Executive Summary: Philip Morris International’s tobacco promotion strategies in Colombia

Philip Morris International (PMI) is always trying to attract new customers (particularly youth) because its products kill so many of its users. To do so, it has openly skirted regulations against TAPS, and attempted to rebrand its image with tobacco and nicotine products that it alleges are “less harmful”.

One of the tactics Big Tobacco giant PMI uses in Global South countries, like Colombia, is sponsoring music festivals, such as the Estéreo Picnic Festival (EPF), one of the most important musical events in Latin America, which takes place every year in Colombia, despite the fact that Colombian law prohibits all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS).

Corporate Accountability and its Campaign for Tobacco Control (Latin America Program) monitored PMI’s TAPS strategies during the 2022-2024 festivals. Our findings raise concerns about the ethics and legality of the corporation’s sponsorship.

The full report is available in Spanish here.