Chesterfield - West Africa Agency Brief

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

This Philip Morris (PM) document from the marketing department of PM's Lausanne, Switzerland office discusses how to market Chesterfield cigarettes in West Africa.

Marketing to youth in West Africa

The document states that an overall objective is "to gain a very young audience" for the brand, but then states the "prime prospect" is 18 to 30 years. The "source of [sales] volume" is to be "new smokers."

In discussing what "key consumer benefit" of the cigarette PM should advertise, the author states quite frankly that there is no tangible benefit to the cigarette, so the advertising must rely on "lifestyle" imagery to sell the brand:

There is no tangible product plus, except a possible price advantage ... So, the key consumer benefit must be purely psychological and projected through the lifestyle of the people featured in the advertising. Chesterfield is the famous American cigarette sole internationally, and now available in your country for the first time.

Use of American imagery

The marketing document indicates intentions to use imagery of America and American lifestyles to market cigarettes in this region:

Tone

Young, alive, enjoyable, aspirational, American.

Executional Area Background

As a result of the advertising concept test carried out in June this year, the most positive element of our communication is "AMERICA". America is a bit of a dream, it is a country appealing to our target audience providing that we use a simple and clear way to communicate this. The lifestyle of young Americans will also attract our potential consumers providing that the people featured are simple, and aspirational to Africans through their manner of dress and leisure activities. On top of that, America is synonymous with good quality products.

Creative Objective

Develop a campaign which will communicate clearly America through typical U.S. vistas and featuring young people of today enjoying life to the full. Their cigarette is Chesterfield, a high quality American product (the brand that made American cigarettes world-famous) favoured by young people. And now, this famous cigarette has arrived in "your" country.

SourceWatch resources

• Tobacco industry marketing aimed at youth
• Tobacco industry target marketing
• Tobacco industry marketing aimed at African Americans

External resources

• Essential Action, Marketing Tobacco and the USA

References

<tdo>search_term="West Africa"</tdo>