Brazil to cut tobacco ads
Firms invested $19.5 mil from January to November '99
Once President Fernando Henrique Cardoso signs the bill, which he is expected to do before Monday, the ad ban goes into effect immediately; event organizers will get a two-year period before losing tobacco sponsorships.
"The new legislation will definitely have an impact on advertising revenues, but it will be limited," maintained Jose Carlos Salles Neto, president of the Meio & Mensagem group, which publishes trade magazines on the local ad biz. "Tobacco companies are no longer leading advertisers as they used to be in the past."
Led by local cigarette maker Souza Cruz, Tobacco companies invested 37.9 million reals ($19.5 million) in advertising January to November of this year. Broadcast nets nabbed the bulk of that, with $10.8 million, followed by magazines at $5.7 million and pay TV at $2.7 million.
