Ferrari
President Luca di Montezemolo has waded into the row
that has erupted over the "barcode" livery used by the
Scuderia which some eminent physicians and advertising
industry figures have said represents potential, and
illegal in Europe, "subliminal" tobacco advertising.
With tobacco sponsorship in sports having been banned by
the European Union, calls for an enquiry into the use of
the controversial "barcode", with claims being made that
it visually represents the bottom half of a packet of
cigarettes, have been coming thick and fast from heath
campaigners.
After John Britton, a Fellow of the Royal College of
Physicians in the UK and director of its tobacco
advisory group, said last week that he was "stunned"
when he say the barcode livery, which is used by the
Scuderia on its F1 cars, drivers' overalls and
equipment, and concern was raised by a spokesman for the
European Commissioner, The Times newspaper has
also quoted Gerard Hastings, director of the Centre for
Tobacco Control Research, as saying: "I think this is
advertising. Why a bar code? What is their explanation?"
The Times
also reported comments attributed to British Labour MP
Frank Dobson, who was the Health Secretary between 1997
and 1999 and is now a backbencher: He called for an
enquiry and told the newspaper that: "The tobacco firms
were working out years ago how they could advertise if
there was a ban on tobacco advertising."
After issuing a press
release last week to state that the controversial
barcode was in fact an integral part of Ferrari's own
livery design, President Luca di Montezemolo posted a
curiously worded statement on the Maranello carmaker's
official website yesterday which implied that Ferrari
has been rattled by the whole affair. "Frankly, I find
this argument completely pointless and it is verging on
the ridiculous to claim that the colour red or a graphic
design which shows a bar code could induce people to
smoke," said Montezemolo. "At a time when, on the other
side of the Atlantic they are fighting to provide a more
equal health service, in the old continent of Europe, so
called experts are racking their brains to come up with
theories that have no scientific basis: I think there
are more important matters to think about than a bar
code. Therefore, it’s best not to waste any more time
replying to this sort of nonsense or to those who are
instrumental in wanting to stoke up the story," the
Ferrari President concluded.
