Daily Doc: PM, 1994: Philip Morris' 'Merit Awards' program (death)
Daily Doc: Philip Morris' "Merit Awards" program (death)
Title: No title
PM, 1994
Bates #: BATES
September 21, 2000
This document is a promotional mailing from the Philip Morris tobacco company (PM) which contains coupons for discounts on Merit cigarettes. PM sent this particular mailing to a deceased customer, dead at age 51-- from smoking Merit cigarettes. The caregiver of the deceased's 94 year-old father returned the promotion to PM with the following note.
The emotional impact of this document is very strong. It demonstrates the pure absurdity, in addition to real pain and insult offered by corporations like Philip Morris that continue to promote products that they know fully well are defective and deadly.
(Imagine the howl that would go up if the Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Company mailed out coupons to customers who had been hurt by defective tires--offering them a discount on another set of defective tires!)
CITATION
Title: No title
Type of Document: Letter, promotional material
Author Suter, N
Recipient: Williams, AL
Date: 19940000/E (actually dated by hand 19941125) Site: Philip Morris document site http://www.pmdocs.com/cgi-bin/rsasearch.exe?bool=Did:2044935701A&if=avpidx
Bates No. 2044935701
URL: http://my.tobaccodocuments.org/tdo/view.cfm?CitID=2246315&GetListArrayIdx=1&ShowImages=yes
Litigation Usage: Oklahoma Attorney General
Thanks to: an anonymous document informer
QUOTES
[The promotional plug written by PM:]
Dear Alida,
As a Merit smoker, you're special. Why? Because you already know you can switch down to lower tar and still get satisfying taste. You've made the switch, and we'd like to reward you for it.
That's why we created Merit Awards--an ongoing offer of special things we can give to you, to show you how special you are to us. Like the valuable coupons below. Consider them your award for being, well, you!
From time to time, we'll be making other exciting Merit Awards offerings. So you can look forward to enjoying the rewards of great taste and lower tar.
After all, you've got Merit!
Yours,
[signature]
Norma Suter
[Handwritten response, written directly on the promotion and mailed back to Philip Morris:]
Dear Ms. Suter,
Mrs. Williams died 21 months ago from smoking your product.
Do not send any more of your stuff to this address again.
I am her father's (94 yrs) non-smoking caregiver. The 94 year old is a nonsmoker. Mrs. Williams was a beautiful 51 year old. I feel sorry for you people.
M. Bell
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American Lung Association of Colorado, West Region Office
Grand Junction, CO
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