On Sunday's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver was in attack mode, going after Philip Morris International and its lawyers who send letters threatening lawsuits to poor countries like Togo. The reason? They dare to introduce laws that would require cigarette boxes to feature graphic photos that show what smoking can do to a person. Oliver said that since Philip Morris has previously claimed that Australia's requirement to keep logos and images (like the Marlboro Man) off boxes will reduce the value of their intellectual property, he has gifted the company with a new mascot: Jeff the Diseased Lung, which combines health awareness with branded images.
Oliver even did Philip Morris a favor and put up Jeff ads in Uruguay and shipped boxes of Jeff t-shirts to Togo (and even created a hashtag, #JeffWeCan). The tobacco giant wasn't too impressed with the sad lung wearing a cowboy hat and boots, and told the Los Angeles Times: "The segment includes many mischaracterizations of our company, including our approach to marketing and regulation, which have been embellished in the spirit of comedic license. While we recognize the tobacco industry is an easy target for comedians, we take seriously the responsibility that comes with selling a product that is an adult choice and is harmful to health." Get to know the new Marlboro Man by watching the video (which features some strong language) below. —Catherine Garcia
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