Smoking-Cigarettes and Advertising

Anne Landman's Collection

Smoking-Cigarettes and Advertising

Date: 1975
Length: 9 pages
680561705-680561712
Jump To Images

http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/320000.html
Derived from: /bw/320000.html

snapshot_bw 0000320000

Abstract

This is the famous Brown & Williamson marketing paper that discusses how to market cigarettes to people, and especially young people, or "starters." It talks about the health denial necessary for smokers to keep smoking and how to foster that denial by using certain types of ad copy. It also contains these stunning passages about how to attract young people to smoking:

"In the young smoker's mind, a cigarette falls into the same category with wine, beer, shaving, wearing a bra (or purposely not wearing one)...For the young starter, a cigarette is associated with introduction to sex life, with courtship, with smoking "pot" and keeping late studying hours....[For the young smoker], the cigarette is the entrance ticket to the hall of the adult society."

This section is followed with instructions for designing effective cigarette advertising to young people:

"--Present the cigarette as one of a few initiations into the adult world. -- Present the cigarette as a part of the illicit pleasure category of products and activities... --To the best of your ability (considering some legal constraints), relate the cigarette to "pot," wine, beer, sex, etc... -- DON'T communicate health or health-related points."

Fields

Notes

NOTES: Other legal documents that discuss this report and its significance claim it was dated 19760303, and authored by V.C. Broach (Group Project Manager) and was part of a larger document entitled "Proposal for Marketing Viceroy."

Quotes

Introduction "Cigarette smoking is dangerous for your health" is agreed by all. People really believe that a non-smoker has a better chance of staying healthy...Smoking is, in a way, a very strange human habit. This is one of the very few things that people who do it are fully aware of its negative value, are not really happy with it, not really proud of it, do not see much good in it, perhaps even hate it --but still do it.

[Page 2]

Thus, the smokers have to fact the fact that they are illogical, irrational and stupid...The saviors are the rationalization and the repression that end up and result in a defense mechanism that, as many of the defense mechanisms we use, has its of "logic," its own rationalizations.

[Page 5]:

Cigarette advertising is a unique and different category of advertising. Most advertising for other products presents real, or at least accepted, benefits, values, attributes, end-results, etc. of the product it "pushes," sells. Cigarette advertising can not do the same. There are not any real, absolute, positive qualities and attributes in a cigarette and no one, even the most devout smokers, could believe any glorification or lies about it.

...Thus, the more effective cigarette advertising is the one that can reduce objections to the brand of cigarette it sells...Believability in, and identification with a cigarette ad can be better achieved by the situation it presents rather than by the copy it features. There is very little one can say about a cigarette that could be perceived as positive, honest and believable....

[Page 6]:

In spite of the fact that "honesty is the best policy," it is not always the case...Start out from the basic assumption that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health --try to go around it in an elegant manner but don't try to fight it -- it's a losing war.

[Page 7]:

HOW WE CAN INTRODUCE STARTERS AND SWITCHERS TO OUR BRAND

...STARTERS

With only very few exceptions, young people start to smoke because of their peer group. If they are with friends who smoke, they smoke too. The brands they adopt as "their brands" are also, usually, the same ones that are being smoked by their friends. Almost every young smoker started his "smoking life" by "bumming" cigarettes from friends prior to starting to buy his/her own. It is rather clear that the taste and flavor of a cigarette has very little to do with the process of selection of the brand by the young smoker. People develop taste preferences or at least believe they do, only after a noticeable period of "organized" smoking.

For the young smokers, the cigarette is not yet an integral part of life, of day-to-day life, in spite of the fact that they try to project the image of a regular, run-of-the-mill smoker. For them a cigarette, and the whole smoking process, is part of the illicit pleasure category. This illicit pleasure will lose its illicitness once they grow older and are fully accepted into the adult society. In the young smoker's mind a cigarette falls into the same category with wine, beer, shaving, wearing a bra (or purposely wearing one), declaration of independence and striving for self-identity. For the young starter, a cigarette is associated with introduction to sex life, with courtship, with smoking "pot" and keeping late studying hours.

For the young smoker, the cigarette is a clean/socially acceptable (to a degree at least), communication symbol of maturity, sophistication and adulthood. The cigarette is the entrance ticket to the hall of the adult society.

...If years ago it was a cigarette, then beer, then sex, then after shaving, etc. today the order is almost reversed -- after shaving -- sex -- beer -- wine -- "pot" --a cigarette.

Thus, an attempt to reach young smokers, starters, should be based, among others, on the following major parameters:

--Present the cigarette as one of a few initiations into the adult world. -- Present the cigarette as a part of the illicit pleasure category of products and activities.

--Don't force your brand on the starters. They don't take orders. They are not yet as tame as the "liberated" adult society. SUGGEST a cigarette.

