEMA countries the messages being delivered during the current series of European LIBERTAD conferences. We are also making an effort to determine if such conferences can be scheduled in EEMA countries.

    Our efforts to expand the Children's Research Unit country database (with studies in Kuwait, Sweden, Switzerland & Turkey) on advertising's negligible impact on juvenile smoking initiation and to merchandise the study results have born fruit this year. The updated 1989 IAA (INFOTAB) 16 countries Report has been widely distributed and publicized in our priority markets.

    EEMA Planning has initiated and is providing technical support to publish critiques of unfavorable studies on the impact of ad bans. A recent example is Jean Boddewyn's article in the 1989 fall issue of the British Journal of Addiction critically reviewing the New Zealand study by Chetwynd et al.

* Scandinavia/Finland

    Stig Carlson is seeking to persuade Professor Anna Christensson based at Lund University to organize a LIBERTAD Chapter in Sweden.

* Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

    PM is actively participating in the UAE Chapter of the <B> International Advertising Association. George Nassif has been nominated as a member of the Chapter's Executive Committee. Middle East CA is helping the UAE Chapter to broaden their organizational base to include all GCC countries and to prioritize the defense of commercial advertising freedoms in their on-going programs.

    Via the IAA UAE Chapter, the CRU [Childrens Research Unit] research in Kuwait was distributed to key opinion leaders in the GCC. The research report was also successfully publicized in the_GCC during June.

See Page 14

1989 Oct 15: Philip Morris's EEMA Region's Annual Report

• LIBERTAD We are working in cooperation with PM EEC to publicize in EEMA [non-European Union] countries the messages being delivered during the current series of European LIBERTAD conferences. We are also making an effort to determine if such conferences can be scheduled in EEMA countries.
  
      Our efforts to expand the Children's Research Unit country database (with studies in Kuwait, Sweden, Switzerland & Turkey) on advertising's negligible impact on juvenile smoking initiation, and to merchandise the study results, have born fruit this year. The updated 1989 IAA (INFOTAB) 16 countries Report has been widely distributed and publicized in our priority markets.

• Gulf Cooperation Council Countries
  • PM is actively participating in the UAE Chapter of the International Advertising Association. George Nassif has been nominated as a member of the Chapter's Executive Committee. Middle East CA is helping the UAE Chapter to broaden their organizational base to include all GCC countries and to prioritize the defense of commercial advertising freedoms in their on-going programs.
  • Via the IAA's UAE Chapter, the CRU [Children's Research Unit] research in Kuwait was distributed to key opinion leaders in the GCC. The research report was also successfully publicized in the GCC during June.
  • The IAA Turkish Chapter was officially created. PM is taking an active role in it as a member: The 'CRU 16 countries research report' has been translated into Turkish and will be published and marketed by this IAA.
  • There will be a Turkish Chapter by the end of October.
  • PM is also sending HQ Corporate Affairs staff to activate the IAA Turkish Chapter for defending marketing freedoms: PM will be the initiator of a WFA [World Federation of Advertisers] press conference (organized under the IAA Turkish Chapter) to be held during the first week of November, aimed at fighting the advertising ban threat.
    
        We have also enlisted a consultant to directly lobby members of Parliament, stimulated the media to publish favorable stories opposing the ad ban, and are redistributing the 'CRU 16 countries study' to a broader audience of government officials and opinion makers.

1991 Sep 10: London Symposium at The London Hilton on "Advrtising and Media in an Open Society." This was supposedly sponsored by the IAA (no mention of tobacco).

"The reason the IAA is putting on this symposium at this time is because advertising is too often perceived and discussed simply as the vested interest of business, and rarely seen in its larger roles as the voice of the free enterprise system and the financial foundation of a free media."

1991 Nov 13: Proposal for an IAA Advertising/Free Speach Symposia by British American Tobacco. Sharon Boyse, BAT's 'Issues Manager'. is promoting an IAA Advertising and Media in an Open Society conference (no mention of tobacco's involvement). She encloses a brochure as a sample, and writes "as you know, both BAT and PM are members of IAA "

I enclose a proposal from IAA for carrying out similar symposia in Latin America. They have chosen Venezuala and Argentina but of course this could equally be carried out in any of the countries who would be interested.

    Unfortunately we did not think of these proposals before you had all agreed your budgets for 1992! - but as you will see, for two countries with costs jointly borne by BAT and PM, the total is US $ 138,950 i.e. approximately $70,000 per country and USS 35,000 per company.

1992 April 30: The IAA has sent its annual bill for "Organisational Member Annual Contributions" — $350" to Sam Chilcote at the Tobacco Institute.

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