Vip e-cigarette ad ‘likely to cause serious offence’ banned before 11pm by asa
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned Must Have s ad for VIP Electronic Cigarettes before 11pm after receiving a series of complaints that totalled 1156.
Seven issues were investigated, including claims that the ads were overtly sexual in nature and degraded and exploited women, of which two were upheld.
The two TV ads which carried a post 9pm restriction and also appeared on the advertiser’s YouTube channel, showed a man and woman speaking directly into the camera using language that complainants said drew oral sex references.
Some complainants said they understood an accompanying female voice over saying, “If you’re gonna Vape, Vape with VIP , was used in a sexual context, to be wordplay on the term ‘rape’.
438 Marketing Ltd, responding on behalf of Must Have Ltd trading as VIP Electronic Cigarettes, said it did not believe the ads were overly sexual. It pointed out that the actors were fully clothed and were not located in a bedroom or boudoir .
It added the use of a double entendre portrayed a sexual situation only to reveal that the scene was not what viewers expected, and acknowledged that the ads were suggestive, but said they were intended for adults aged 25 and over.
The ASA acknowledged the complainants’ concerns that the presentation of the ads included implied references to oral sex. It noted the ads contained no explicit sexual imagery and concluded by revealing that the commentary related to an e cigarette.
But it added “We considered the sexually provocative presentation of the male and female characters in conjunction with a graphic description of oral sex was likely to cause serious and widespread offence to viewers who viewed (the television) ads during normal evening viewing.
“We acknowledged the post 9pm timing restriction would reduce the risk of younger children seeing (the television) ads, but because of the references to oral sex, we considered a post 9pm timing restriction was not sufficient to avoid offending viewers and that a post 11pm timing restriction should have been applied.
The ASA agreed that the term “vape” related to the use of e cigarettes and did not equate to wordplay on the word rape, therefore finding that the term was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence.
The ASA ruled that the television ads must not be broadcast again before 11pm.
Dania beach, fla., feb. 26, 2014: vapor corp. reports results for the fourth quarter and the year ended december 31, 2013 – retail – miamiherald.com
DANIA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ Vapor Corp. (OTCQB VPCO “Vapor”, the “Company”), a leading U.S. based electronic cigarette company whose brands include Krave® , Fifty One® , VaporX® , Alternacig® , EZ Smoker® , Green Puffer® , Americig® , Fumare™ , Hookah Stix® and Smoke Star® , today announced its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2013.
2013 Operational and Financial Highlights
- Achieved record revenues for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2013
- Total revenues for the fourth quarter of  2013 grew 56% to $7 million
- Total revenues for the full year 2013 grew 22% to $26 million
- Family Dollar stores across the U.S. started selling KRAVE® KING brand of disposable e cigarette products
- Vapor’s products are now in more than 60,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada
- Completed a $10 million private placement of common stock that is being used to fund the Company’s growth initiatives and 
- Effected a 1 for 5 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock to satisfy the minimum bid price requirement in order to seek listing of the common stock on The NASDAQ Capital Market.     
Jeffrey Holman, President of Vapor Corp., commented, “We significantly expanded our retail footprint and marketing activities over the past year, as we continued to experience increased customer demand across the U.S. and Canada for our portfolio of e cigarettes and vaporizers. This is mostly being driven by a rapidly growing number of users of tobacco burning cigarettes who view e cigarettes and vaping as a bona fide alternative to combustible cigarettes.
“In December 2013, we increased our presence in the retail market by adding 6,600 Family Dollar stores nationwide that will carry our flagship brand of disposable e cigarettes, KRAVE® KING. The growing presence of our products in large retailers and national chains is helping us establish our brands and build a loyal customer base.   
“Looking ahead, we plan to expand our retail footprint and increase our marketing efforts.  In order to help fund these activities, we raised $10 million in October 2013,” concluded Mr. Holman.
Financial and Operating Results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2013
Net sales grew 56% to approximately $7.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2013, as compared with approximately $4.5 million during the same quarter last year.
Cost of goods sold increased 96% to approximately $5.0 million as compared with approximately $2.5 million for the same quarter in the previous year, primarily resulting from increased sales volume.