-- Consider a sampling technique to allow the young starters to actually try your brand. (They have very little ability to really compare, but they would like to see themselves as having this ability.)

-- In your ads create a situation taken from the day-to- day life of the young smoker but in an elegant manner have this situation touch on the basic symbols of the growing-up, maturity process.

--To the best of your ability (considering some legal constraints), relate the cigarette to "pot," wine, beer, sex, etc...

-- DON'T communicate health or health-related points.

Company

Brown & Williamson

Author

Presumed corporate author, Brown & Williamson

Recipient

Presumed corporate recipient, Brown & Williamson

Region

United States

Litigation

10004026

Type

MRPT, MARKETING REPORT

REPORT

Subject

youth

youth initiation

marketing strategy

Target/Young Adults (Target Groups)

Target/Youth (pre-18) (Target Groups)

Document Images

Page 1: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

DOCU, ~. CO';TROL PEO3ECT P ..... C~ .... ~ VARIANCE ~VZET AT THE TIME Or- R~EPRODUCTION, THE FO ..... h.,~ HOTATIONS "" .~ , -'~--. m DC~E,..~NT COPIES ARE IN THE ~' -- =~"=~' - ..... ~t,.,~ S.~.~,.C_ AS ,mmf AP.-'E,-'.~'-- IN T}i~ ORICI,'IAL. ('~) DUPLICAT~ DQCUL:EHTS ,~F:=.~a:,' --'--m IN -"-,¢:~. C21C;~:,',L, J PAC~ NU:.:~EF,(5) ~,[lSEIb~C I:~ THE O,',ICI:~AL. [ ] PCCR QUALITY (Dr.,~.,,,,~L. [ ] OVEELAY ;TEL', COULD NCT BE ....... ;~=...0 /m~ I','IT}IGUT DALtACE TO TEE ORI~IHAL. [ ) NO DCCUL',E:ITS V:EKE FOUNO V:IT~IH THE ORICNIAL: [ ] FILE FOL2E~. [ ] RECRCFE EY, PAND,\--LZ FILE. ( } HAHCH;C FILE. ( ] EHVELOPE. [ ) OTIIER [SFECIF'/] ( ( ) OC ........ cGPrEs I'.'C2~ gel-,~UC.D I,'4 CCI..Cp, TO PEF.:I~IT CC?,P, ECT ) O~:{E?, VARIA'*CE [E.....\t. ].

Page 2: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

i $MOKINC - CIGARETTES AND ADVERTISING INTRODUCTION "C1garet=e smoking is dangerous for your health" £$ agreed by all. People ~ believe that a non-smoker has better chances of staying haalthy. Howeve~ ~eo~le 4o smoke and even en~y it. ~%ui~g ~$, i~ a ~ay~ Z Very strange hu~ ~ctlvi~yw a ~ery 6tT~.ge habit. This is one of very few things that people who do it a~e fully aware of its negative value, are not really happy w~th it, not really p~oud of i~ do not see much good i~ it, ~erhaps ewe~ kite it ~ hut still do it. According to smokers "smoking is a dirty habit", smoking is "a habit of only very stupid people". The smoking habi~ is basically a habit that in one way or anoth~r~ ~stly Indlree~ly~ Aerves some positive ~alues. Smokers are not able, even when trying hard, to explain the actual ac~ of smoking by any ~ terms. The only positive things that are said about smoking ha~e CO do with the ~rceived "benefits" the smoker believes he or she is receiving from i~. THE ONE POSITIVE VALUE THAT IS DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE CIGARETTE ITSELF IS THE T~:~J[E" EVIDENTLY, SMOKERS DEVEL0~F~ TASTE FOR~ CIGARETTE. SMOKERS LIKE A SPECIFIC TASTE OF A SPECIFIC BRAND ANDD~SLIKE (OR EVEN HATE) THE TASTE OF OTHER CIOAAETTES. -J / 101772

Page 3: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

1 L HOWEVER, THE LIKING OR DISLIKING OF CIGARETTE TASTE IS SOMETHING WHICH CAN BE DEVELOPED RATHER THAN BEING VIEWED AS AN ABSOLUTE VALUE. However, there is a problem with "tast~'. This cigarette element has been p:e-empted by advertising for many brands, and at the present, it is almost impossible to know if the taste s~kers talk about is something which they, themselves attribute to a cigarette or Just a "play-bae~' of some advertising messages. For the smoker, the cigarette itself is perhaps a friend that one might love in spite of the fact that the attributes and qualities of this friend are rather negative, and the benefits received, could he dangerous. "l know my cigarette will kill me but I can not live without it". "The cigarette is hot, smelly, staining and harsh. The cigarette causes bad breath, coughs, bad taste in mouth. The cigarette can, and probabiy will, cause lung problems, throat problems, heart problems, death -- but I smoke because I must, because 1 really want to ..... Thus, the smokers have to face the fact tha= =hey are illogical, irrational and stupid. People find it hard to go throughout llfe with such negative presentation and evaluation of self. The saviours are the rationalization and the r~resslon that end up and result i~ a defense mechanlsm that, as many of the defense mechanlsm~we use, has its own "logic", its own rationale. -2- 101773

