( 2 Votes )

Nick Naylor is a PR maestro. As the spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, he promotes smoking while effortlessly batting away any connection to addiction or cancer. It's not an easy job, but Naylor, who's smart, handsome and an incredibly smooth talker, is brilliant at it. He rejoices in his ability to spin.

However, Naylor - as played by Aaron Eckhart in a new satirical film Thank You for Smoking - is a movie creation. Luckily. But do public relations professionals in the real world believe, as Naylor does, that "the beauty of an argument is that if you argue correctly, you're never wrong"?

It's a good question, says Mark Borkowski, whose self-titled company is doing the promotion for the new film. "I've seen people like Nick Naylor throughout my career and he's someone I don't want to be," he adds. "The film deals with spin, but it doesn't question anything. Good PR can actually achieve things.

"I have never done cigarettes or oil. I have turned down petro-chemical companies and I've never wanted to work for a political party. I have done booze, because I drink."

Borkowski also says that that he turned down the chance to promote Death Cigarettes, even though they were offering a "sizeable" budget. That account was taken instead by Angie Moxham (who has since set up her own agency, 3 Monkeys). Moxham says that, although the product she was promoting was cigarettes, she had no ethical qualms.

"I was absolutely intrigued by the Death brand," she says. "What it was doing was having a pop at the original tobacco cartel and I felt there was an inherent health message in it. I believe in an honest message to consumers and what it was saying was, if you want to smoke then admit it's going to kill you, so smoke Death."

Both Angie Moxham and Mark Borkowski work for themselves. This gives them the choice of being able to turn down work which doesn't suit them or fit in with their beliefs. Unfortunately, that luxury does not extend to people who are starting out on their careers or working for a large corporation.

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