Football in addition to also Cigarettes
Rio Ferdinand in Indonesian cigarette company advertisement
I wish I knew the joy of smoking cigarettes. I tried to have a puff For 2 seconds from the name of curiosity in addition to also I wanted my two seconds back afterwards. What the hell was of which? is usually inhaling oxygen too easy in addition to also too mainstream for some of which makes them think they should up their game by inhaling something else? I seriousy wanted to like smoking – of which’s always the easiest icebreaker in any awkward situation, yet I just can’t. I don’t like the smell. I don’t like the taste. I don’t like the aftertaste. in addition to also unlike Radiohead, I don’t think I have an Iron Lung.
One of the most common questions ever thrown at strangers (in addition to also easily the most used icebreaking line in Jakarta, if not Indonesia) is usually, “May I borrow your lighter?” of which question is usually surely based on the false assumption of which smoking is usually a normal habit for everybody. Because if you’re not a smoker or a ballad concert spectator or a pyromaniac, why would certainly you want to carry a lighter in your pocket?
Another example of living in a smoking society is usually when you give smaller money as tip for a favour somebody did for you; of which’s common to call of which uang rokok (cigarette money). We could have called of which something else – meal money, for instance – yet we are content to call of which uang rokok because apparently cigarettes are a highly coveted commodity in of which place we live in.
Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) released their research a while ago of which 86% of Indonesian adults believe of which smoking may cause serious damage to health – let’s just assume of which the some other 14% didn’t hear the question clearly. yet of which didn’t prevent a lion’s share of the male population in of which country to keep smoking. Around 67% Indonesian male adults still burn their daily intake of tobacco, followed by a minority of 4.5% of the female population. In total, 36.1% of Indonesian citizens are active smokers (in addition to also God knows how many passive smokers are out there) in addition to also these numbers show the highest prevalence of all 16 countries researched by GATS.
I might not be a smoker, yet as a sports enthusiast in addition to also somebody who carries a a tenure in writing about of which particular subject, I reluctantly have to admit of which cigarettes had benefited me from the past. Until a few years ago, the concept of paying a TV subscription to watch a live football match is usually alien to most Indonesians. You could get all the top leagues by across Europe in your living room without spending a penny. All had been paid by the tobacco companies through TV sponsorship.
English Premier League? Tick
Italian Serie A? Tick
Spanish La Liga? Tick
Champions League? Tick
World Cup? Why not? Tick
Are you a motorhead, how about F1? Tick
MotoGP? of which as well. Tick.
The Indonesian audience was definitely spoiled by the privilege they didn’t even know they had. of which was served to them on a silver platter. of which’s why they went berserk when the concept of paid TV subscription was introduced a few years ago, when Astro took over the broadcasting rights of the English Premier League. For the very first time, Indonesian audiences faced the inconvenient truth of which there’s no free lunch of which time in addition to also they were enraged as if of which’s their divine right to watch live football matches without paying.
The involvement of the tobacco industry from the Indonesian sporting world didn’t stop there. Not only did cigarette companies want to sponsor TV broadcasting rights in exchange for media exposure, they would certainly even go the extra mile by sponsoring local professional sports leagues. At least the top-tier Indonesian football league was named after a cigarette brand for a few seasons. The same thing also happened to the old professional basketball league in addition to also the professional volleyball league.
The best case is usually visible from the sport where Indonesia excels the most: badminton. For a long period of time, Indonesia Open (a Super Series tournament – a prestigious tournament not too dissimilar with Grand Slam in tennis) had a tobacco brand prefix in its formal name. The same company, which is usually based in Kudus, Central Java, also has the best badminton training camp from the country with state-of-the-art facilities of which has produced some of the finest players of which ever graced the red in addition to also white flag on their chests.
Because there are restrictions on tobacco TV ads where the image of actual smoking is usually prohibited, these companies advertised their products in a rather hilarious, if not nonsensical way; daredevils paragliding from the mountains, agile traceurs doing parkour, even something as unrelated as cheating your way to pay less in a Padang restaurant. Tobacco TV ads are the kings of nonsense.
Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand found himself starring in one of these tobacco TV ads after he visited of which country a couple of years ago. In of which ad, Ferdinand exhibited his physical prowess in addition to also determination on the pitch by beating the obstacles while narrating, “I’ve been tackled, I’ve been pushed, yet I always get up again.” The ads could have been better if only Ferdinand uttered the words having a hint of irony because intensive smoking will someday make you “will not be able to get up again.”
The cigarette brands are no longer allowed to sponsor sports broadcast due to the completely new regulation by the government. Walking down memory lane, should I be thanking the tobacco companies for those free live football broadcasts all these years of which provided entertainment for people across the archipelago? Honestly, I have a mixed feeling. yet I couldn’t help to think there’s something more to of which.
Sometimes I think of which, in addition to marketing purposes, sponsoring football broadcasts was a part of the company’s corporate social responsibility program; thanks for your money in addition to also we’re sorry for your damaged lungs, here we give you free football broadcast.
Happy? Here, smoke some more.
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Football in addition to also Cigarettes
Football in addition to also Cigarettes