Page 4: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

i ,i i Because people believe that s~Oklng is bad for health yet, they keep, smokln8~ a rather ~trong defense ~echanlsm i$ operating to cover the gap betveen "dont ~i and "I do"° This defense mec~nls~ is bsslcally a represslon of t~e £dea that nltts had"° "I ~t do.it wa~t to thi~k ahc~t ~'° Thus, smokers do~vt llke to be rem~nded of the f~ct t~t they a~¢ illogical a~4 irzatlo~a1° ~aey don't ~nt to ~e ~e~inde~ by either direct or ~ndirect ~nner. An i~dlrect rem~nde~ could be a te~slon-creati~g s£t~t~on~ a~ ~iet~-pzo~ci~g ~tmosphe~o This ~epress~on-d~rected defense mec~a~is~ i~ the baslc underly£ng resson why people explai~ their reasons for smoking as ~ell as descrlbe the Te~rd~ etc. ~he £~li~a~io~ o~ thls ~oi~t is ~hi1~ s~ ad that ~eplc~s a~ e~clti~, i~vi~orating sltuat~on could be interes~i~ to the smoker-v~ewerI the very th~ li~e se~arati~ poslt~e exclte~ent from ne~atlve-cre~In~ $1t~ation should ~ever be ~rossed. -3- 191774

Page 5: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

ELEMENTS OF GOOD CIGARETTE ADVERTISING NOW TO REDUCE OBJECTIONS TO A CIG#~RETTE Cigarette advert~slng is s unique and different category of advertising. Most adver=Islng for other products presents real, or at least accepted, benefits, values, attributes~ e~4-~esults~ etc, oI the product it "pushes", sells. Cigarette advertising can not do the ssme. There are not any real, absolute, poslti~e qualities and attrihutes in a clgarette and no one, even the most devou~ smokers, could believe any glorification or lles about It. More than this, the more positive values cigarette advertlsing is cry- ~ng to communicate, the less i~ is bel~eved and the more it i$ d~sllked. The m~re a cigarette ad is dishelleved~ the ~ore it "fiKhts" ~he defense mechanlsm of the Smoker -- the more th~ Smoker feels challenged -- the m~re the s~ker hat~s it. Thus, the more effective cigarette advertising is the one ~ha~ can reduc~e o.q~ectlons co the brand of cigarette it sells, rather than attempt to co~unicate a glorified "story" thaC no one can believe, that no one can Idencify with. BELIEVABILITY IN, AND IDENTIFICATION WITH A CIGARETTE AD CAN BE SETTER ACHIEVED BY THE SITUATION ET PRESENTS RATHER ~ By THE COPY IT FEATUP~ES. THERE IS VERY LITTLE ONE CAN SAY ABOUT A CIGARETTE THAT COULD BE PERCEIVED AS POSITIVE, HONEST AND BELIEVABLE. THE COOD, " -12- 101783

Page 6: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

! ~ Create Fluid Rather Than Boxed Ads - People react be=ter to cigar~tte a~ti~e~ntB that ~T~ ble~ in n~tu~ T~heT ~han fTa~e~. Almost without a~ exception all respondents ltrongly dis° liked ~he red top an~ botto~margins on the Viceroy ads. To them these ~arE~ns considerably added to the Rrtff~cial, tautj constrained an~ plast~cb un~alistic ~a~e and atmosphere. -- Be I~terest~ - ~re~e~t p$ctures that are l~terest~ng by themselves~ not necessarily as p~rt o~ ~e advertisinE concept. People are being bombarded with so ~uch advert~sin~ that while flippin~ through a ma~azine if their ~nd tells the~ that they are look~n~ at an advertisement, unless there'6 someth~n~ ~nter~6~n~ ca~chy~ attract~ve~ etc.~ ~n the ~icture ltself~ ~e~e wil~ not stop to loo~ at it. ~t should be clearly understood that ~az~ne or a~y other print advert~si~ i$ hein~ viewed an~ ~udsed hy the people, by using televisioa comerc~als as parameter of ~ud~ement. People lr~ used to movi~E tcenes, $o~ds~ ~s~c~ e~c.~ and ~ print adve~tisement~ while beinE s~ationa~y in nature, has to a~empt to convey ~terest and at~raction. -- Be ~oaes~ - ~a s~it~ of the £ac~ that "hone~t~ is the best ~o1£c~"~ ~t is not always the case -- try to he hones~ ~ your p~ese~at~on -- ~on~t make pro~i~es that you yoursel~ know could never he fulfilled. S~ar~ ou~ from ~he basic assumption that cigarette ~oking $8 dangerous to your h~alth -- try to go around it ~n ~n elegant man~er but don~ try to f~ght ~t -- it's a los~ng wa~. -17- ii ~i'll 4 ~ '~ ~

