Political protest, or guerilla marketing? Freedom Tobacco, a startup that sells “microbrewed” cigarettes, is prowling New York City bars and nightclubs encouraging smokers to sign a petition allowing them to smoke in public if bar owners consent.
The petition’s sponsor, The Right to Smoke Coalition, was founded by Freedom Tobacco CEO Patrick Carroll (March 28 Xtra). An online version at rtsc.org has garnered thousands of signatures, claims Carroll, who will forward all signatures to lawmakers.
Freedom’s marketing shop, New York City-based Interference, Inc., hands out petition cards in clubs. Freedom originally tapped the shop to launch Legal cigarettes in Manhattan clubs and bars last month.
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