An Argentinean icon as a useful tool to sell BAT's cigarettes (original) (raw)

In 1995, Marlboro was the leading brand of cigarettes in Argentina. In order to challenge Marlboro's position, BAT undertook a psychographic study of Argentinean youth. They found that based on their political and religious convictions ''young adults'' could be classified into three different groups: ''progressives,'' ''jurassics,'' and ''crudos'' or ''spoiled brats.'' ''Jurassics,'' or conservatives, representing 40% of the youth market, were strict, macho, religious, pro-United States and nationalistic. 1 Using this research, BAT developed a strategy for their main national brand, Jockey Club (JC), to compete with Marlboro in this large and important segment. BAT have linked JC with the ''national values'' important to the jurassics, such as family, friendship, the father/son relationship and love of country. 2 Cigarette packaging has long been recognised by tobacco companies as one of the most effective marketing tools and so BAT redesigned the JC pack to gain market share in the Jurassic segment. This new design, unlike BAT's traditional red packaging, is black with silver thread, using a well known local painting technique ''fileteado porteño'' (fig 1). Since the middle of 2007, it has been available in local kiosks and tobacco stores. What does ''fileteado porteño'' mean? Literally, ''filete'' is a fine thread used in decoration and ''porteño'' signifies anything related to a port. In Buenos Aires, however, the port is central to the city's identity, and the word has taken on a special meaning. ''Porteño'' can be used to refer to the people of Buenos Aires or to any other element specific to the city. Together, the words ''fileteado porteño'' denote a popular decorative pictorial art form born in Buenos Aires. If Buenos Aires is identified musically with the tango, the ''fileteado porteño'' is its iconography (fig 2). Flowers, ribbons, leaves and birds in strong colours are their