Images of feminine cigarette brands

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This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

This is a report of a 1994 focus group session done for Philip Morris to investigate what sort of images women have of "feminine" cigarette brands, like Misty and Virginia Slims. On page 6 is a section entitled, The Image of Specific Brands. In this exercise, women were asked to report the key types of images they had for each given brand of cigarette (a kind of "free association" exercise). Respondents reported strongly negative images associated with almost all brands of cigarettes. A few images these women associated with "feminine" cigarette brands included: "grandma," "tacky," "cheap," "chemical," "asbestos," "Jesse Helms," and "trailer trash."

Sample quotes

3. Image of Specific Brands ....[W]hat is reported here are the key images for each brand: Capri: Feminine/skinny/stupid/dumb ads/stuck-up bitches/rainbow/pastel box/"posers"/fall out of ashtrays/older women/prissy/too small/special, low prices/orchids Bucks: Deer/men/red/cheap/headache/money/boots/redneck/budget Marlboro/billboard/gimmick/beer/pick-up trucks/beaches and mountains/cowboy/hunting Misty: Feminine/rain/grandma/cheap/bad taste/tacky/winter/stale/damp/coupons/teenagers Doral: Generic/cheap/old people/bad taste/old poor men/dull/"Trailer trash"/Jeeps/charcoal/low tar/plastic filters Marlboro Lights: Satisfying/women/clean/$1.95/Jesse Helms/chemicals/yuppie boys/asbestos/everybody/popular/cowboys and cowgirls/tolerable/college Virginia Slims: Not bad/"good in a pinch"/youth/YCALWB ["You've Come A Long Way Baby" slogan] /high school/ballerina/shitty/hats/Ralph Lauren/magazine ads/"my mother"/feminine/fashionable/good taste//women's liberations/"more than a cigarette -- an image for women"/high fashion models Newport Lights: "A lot of Black people smoke Newport Lights"/alcohol/sail boats Salem Lights: Cool/refreshing/feminine/"my first cigarette"/mountains/north/cold/pepperminty/ocean/light and fresh

Title Topline Report on Eight Focus Groups with Women Smokers about Issues Related to New Virginia Slims Kings
Org. Author Riva Market Research
Per. Author NR Henderson, JL Kensinger
Date 19911200
Type Brand review
Bates No. 2057763894/3911
URL: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ttj09e00

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