Jeff the Diseased Lung
| Jeff the Diseased Lung | |
|---|---|
| File:Marlboro Mascot Parody by John Oliver (Jeff the diseased lung).png | |
| Created by | John Oliver |
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Jeff the Diseased Lung, fully named Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat, is a mascot created by comedian John Oliver for the American global cigarette and tobacco company Philip Morris International, the makers of Marlboro cigarettes. The character was introduced on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on February 15, 2015, with a segment about the tobacco industry. Oliver offered the mascot to Philip Morris to use free of charge. He and his team promoted the character by sending shirts with his image to Togo and displaying billboards in Uruguay.[1][2]
During the segment, Oliver encouraged viewers to use the hastag '#JeffWeCan', which trended on Twitter.[3][4]
Description[edit]
Jeff has been described as a "cartoon-like, diseased lung cowboy created by crossing the diseased lung pictured on cigarette packs in Australia with the Marlboro Man".[5] The fictional anthropomorphic cartoon character helps to "bridge the gap between the Marlboro Man, a figure used in advertising campaigns for Marlboro cigarettes, and a 'lung that looks like you're breathing through baked ziti'".[1]
Jeff has been called Oliver's version of the Joe Camel.[5][1] Bustle's Alicia Lu wrote, "Sure, he may be an anthropomorphic lung that's decaying from being exposed to years of cigarette smoke, which might not be Big Tobacco's first choice for branding, but he's a cowboy. Look at his regal cowboy hat, his spiffy red cowboy boots, and the way that cigarette nonchalantly dangles from his lips — doesn't Jeff remind you of a figure from days of yore? If you squint, I swear you'll see the Marlboro Man."[2]
The HBO Shop sells T-shirts depicting Jeff.[6]
Response by Philip Morris International[edit]
Philip Morris issued a statement which read in part:
On February 15, 2015, the 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' show dedicated a significant portion of its program to our company ... 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' is a parody show, known for getting a laugh through exaggeration and presenting partial views in the name of humor. The segment includes many mischaracterizations of our company, including our approach to marketing and regulation, which have been embellished in the spirit of comedic license ... While we recognize the tobacco industry is an easy target for comedians, we take seriously the responsibility that comes with selling a product that is an adult choice and is harmful to health ... We support and comply with thousands of regulations worldwide — including advertising restrictions, penalties for selling tobacco products to minors, and substantial health warnings on packaging. We're investing billions into developing and scientifically assessing a portfolio of products that have the potential to be less harmful and that are satisfying so smokers will switch to them. And, like any other company with a responsibility to its business partners, shareholders and employees, we ask only that laws protecting investments, including trademarks, be equally applied to us.[7]
The statement also provided to readers a "balanced view" and facts about the issues raised by Oliver, including the company's marketing practices and "approach to regulation". Philip Morris included links to its "Be Marlboro" campaign, which is "aimed at competing for existing adult smoker market share", reasons for why the company is challenging Australia and Uruguay's censorship of their trademarks, and "facts about smoking prevalence in Australia after the introduction of plain packaging".[7]
Reception[edit]
Jeffrey Wasserman, vice president and director of RAND Health, wrote: "John Oliver's 'Jeff' character is of course a mockery of an iconic figure, the Marlboro Man, whose legacy turned out to be cruelly ironic. As Oliver noted in his show, four former Marlboro men died of smoking-related causes. Let's hope that 'Jeff' going viral causes current and prospective smokers—mainly teens and preteens—to recognize cigarette smoking for what it is: the most deadly habit."[5]
The character has been used to illustrate Oliver's successful marketing practices. MediaPost Communications' Marketing Daily published an article called "What Marketers Can Learn from John Oliver", in which James G. Brooks, Jr. complimented Oliver's ability to encourage audience participation. He wrote, "Jeff trended worldwide. This kind of reaction is ideal for any marketing campaign."[8] Alex Frail of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian said, "The power to spark a movement like Jeff the Diseased Lung isn't shared by Oliver's contemporaries."[9]
In August 2015, the Los Angeles Times named Oliver and costume designer Mikaela Wohl winners in the "Costume designer's quietest cry for help" category for the paper's 2015 Envy Awards, a parody of the annual Emmy Awards. Randee Dawn complimented both for their hard work and humor, but said Wohl's work on "amazing" costumes like Jeff and Russian Space Sex Gecko distracted her from using her "creative energies" for dressing Oliver.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kreps, Daniel (February 16, 2015). "Watch John Oliver's Epic Tobacco Industry Takedown". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lu, Aliciia (February 17, 2015). "Jeff the Diseased Lung, John Oliver's Gift to Marlboro, Is Taking the World by Storm". Bustle. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Let's make Jeff the Diseased Lung the new face of #Marlboro by getting #JeffWeCan to trend worldwide!". Twitter. February 15, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ Grisham, Lori (February 18, 2015). "John Oliver's Marlboro mascot idea? 'Jeff the Diseased Lung". USA Today. Gannett Company. ISSN 0734-7456. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Wasserman, Jeffrey (February 20, 2015). "Last Week Tonight's Jeff the Diseased Lung Is No Joke". RAND Corporation. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Jeff! T-Shirt". HBO Store. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Parker, Ryan (February 16, 2015). "John Oliver targets cigarettes on 'Last Week Tonight'; Philip Morris reacts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
- ↑ Brooks, Jr., James G. (April 10, 2015). "What Marketers Can Learn from John Oliver". Marketing Daily. MediaPost Communications. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ Frail, Alex (April 16, 2015). "Why "Last Week Tonight" is the new champion of sanity in fake news". The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ Dawn, Randee (August 13, 2015). "To fill in Emmy gaps, Envy Awards salute 'Mindy,' Jon Snow and more". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
External links[edit]
This article "Jeff the Diseased Lung" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- Fictional character
- Advertising and marketing controversies
- American mascots
- Cartoon mascots
- Fictional anthropomorphic characters
- Fictional body parts
- Fictional characters introduced in 2015
- Fictional cowboys and cowgirls
- Fictional males
- Lung
- Philip Morris
- Smoking in the United States
- Tobacco advertising characters
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