Lebanon

Lebanon is a Middle Eastern country bordering on the Mediterranean Sea and located between Israel and Syria. 

Tobacco industry information
A Philip Morris document describes the type of cigarette advertising the company planned for Beirut, Lebanon in 1993. It shows PM planning to implement advertising methods that would be considered unacceptable in the U.S. PM appears to use the poverty of Lebanon to allow them to push their advertising more deeply into these cultures. For example, Lebanon apparently lacked sufficient funds for public works, like refurbishing bridges and sidewalks and adding lighting to underground tunnels. This provided PM with an opportunity to engage in a sort of "public-works advertising" by offering to provide funds to refurbish bridges, roundabouts and pedestrian-ways and add lighting to the dark tunnels in Beirut in exchange for the ability to place large, prominent "Marlboro" signs ("branding") at the entrances to these tunnels, bridges, etc. PM also planned to place "Marlboro" logos on roadways where they would be adjacent to public signage imploring people to "Drive Safely" and "Walk Safely." PM carefully considered timing its promotions with an eye towards undermining concurrent public health messaging, as revealed in these plans listed under a section called "Diversification Program" : "Study the introduction of the Marlboro classics clothing line to Lebanon. This comes at a time when anti-smoking campaigns and activities are increasingly implemented."

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Brigitte Gabriel
 * Study Group on a New Israeli Strategy Toward 2000
 * violence in the Middle East

Profiles

 * "The World Factbook," CIA (last updated August 22, 2006).
 * Background Note: Lebanon, U.S. Department of State profile.
 * Country Profile: Lebanon, BBC (updated August 16, 2006).
 * Lebanon profile at Arab.net.
 * Lebanon, Human Rights Watch profile.
 * Lebanon: World Bank Group in Lebanon.
 * Lebanon in the Wikipedia.

History

 * "Timeline: Lebanon: A Chronology of Key Events," BBC (updated August 15, 2006).

Maps

 * Perry-Castañeda Library. Map Collection: Lebanon Maps, University of Texas Map Collection.

Media

 * Lebanon.com, Lebanon's online community.
 * Lebanon Times, World News Network.
 * ''The Daily Star," Lebanon daily online newspaper.