How marketing departments spread the image of Camel and Marlboro

Brand-sharing dates back to the 1970s. It was first used in Europe where the appearance of Camel-branded products and Marlboro Classics appeared in the wake of tobacco advertising bans.

RJR Nabisco first came out with Camel boots, watches, expeditions and Camel Trophy products. Philip Morris founded Marlboro Leisure Wear - later Marlboro Classics - in 1974.

'The diversification of products has been carefully developed and researched to attract the same target audience as the cigarettes and contain the same imagery,' said a University of Hong Kong report on marketing techniques used by tobacco companies.

The report pointed to a 1993 Philip Morris document that said the profile of buyers of non-tobacco products must be close to the profile of the smokers, and product image must be consistent with the image of the tobacco products.

The marketing technique was first used in Hong Kong in the 1990s by Philip Morris, which launched a record series, Red Hot Hits, to promote Marlboro, the report said. One of the CDs sold more than 200,000 copies.

British American Tobacco said in 1992 that sponsorship and brand stretching 'now represent the only major alternatives for tobacco marketers'.