I AM Marlboro Disorot, PMI Dituduh Pikat Anak Muda

A Marlboro seller in the Philippines offers a scooter and campaign merchandise as a gift for cigarette buyers. (Facebook/Bert & Marie Grocery - The Guardian)

JAKARTA - The global Marlboro campaign has once again sparked criticism. Citing a report by The Guardian, Friday, May 15, anti-tobacco activists accused Philip Morris International or PMI of exploiting young people through the "I AM Marlboro" campaign.

The campaign appears in billboards, television commercials, and online content. Tobacco industry experts assess that its promotional style seems to be designed to attract young consumers.

According to a report by The Guardian, in the Philippines, roadside stalls selling Marlboro held a raffle for scooters and merchandise for cigarette buyers. In Indonesia, television commercials show young adults climbing mountains and practicing with rock bands.

PMI has also filed or owns trademarks related to the campaign in around 20 countries, including Indonesia, Morocco, Bangladesh, and Germany.

The criticism came because PMI has always claimed to want to leave the cigarette business. Three years ago, PMI CEO Jacek Olczak said "cigarettes should be in a museum", while encouraging alternative products such as vape.

Mark Hurley from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids said the message was at odds with Marlboro's new campaign.

"You can't claim that cigarettes should be in a museum while launching a global campaign that makes Marlboro cigarettes the core of the way young people see themselves," said Hurley.

According to Hurley, the campaign associates cigarettes with the identity, sense of belonging, and self-expression of young people.

Jorge Alday from the Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products or Stop said the "I AM" campaign showed contradictions in PMI's claims to want to end cigarette sales.

"If the company is serious about ending cigarette sales, they will not advertise cigarettes," Alday said.

The campaign also reminds of a PMI ad more than a decade ago with the slogan "Be Marlboro". The ad was once banned in Germany because it was considered potentially attracting the attention of teenagers.

Lisda Sundari, Chairperson of the Indonesian Children's Lantern Foundation, said the campaign was very visible in Indonesia.

"What makes it worrying is not only the brand of cigarettes themselves, but the way the campaign connects smoking with identity, self-expression, self-confidence, sense of belonging, and lifestyle," said Lisda.

According to Lisda, the slogan "I AM Marlboro" can attract young people who are still looking for their own identity. The risk is even greater because YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are an important part of young people's culture.

PMI said its marketing was restricted to adults and followed legal rules and internal marketing codes to prevent appeal or access for young people.

PMI also said that 43 percent of its net revenue in the first quarter of 2026 came from smoke-free products. The company claims that in the past 10 years it has sold 240 billion fewer cigarettes.

For anti-tobacco activists, this campaign remains a problem because cigarette brands are still promoted with language of identity, lifestyle, and self-expression that is close to the world of young people.