Anne Landman's Collection
Young Adult Male Creative.
Abstract
This 1987 Brown & Williamson document recommends a theme for an advertising campaign to sell a new brand of cigarettes to young adult, blue-collar males who are stuck in boring, repetitive union jobs. A pejorative description of the blue collar life pervades the piece, and forms a theme that is repeated throughout. The proposal reads:
"Roger Rhu...is depicted as the outdoors man. The fresh-water fisherman of mid-America and the prototypical blue-collar, larder-enhancing sport hunter. Primary images show him on location in the early morning, backgrounded by chums. Accompanied by hounds, sometimes in, on or hear his old 'pick up,' in the mist or midst of primeval America, readying for, or resting after, pursuit of his quarry."
When not in the field, "Roger Rhu" would tie flies, clean his weapons, pan-fry steelheads (fish) and "show the taxidermists a thing or two."
Overall, the proposed ad campaign has a strongly anti-social undercurrent and portrays American men as war-hungry, fawning over weapons, having Neanderthal tendencies and a need to escape from women in order to cope with them.
B&W says hunter "Roger" would take joy in the "paramilitary planning and execution of a womanless trek back into a somehow prehistoric, simple, meat-gathering past...He lights up a cigarette at those special times when contentment seems especially profound. A good drag talks louder about how he feels and what he enjoys than anything his family or friends can drag out of him."
The rationale for the ad campaign is as follows:
"...IN A WORLD WHERE MAN'S NATURAL BELLIGERENCE AND RISK SEEKING ARE SCORNED AND EVEN RIDICULED BY THE EMERGENT COMMON-SENSE, SENTIMENTAL VALUE SYSTEMS OF A PEACETIME FEMINIST SENSIBILITY, HUNTING AND FISHING REMAIN THE FEW MASCULINE PASTIMES ACCEPTABLE AS ALTERNATIVES TO WAR..."
Describing the target audience, B&W states,
"The primary appeal is directed to the blue-collar, time-clocked, dues-paying union member, working at a boring, repetitive, good-paying job. He's married, about to be, or looking to be. He goes fishing or hunting when he can. When she doesn't give him too much grief. Sometimes because she does."
This document shows us that the corporate advertising mentality can be aimed at reinforcing negative stereotypes while simultaneously pushing harmful products.
Fields
- Quotes
This is to recommend that an additional campaign or visual approach be developed for qualitative testing in conjunction with "Jacks". The following are suggested for consideration: 1. "Outdoorsman" - focus on blue-collar male(s) enjoying weekend or vacation outdoor activities (hunting, fishing). See attached. 2. "Exhilaration of Freedom" - focus on young adult male(s) enjoying spontaneous thrill of at least temporary freedom without obligations. This could be a younger downscale version of the VICEROY "Discover" campaign but with more spirit and comradery.
[From Page 3]:
A POSSIBLE CREATIVE EXECUTION AGAINST THE "MORE PLEASURE" POSITIONING CAMPAIGN: ROGER RHU, IN COLOR, IS DEPICTED AS THE OUT-DOORS MAN, THE FRESH-WATER FISHERMAN OF MID- AMERICA AND THE PROTOTYPICAL BLUE-COLLAR, LARDER-ENHANCING SPORT HUNTER, PRIMARY IMAGES SHOW HIM ON LOCATION IN THE EARLY MORNING, ALONE, BACKGROUNDED BY CHUMS, ACCOMPANIED BY HOUNDS, SOMETIMES IN, ON OR NEAR HIS OLD "PICK-UP", IN THE MIST OR MIDST OF PRIMEVAL AMERICA, READYING FOR OR RESTING AFTER THE PURSUIT OF HIS QUARRY.
THE PLEASURE HE ENJOYS IS QUIETLY EVIDENT, THE BEAUTY OF THE SCENE IS BREATH-TAKING. THE CAMARADERIE, WHEN APPROPRIATE, IMPLICIT. WHEN HUNTING, WE NEVER SEE HIM AIMING HIS RIFLE/SHOTGUN. WHEN FISHING, WE NEVER SEE HIM ACTUALLY FIGHTING TO LAND A FISH. HIS IS NOT THE JOY OF THE KILL. HIS IS RATHER THE DEEPER SATISFACTION OF THE SOLITUDE, THE TIMING, THE EQUIPMENTS THE PARA-MILITARY PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF A WOMANLESS TREK BACK INTO A SOMEHOW PREHISTORIC, SIMPLE, MEAT-GATHERING PAST WHERE TIMECLOCKS, UNION DUES, TAXES, MORTGAGE PAYMENTS, CHILDREN, IN-LAWS AND POLITICS DO NOT EXIST.
