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Organization:  CTFK  and  ATCA  Country:  Africa  Title:  Case  Study:  This  Africa  Global  TIA  Campaign  Date:  September-­‐November  2013      Context  

-­‐ On  September  2,  2013,  the  Korea  Herald  published  a  newspaper  story  that  KT&G  Corporation,  the   country’s   largest   tobacco  maker,  would   begin   sales   of   its   latest   tobacco   product   called  This   Africa.   The   product’s   pack   featured   derogatory   images   that   depicted   Africans   as  chimpanzees  and  was  said  to  contain  tobacco  leaves  that  are  roasted  and  dried  in  traditional  African   style.   The   KT&G   ad   campaign   said   the   flavor   of   the   tobacco   was   so   good,   even  chimpanzees  would  like  the  flavor.  

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-­‐    Action  Working  in  collaboration  with  the  Africa  Tobacco  Control  Alliance  (ATCA),  the  CTFK  Tobacco  Industry  Accountability  (TIA)  team  carried  out  a  discrediting  and  denormalization  campaign  on  traditional  and  social  media,  targeted  at  KT&G,  and  mobilizing  advocates  and  in-­‐country  African  governments  to  call  for   the  removal  of   the  cigarette   from  the  market  by  voicing   their  displeasure  directly   to   the  Korean  government   for   using   This   Africa   name   for   a   deadly   and   dangerous   product.   In-­‐country   advocates  were   also   encouraged   to   reach   out   to   their   policymakers   and   government   officials   to   encourage  adoption  and  implementation  of  strong  measures  that  would  protect  citizens  from  the  exploitation  of  the  tobacco  industry.      The   following  materials  were  developed  and  disseminated  widely   to  advocates  across   the  continent  for  local  in-­‐country  action:  

-­‐ A  press  release    -­‐ Letter  from  civil  society  organizations  to  their  local  Ministries  of  Health    -­‐ Letter  from  Ministries  of  Health  to  KT&G  CEO  and  South  Korea  Ministry  of  Health  -­‐ Sharable  items  on  social  media  including:    

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-­‐ A  blog  with  a  call  to  action  to  sign  an  online  petition  (attached)  -­‐ Facebook,  twitter  posts    -­‐ Infographic  (see  below)  

-­‐  -­‐ Outreach  to  the  tobacco  industry  in  Africa  to  denounce  the  packet  name  and  image.  The  idea  

was  to  create  a  catch-­‐22  conundrum.  -­‐ Outreach  to  the  designers  of  the  pack,  Papaboule,  a  British  graphic  designer,  and  fashion  street  

magazine  Cracker  Your  Wardrobe.  -­‐ Outreach  to  international  circuit  (media,  partners,  stakeholders,  US  domestic  advocates,  etc.)  

 Result  The  media  coverage  generated  by  the  campaign  was  huge,  cutting  across  countries  and  languages  (see  below).  

On  October  22,  2013,  it  was  reported  that  Korean  cigarette  firm  pulls  'racist'  monkey  ads.  However,  the  cigarette  packet  images  were  not  changed  as  the  company  did  not  consider  them  to  be  offensive.  

Advocates  went  into  Phase  2  of  the  campaign,  insisting  that  the  packaging  be  discontinued.  This  Phase  included  a  Change.org  online  petition.  On  October  31,  2013,  KT&G  announced  that  it  would  change  the  packaging  and  no   longer   feature  chimpanzees.  However,   they  have  still  refused  to  change  the  name,  This  Africa.  

Media  Coverage:    Africa-­‐based  media:  

1. http://www.herald.co.zw/south-­‐korean-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pulls-­‐racist-­‐monkey-­‐cigarette-­‐ad/  

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2. http://mg.co.za/article/2013-­‐10-­‐23-­‐s-­‐korean-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pulls-­‐racist-­‐ads  

3. http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20131025082952220  

4. http://bepa.co.zw/news/latest/the-­‐herald/south-­‐korean-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pulls-­‐8216-­‐racist-­‐8217-­‐monkey-­‐cigarette-­‐ad/brvjn.333645  

5. http://ww3.africanoutlookonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7372:korean-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pulls-­‐racist-­‐monkey-­‐cigarette-­‐ads&catid=99:outlookscroller  

 

Other  media:  

1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/10/25/dont-­‐think-­‐south-­‐korea-­‐has-­‐a-­‐race-­‐problem-­‐check-­‐out-­‐these-­‐cigarette-­‐ads/  

2. http://atlantablackstar.com/2013/10/23/korean-­‐cigarette-­‐firm-­‐pulls-­‐racist-­‐monkey-­‐ads/  

3. http://www.yourblackworld.net/2013/10/black-­‐news/korean-­‐company-­‐apologizes-­‐for-­‐monkey-­‐ads-­‐with-­‐the-­‐slogan-­‐africa-­‐is-­‐coming/  

4. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/131023/s-­‐korea-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pull-­‐chimp-­‐ad-­‐africa-­‐brand  

5. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/korea-­‐tobacco-­‐firm-­‐pull-­‐chimp-­‐054916841.html    

6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-­‐asia-­‐24638074    

7. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/10/316_144767.html    

8. http://thegrio.com/2013/10/24/south-­‐korean-­‐company-­‐pulls-­‐africa-­‐cigarettes-­‐with-­‐monkey-­‐imagery/    

9. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/racist-­‐monkey-­‐ad-­‐the-­‐africa_n_4156053.html    

10. http://blogs.infobae.com/maldita-­‐nicotina/2013/10/24/una-­‐tabacalera-­‐compara-­‐a-­‐los-­‐africanos-­‐con-­‐chimpances/    

11. http://russian.rt.com/article/17358    

12. http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201310241133361&code=970100    

13. http://world.huanqiu.com/well_read/2013-­‐10/4485435.html    

14. http://www.wz.lviv.ua/news/44403    

15. http://news.mthai.com/world-­‐news/279509.html    

16. http://news.liputan6.com/read/728494/perusahaan-­‐rokok-­‐korsel-­‐tarik-­‐iklan-­‐monyet-­‐rasis    

17. http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20131024_00807302    

18. http://www.giornalettismo.com/archives/1181361/le-­‐sigarette-­‐con-­‐la-­‐pubblicita-­‐razzista/    

19. http://blogs.infobae.com/maldita-­‐nicotina/2013/10/24/una-­‐tabacalera-­‐compara-­‐a-­‐los-­‐africanos-­‐con-­‐chimpances/  

20. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/11/316_145707.html  21. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/10/316_145290.html