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
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Sudoku medium: August 3, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Crossword: August 3, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
A long weekend in ZürichThe Week Recommends The vibrant Swiss city is far more than just a banking hub
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own roomSpeed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
