Social Smoking Project

Social Smoking Project

This 1977 memo from E. Ted Parrack, Jr. of Brown & Williamson to product manager Vance Carter Broach, Jr. of B&W describes B&W's "Social Smoking Project," which intended to give smokers the "physical and psychological defenses" to keep on smoking in the face of the negative health information broadcast by the government and public health groups.

Broach states the background for the project:

"The 1976 Kalhok/Short report, 'The Effects of Restrictions on Current Marketing and Marketing in the Future' notes 'compounding negative pressures' may deter smokers from the 'pleasurable pursuit of the smoking habit.' They consider it the industry's job to either 'deflect' these pressures or to provide the smoker with more adequate defenses.

'Physical defenses' included designing cigarettes that generate no ash or sidestream (secondhand) smoke.

'Psychological defenses' would include product positionings that provide smokers with:

--A more positive self-image --More positive perceptions of the smoking habit --A statement of describable benefits derived from smoking: a reason why --A militant 'smoker's rights' philosophy" The stated objective of B&W's "Social Smoking Project" was to

"...provide smokers with strong reasons to continue smoking."

Title SOCIAL SMOKING PROJECT Author PARRACK,ET Date 19770603 Type MEMO; CORRESPONDENCE Bates 670061449/1450 Pages 2 URL: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/cpy79e00