Burnett to Tout PM's New Name

More than a year after saying it plans to rename itself Altria, Philip Morris will launch a campaign in late January to herald the new name. The tagline: “Where people and performance make a difference.”

Despite the timing, a Super Bowl spot is not in the plans, said a company representative. Creative by Leo Burnett in Chicago is in development; it will focus on why PM is changing its name and what Altria stands for. While critics contend PM is trying to throw a cloak over its cigarette-manufacturing legacy, corporate executives say Altria is a better vehicle for building an identity as a diversified consumer-products company.

The goal of Burnett’s campaign is to let consumers know that Altria is the holding company for Kraft, PM USA and PM International, and that those entities will not change their names.