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In 2018, a New Zealand district court decision opened the market to the overt sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems and e-liquids containing nicotine,1 and permitted the introduction of other tobacco products, such as snus and devices that heat tobacco.2 Since the judgement, British American Tobacco New Zealand (BAT(NZ)) has introduced its Vype ePen 3,3 described as being at the ‘leading edge of vaping technology’.4
Vype’s marketing focuses on young adults, long recognised as a crucial market for tobacco products and draws on the same tactics used to promote smoked tobacco to this demographic.5 Familiar promotional approaches include strategic alliances with youth-oriented brands, event sponsorship and using youth role models as brand endorsers, tactics designed to foster experimentation with Vype. Tobacco companies use new media to foster co-created material that locates promoted brands in settings with or even designed by the individuals …
Footnotes
Contributors JH conceived of the analysis, collected initial examples and drafted the manuscript. BF added additional data and critically reviewed the manuscript.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.