“We acknowledge the mistrust and abundance of skepticism” – Mission Winnow logo will not be seen on the Ferrari livery for races in Europe. Here’s why…
Formula 1 is a global brand, and naturally, tobacco companies are attracted to it as well. Apart from Philip Morris’s partnership with Ferrari, McLaren has British American Tobacco as one of their key sponsors since 2019.
Philip Morris has a strong association with Ferrari. Earlier, we had their Malboro brand appearing on the Ferrari F1 cars. This season, we have seen the return of the Mission Winnow branding, a green one at that.
Looks like we’re gonna be seeing Ferrari Mission Winnow-less this weekend 👀 https://t.co/NnaRExpiPt
— Tom97 (@Tom97HD) June 16, 2021
But it has been removed for all races in the European Union, starting with this weekend’s French GP. Riccardo Parino, VP Global Partnerships at Philip Morris, confirmed this news. He went on to call it a “mistrust and abundance of skepticism” towards the tobacco industry.
“The Mission Winnow logo will not be featured on the Scuderia Ferrari livery during races in the EU, starting with the French Grand Prix this weekend.
“Mission Winnow respects all laws and regulations and continuously strives to find distinctive ways to drive dialogue, free of ideology, and build strong partnerships that are rooted in shared values.
“We acknowledge the mistrust and abundance of skepticism towards our industry. However, our intention is not to create controversy around the application of the logo but rather focus on re-framing global conversations, building communities, and supporting innovative ideas that drive positive change.”
The decision by the EU has been taken on account of allegations of PMI breaching tobacco advertising regulations. On a positive note, Ferrari has confirmed a partnership with AWS, with the logos seen on the SF21.