WHEN NOT IN THE FIELD...HE IS SEEN AS A MAN ADEPT IN THE CREATIVE AND ARCANE ASPECTS OF HIS OFF-DUTY AVOCATIONS: HE TIES FLIES, MENDS NETS, CLEANS WEAPONS, CARVES AND PAINTS DECOYS, WHELPS AND TRAINS DOGS, REPAIRS HIS PICK-UP, SHOWS THE TAXIDERMISTS A THING OR TWO, PAN-FRIES STEELHEADS, ETC.
ROGER RHU, SPARE-TIME HUNTER AND FISHERMAN, DOES NOT CONFRONT THE CAMERA. WE CATCH HIM UNAWARES, AS HE GOES ABOUT HIS BETWEEN-SHIFT PLEASURES (EXCEPT, OF COURSE, THE MAIN ONE WHOM WE NEVER MEET, OR THE KIDS, THE IN-LAWS OR THE BOSS). HE IS ALWAYS RELAXED, BECALMED ALMOST, AND LIGHTS UP A CIGARETTE AT THOSE SPECIAL TIMES WHEN CONTENTMENT SEEMS ESPECIALLY PROFOUND. A GOOD DRAG TALKS LOUDER ABOUT HOW HE FEELS AND WHAT HE ENJOYS THAN ANYTHING HIS FAMILY OR FRIENDS CAN DRAG OUT OF HIM.
RATIONALE:
OF ALL THE [NON-SMOKING] ACTIVITIES PURSUED WITH PASSION BY THE HOURLY-WAGED, SHIFT-CONSIGNED, BLUE-COLLAR WORKING MEN IN AMERICA TODAY, FISHING AND HUNTING REPRESENT TWO OF THE MOST BASIC FORMS OF ESCAPE/MASTER AVOCATIONS. THEY BOTH REQUIRE SACRIFICE, EFFORT, KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND PATIENCE. THE REWARDS ARE SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL. PREPARATION AND PLANNING PAY OFF. WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED. LUCK CAN PLAY A ROLE. MONEY ISN'T THE MAJOR FACTOR, CLOTHES DON'T MAKE THE MAN. RISK, WHILE MINIMAL, IS THERE. DISCOMFORT, WHILE NOT ESSENTIAL, IS LIKELY. DILIGENCE, CRAFT, CUNNING, DEDICATION AND DARING PAY OFF. IN A WORLD WHERE MAN'S NATURAL BELLIGERENCE AND RISK SEEKING ARE SCORNED AND EVEN RIDICULED BY THE EMERGENT COMMON-SENSE, SENTIMENTAL VALUE SYSTEMS OF A PEACETIME FEMINIST SENSIBILITY, HUNTING AND FISHING REMAIN THE FEW MASCULINE PASTIMES ACCEPTABLE AS ALTERNATIVES TO WAR.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
MALE AMERICA. THE PRIMARY APPEAL IS DIRECTED TO THE BLUE-COLLAR, TIME-CLOCKED, DUES-PAYING UNION MEMBER, WORKING AT A BORING, REPETITIVE, GOOD-PAYING JOB. HE'S MARRIED, ABOUT-TO-BE, OR LOOKING-TO-BE. HE GOES FISHING OR HUNTING WHEN HE CAN. WHEN SHE DOESN'T GIVE HIM TOO MUCH GRIEF. SOMETIMES BECAUSE SHE DOES. DAY TRIPS. WEEKENDS SOMETIMES. MAYBE ONCE A YEAR A FULL WEEK IN ANOTHER STATES, THE KIND OF THING YOU DREAM ABOUT...
- Company
- Brown & Williamson
- Author
- Wessel, Paul S. (BW Sr. New Products Manager 1984-85)Brand Assistant - KSL
- Recipient
- McCafferty, Bonnie L. (BW Group Product Director)Group Product Director - New
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