Gross margins decreased to 30% as compared with 44% for the same period in 2012 as a result of increased private label sales, which have lower gross margins.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2013 decreased by approximately 10% from the same quarter in the prior year primarily due to a decrease in professional and consulting fees.
Advertising expenses decreased approximately 84% to $111,316 for the quarter ended December 31, 2013, compared with $705,613 during the same quarter in 2012. 
Operating income was $345,352, compared with an operating loss of ($510,892) for the same quarter in the prior year.
Interest expense for the quarters ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $132,705 and $46,275 respectively. The increase was attributable to the interest and amortization of debt discount on the senior convertible notes and the senior note issued during 2012, the senior convertible note issued in January 2013, the $425,000 senior convertible notes issued in July 2013, and the $750,000 term loan entered into in August 2013.
The Company incurred a non cash induced conversion expense of $299,577 for the quarter ended December 31, 2013 related to the conversion of senior convertible notes into common stock in conjunction with completing the private placement. 
Income tax expense (benefit) for the quarters ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was ($538,561) and $168,344, respectively.
Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2013 was $451,631 compared with a net loss of ($725,511) for the quarter ended December 31, 2012, as a result of the items discussed above.
Financial and Operating Results for the Year ended December 31, 2013
Net sales grew 22% to approximately $26.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 as compared with approximately $21.4 million for the prior year. This increase was mainly attributable to our ability to more efficiently meet consumer demand for our products with optimized inventory and enhanced distribution efforts.   
Cost of goods sold increased 23% to approximately $16.3 million as compared with approximately $13.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2012, primarily due to the increase in sales volume and product mix.
Gross margins decreased slightly to 37.2% compared with 38.1% for the prior year due to a change in the product mix.
Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2013 decreased by 6% to approximately $6.5 million from approximately $6.9 million for the prior year, primarily due to a decrease in professional and consulting fees and merchant service and bank fees net of  increases in compensation and insurance expenses, among others. 
Advertising expenses decreased 36% to approximately $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, compared with approximately $3.6 million for the prior year.
Operating income was approximately $960,000 compared with an operating loss of approximately $2.3 million for the prior year.
Interest expenses for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $383,981 and $89,347 respectively. The increase was attributable to the interest and amortization of debt discount on the senior convertible notes and the senior note issued during 2012, the senior convertible note issued in January 2013, the $425,000 senior convertible notes issued in July 2013, and the $750,000 term loan and the factoring facility entered into in August 2013.
The Company incurred a non cash induced conversion expense of $299,577 for the year ended December 31, 2013 related to the conversion of senior convertible notes into common stock in conjunction with completing the private placement.
Income tax benefit for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $524,791 and $465,941, respectively.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2013 increased by approximately $2.7 million to $801,352, compared with a net loss of $1,920,972, as a result of the items discussed above.
Conference Call Information The Company’s management team will host a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 10 30 A.M. Eastern Time to discuss the Company’s historical financial and operating performance during the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2013. To listen to the call, please dial (888) 438 5519 (US Toll Free) or (719) 325 2402 (International) and enter the pin number 3032957 at least five minutes before the scheduled start time. Investors and other interested parties can also access the call in a “listen only” mode via webcast at the Company’s website, Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download any necessary audio software.
A digital replay of the conference call will be available through March 13, 2014 at (877) 870 5176 (US Toll Free) or (858) 384 5517 (International), pin number 3032957. The replay also will be available at the Company’s website for a limited time.
About Vapor Corp. Vapor Corp., a publicly traded company, is a leading U.S. based electronic cigarette company, whose brands include Fifty One® , Krave® , VaporX® , EZ Smoker® , Alternacig® , G
reen Puffer® , Americig® , Fumare™ , Hookah Stix® and Smoke Star® . We also design and develop private label brands for some of our distribution customers. “Electronic cigarettes” or “e cigarettes,” are battery powered products that enable users to inhale nicotine vapor without smoke, tar, ash or carbon monoxide. Vapor’s electronic cigarettes and accessories are available online, through direct response to our television advertisements and through retail locations throughout the United States. For more information on Vapor Corp. and its e cigarette brands, please visit us at
Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain forward looking statements that are made pursuant to the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “scheduled,” “estimates” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. These forward looking statements concern Vapor’s operations, economic performance and financial condition and are based largely on Vapor’s beliefs and expectations. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Vapor to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Certain of these factors and risks, as well as other risks and uncertainties are stated in Vapor’s Annual Report on Form 10 K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013 and in Vapor’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and Vapor assumes no obligation to update the forward looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward looking statements.
