Novak, G.
This R.J. Reynolds "secret" document was a discussion of focus groups held to figure out how to market a new brand of cigarettes ("BJ") to young adult smokers.
Note the rather pejorative comments about about the people participating in the focus groups:
"Smokers in the groups were generally somewhat downscale or at most lower-middle class...They are more or less ordinary, and their wants are pedestrian...Their leisure time activities are very much "what everyone does." They tend to live life within relatively narrow, predictable limits..."
Note the surprise (disappointment?) of the observer when he finds that his "targets" do not fantasize about wealth and belonging to a higher class:
"We asked smokers to fantasize and describe their ideal evening. What was most apparent in the ensuing discussions was that the fantasies were all within the realm of posslbility--they were merely extensions of, or deepenings of, their normal leisure time activities. The fantasies were not imaginative; they were not radical departures from reality. Examples are:
- driving around, a couple drinks, a girl
- a good meal, drinks, a show
- drinking until I black out
- cocktails, dinner, a show, my place
- bar, large T.V., friends, girl, beer
- expensive dinner
- barbeque, drinking
... After these fantasies were discussed, we asked some of the groups to "try again" and to let all stops out. Here, they were able to come up with fantasies that tended to involve being in a higher soclal class. For example:
- chauffeured limousines
- going to Europe
- buying a 747 and loadlng it with girls."