E-cigarette ad gets first airing on British TV
UK TELEVISION viewers yesterday saw the first ever advert showing someone smoking – or “vaping” – an e-cigarette.
While adverts for e-cigarettes have been airing for some time, the device itself and the act of “vaping” were prohibited until an amendment to advertising regulation came into force yesterday morning.
Cigarette adverts have been banned in the UK since 1965, while cigar ads were halted in 1991.
Due to the considerable growth potential of the e-cigarette market, advertising could become big business.
Anton Dominique, chief marketing officer at the London School of Marketing, told CityAM: “As of 2013, the market was worth around £200m. That is forecast to grow to £340m in 2015. In 2013, £8m was spent on all e-cigarette media. Given the forecast growth of the market, that figure is likely to rise massively going forward.”
Rules from the Committee of Advertising Practice (Cap) stipulate that adverts should not be “likely to appeal particularly to people under 18”; encourage non-smokers to use cigarettes; claim e-cigarettes are “safer” or “healthier” than smoking tobacco; or make any health claims without approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
James Dunworth, co-founder of e-cigarette vendor ECigaretteDirect, told CityAM: “This advert will provoke a debate. But I don’t see the reasoning behind banning adverts when…products with a similar safety profile – like coffee and alcohol – can be advertised legally.”