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January 27, 2003
Tobacco

Philip Morris forced to change name

From the start of our campaign to Challenge Big Tobacco, we took on Philip Morris for its role in spreading the world’s leading preventable epidemic of death and disease.

Our tactics included a massive boycott against Kraft foods (owned at the time by Philip Morris), which exposed the lies behind Kraft’s family-friendly image. We also worked to end the corporation’s use of Marlboro Man imagery.

As a result, Philip Morris was forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in public relations and advertising campaigns to try and boost its public image.

But it didn’t work. In 2003, unable to improve its image with customers, Philip Morris changed its name to Altria Group, Inc.