Contacts Media Alison Crisci KCSA Strategic Communications acrisci / (212) 896 1252
IR Jeffrey Goldberger / Garth Russell KCSA Strategic Communications jgoldberger / grussell #xA0 (212) 896 1249 / (212)896 1250
 
VAPOR CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS FOR THE YEARS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, 2013 2012 2013 2012 SALES NET $   25,990,228 $   21,352,691 $     7,032,032 $     4,508,594 Cost of goods sold                          16,300,333 13,225,008 4,953,637 2,521,402 Gross Profit                    9,689,895 8,127,683 2,078,395 1,987,192 EXPENSES Selling, general and administrative    6,464,969 6,865,633 1,621,727 1,792,471 Advertising                    2,264,807 3,559,616 111,316 705,613 Total operating expenses    8,729,776 10,425,249 1,733,043 2,498,084 Operating income (loss) 960,119 (2,297,566) 345,352 (510,892) Other expense Induced conversion expense 299,577 299,577 Interest expense    383,981 89,347 132,705 46,275 Total other expenses 683,558 89,347 432,282 46,275 INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME
          TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT) 276,561 (2,386,913) (86,930) (557,167) Income tax expense (benefit)                          (524,791) (465,941) (538,561) 168,344 NET INCOME (LOSS) $     801,352 $   (1,920,972) $         451,631 $   (725,511) BASIC EARNINGS (LOSS) PER
          COMMON SHARE              $               0.06 $       (0.16) $               0.03 $       (0.06) DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER
          COMMON SHARE              $               0.06 $       (0.16) $               0.03 $       (0.06) WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF
          COMMON SHARES
          OUTSTANDING – BASIC                    12,818,487 12,037,597 15,081,780 12,037,597 WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF
          COMMON SHARES
          OUTSTANDING – DILUTED          13,186,365 12,037,597 15,573,903 12,037,597
 
VAPOR CORP.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS DECEMBER  31, 2013 2012 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash            $   6,570,215 $     176,409 Due from merchant credit card processors, net of reserve for charge backs of $2,500 and $15,000, respectively          205,974 1,031,476 Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $256,833 and $61,000, respectively                  1,802,781 748,580 Inventories                      3,321,898 1,670,007 Prepaid expenses and vendor deposits 1,201,040 465,860 Income tax receivable                  47,815 Deferred tax asset, net                766,498 222,130 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 13,868,406 4,362,277 Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $27,879 and $16,595, respectively                    28,685 25,190 Other assets                  65,284 12,000 TOTAL ASSETS $ 13,962,375 $ 4,399,467 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY) CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable                            $   1,123,508 $   3,208,595 Accrued expenses                            420,363 350,151 Term loan 478,847 Customer deposits                            182,266 477,695 Income taxes payable                  5,807 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 2,210,791 4,036,441 LONG TERM DEBT Senior convertible notes payable to related parties, net of debt discount of $0 and $3,530, respectively 346,470 Senior note payable to stockholder  500,000 TOTAL LONG TERM DEBT 846,470 TOTAL LIABILITIES 2,210,791 4,882,911 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY) Preferred stock, $.001 par value, $1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued Common stock, $.001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized 16,214,528 and 12,038,163 shares issued and outstanding, respectively                16,214 12,038 Additional paid in capital    13,115,024 1,685,524 Accumulated deficit                      (1,379,654) (2,181,006 ) TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY) 11,751,584 (483,444 ) TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIENCY) $ 13,962,375 $ 4,399,467
 
SOURCE Vapor Corp.