Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. has scaled back a KOOL campaign after complaints that the effort targets black youths.

Packaging and P-O-P introduced in March have images of rappers, disc jockeys and dancers, a tie-in to B&W’s six-year-old national KOOL Mixx DJ competition. A promotional overlay offered a CD-ROM via mail, with information on upcoming KOOL Mixx events, recaps of previous competitions, mixing software and music files.
Limited-edition packaging used four designs (done by urban artists) that fit together on shelf to show a scene of dancers and DJs. The packs were distributed in bars and nightclubs and at retail.

Promotional packs offered a “Mixx Stick” compact radio with the purchase of a special two-pack set that included a free magazine subscription offer for Complex, Details, King, Oneworld or Vibe. Those packs had limited distribution at retail.

The packaging triggered a written complaint in late March from Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe, who oversees enforcement of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, which forbids tobacco marketers from targeting youth. B&W discontinued the packaging March 30, stopped the CD-ROM offer and pulled some print ads. Louisville, KY-based Brown & Williamson contended that it stopped those activities on its own timetable, not in response to Rowe’s complaint. Tobacco prevention advocates complained that some packaging is still on shelves, and should be pulled.

The KOOL Mixx competition continues as scheduled, with regional competitions slated through June and The KOOL Mixx National Championship finals in Chicago in July, where the winner gets $10,000. (B&W donates 20% of the purse at all levels to the winners’ charity of choice.) Local competitions run March through April. The campaign reaches 100 adult-only venues in all. KOOL Mixx adults-only Web site www.houseofmenthol.com continues (with age verification), with plans to carry a live Web cast of the competition finals.

The campaign is handled by 141 Worldwide, New York City.

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. has scaled back a KOOL campaign after complaints that the effort targets black youths.

Packaging and P-O-P introduced in March have images of rappers, disc jockeys and dancers, a tie-in to B&W’s six-year-old national KOOL Mixx DJ competition. A promotional overlay offered a CD-ROM via mail, with information on upcoming KOOL Mixx events, recaps of previous competitions, mixing software and music files.
Limited-edition packaging used four designs (done by urban artists) that fit together on shelf to show a scene of dancers and DJs. The packs were distributed in bars and nightclubs and at retail.

Promotional packs offered a “Mixx Stick” compact radio with the purchase of a special two-pack set that included a free magazine subscription offer for Complex, Details, King, Oneworld or Vibe. Those packs had limited distribution at retail.

The packaging triggered a written complaint in late March from Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe, who oversees enforcement of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, which forbids tobacco marketers from targeting youth. B&W discontinued the packaging March 30, stopped the CD-ROM offer and pulled some print ads. Louisville, KY-based Brown & Williamson contended that it stopped those activities on its own timetable, not in response to Rowe’s complaint. Tobacco prevention advocates complained that some packaging is still on shelves, and should be pulled.

The KOOL Mixx competition continues as scheduled, with regional competitions slated through June and The KOOL Mixx National Championship finals in Chicago in July, where the winner gets $10,000. (B&W donates 20% of the purse at all levels to the winners’ charity of choice.) Local competitions run March through April. The campaign reaches 100 adult-only venues in all. KOOL Mixx adults-only Web site www.houseofmenthol.com continues (with age verification), with plans to carry a live Web cast of the competition finals.

The campaign is handled by 141 Worldwide, New York City.