Page 7: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

HOW CAN N \ RODUCE STARTERS A~ SWITCHERS TO OUR BRAND i "Fnis section presents a few h~heses rather than tested, proven Systems. The hypotheses presented here were created on the basis of the exploratory phase of this study• STARTERS With only very few exceptions, young people start to smoke because of 1 their peer group. If they are with friends who smoke, they smoke too. The brands they adopt as "cheir brands" are also, usually, the same ones that are being smoked by their friends. Almost every young smoker started his "smoking llfe" by "h~ing" cigarettes from friends prior ~o startlng to buy his/her own. It is rather clear that the taste and flavor of a elgarette has very little to do with the process of selectlon of the brand b~ the youn$ smoker• People develop taste prefer~nce~ or at least bel~eve they do, only after a notlceehle period of "organized" smoking. There are basically ~wo categorles of cigarettes that appeal to the younE starter more than others Menthol and Full Flavor cigarettes. The mmst popular methol cigarette is Rool followed by Newport and the most popular full flavor clgare~te is Marlboro, followed by Winston. For the young smoker, the cigarette is not yet an integral part of l~fe, of day-~o-day life, in splte of the fac~ that they try to project the image Of a regularI run-of-the-mill smoker. For them a eigarette~ and the whole umokln~ process, is par~ of the illlclt pleasure category. This illicit pleasure will lose its illlcltness once ~hey grow older and are fully ~' accepted into the adult society. In the young smoker'A mind a cigarette O 101-500 _'~Q_

Page 8: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

I 7falls into tile same category with wine, beer, shaving, wearing a bra (or ~not wearing one), ~eclaration of independence and strlvin~ for Self-ldentity. For the Fount $tarter~ a cigarette is assoclated wlth introduction to s~x life~ wlth courtsblp~ with smoking 'tpot" and keeping late Studylng hours. Fo~ the youn~ smoker~ the ci&aret~e Is a clean]soclally acceptahle~ (to a degree at least), co~unlcatlo~ symbol of maturity, Iophisticatlon and adulthood. The clgarette is the entrance ticket to the hall of the I~it society° Ho~ever~ it should be noted that the smoking sca~e -- "C1$arette smoking ~s d~ngerous to your health'*, couD1ed ~ith the fact that ~odaF~s £oclety is much more permissive and a11ows many mote manifestatlo~s of ~gulthood tha~ In the past~ reduced~ ~omewhat, ~he ~mport~nt attached to the ~igar- ette as the initiation into the adult world, ~f yeats ~go it ~as a~ than bee_.=.~t, the o~der ~$ almost ~eversed -- afte~ lhav~ng -- s~x -- be~r M ~ne B ttpot~l _- I clg~rett~, Thus, ~ attempt to reach young ~moke~s~ Star~e~s should be b~se~ &mo~g others~ o~ the ~ollowlng majo~ parameters: -- P~esent the clga~ette ~s one of a few $~itlatlon~ into the adult wor1~. ~q ~=~ 101S01 I I

Page 9: 0000320000 Log in for more options!

,'° t -- Present the cigarette as a part of the illicit ; pleasure category of products end activities. -- Don't force your brand on the starters. They dontt take orders. They are not yet as tame as //~/ the "liberated" adul~ society. ~a cigarette. -- Consider a sampling technique to allow the young starters to actually try your brand. (They have very little ability to really compare, but they would like to see themselves as having this ability.) -- In your ads create a situation taken from the day-to- day llfe of the young smoker but in an elegant manner have this $~tuatio~ touch on the basic s~bols of the growlng-up, maturity process. -- To the best of your ability, (considering some legal constraincl), relate the =~garet=e to "pot", wine, beer, sex, etc. -- In a subull, almost ambiguous ~anner poin~ out the unique differences of your brand. Indirectly you must give ~hn young s~oker a "logicsl" reason for i~okl~g your brand. (Many of the young smokers interviewed indicated tha~ Marlboro is ~oo popular °.. "everyone smokes Marlboro, tbat'~ why ~ smoke something else".) -- Do, it co~unicate health or health-~elated points. L~ ~V 101802

Tobacco Documents Online

Anne Landman's Collection