Introduction |
Promotions |
Page 1 |
Beginnings |
Classic American |
Page 2 |
Classic Designs |
Sporting Packs |
Fashion Designer Packs |
Page 3 |
Good Tastes and Smells |
Political Packs |
US Presidential Packs |
Page 4 |
Commemorative Pack |
House Brands |
Imitation Cigarette Packs |
Page 5 |
Novelty Brands |
Self-lighting Cigarettes |
US Prisons |
Target Marketing |
Page 6 |
Tax Evasion |
Warning Labels |
Kiddie & Toddler Packs |
Research Cigarettes |
Page 7 |
Healthful Cigarettes |
Denicotined Cigarettes |
Filters-1930-1960 |
Filter Innovation |
Page 8 |
The Fire-Safe Cigarette |
Product Regulation |
Gimmick |
References |
Resources |
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Visual
Exhibits
Cigarette
Design and Innovation for Market Appeal
- Page 1 |
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This exhibit
illustrates the inventiveness of cigarette
makers and marketers through the 20th century.
Most items come from the United States because
this is the home of the collection from which
this exhibit is drawn. An understanding
of design and innovation for these addictive
products is essential for public health policy
makers. The items on exhibit are presented
as a primer for those interested in tobacco
product regulation and the regulation of tobacco
product marketing.
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Funky
Smooky (Takara). These hip cigarette
packs dance in response to sound.
Source: Duty Free Shop, Japan Air
Terminal, Narita Airport, August 9, 1991. |
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Tobacco
was chewed, snuffed or puffed (but
not inhaled) before flu cured tobacco
was developed in North Carolina in
the mid-19th century.
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Durham
Smoking Tobacco & Duke's Mixture.
Fine cut tobacco (Roll your own, RYO).
Two classic brands of cigarette tobacco
which originated in the 1860s-70s in Durham,
NC. Flu cured tobacco made the smoke
from these cigarettes mild, that is, easy
to inhale. These examples date from
after 1911, following the breakup of the
American Tobacco Trust. |
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Cigarette cards with
collectable designs and pictures, usually
in series, were introduced in the 1870s
as a marketing device. Coupons redeemable
for trinkets advertised with tobacco packets
and through catalogs were another major
marketing device. On display are
some silks from early in the century,
Tareyton cards featuring the cartoon character
Henry dating from the 1930s, and Raleigh
coupons (Brown & Williamson) probably
from the 1960s. Brown & Williamson
is the only major cigarette manufacturer
which continues an unbroken tradition
of coupons with some of its brands. |
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Prince Albert tobacco.
In 1907, R. J.
Reynolds introduced its first smoking
tobacco. The "National Joy
Smoke" demonstrated Reynolds' skill
in identifying a potential market and
selling to it. Cigarette manufacture
followed in 1913 with Reyno, Red Kamel,
and Camel. |
THE
CLASSIC AMERICAN BLEND CIGARETTE |
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Sweet Caporal and Murad
were among the best selling brands in
the first decades of the century.
A pack of Sweet Caporal from 1946 is on
display. |
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RJ Reynolds introduced
the modern American Cigarette with Camel
in 1913. Combining a unique blend
(flu cured, burley, Turkish and Maryland
tobaccos) with a mass media campaign instead
of cards and coupons, the brand sold for
10 cents instead of 15 cents for a pack
of 20. The 70 mm unfiltered Camel
packs sold in the U. S. still carry the
original legend on the back: "Don't
look for premiums or coupons, as the cost
of the tobaccos blended in CAMEL Cigarettes
prohibits the use of them."
The Camel packs on display date from 1945
(wartime paper) and from 1993. |
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Camel was such a success
that the competition was forced to come
out with its imitators. Lucky
Strike (American), Chesterfield (Liggett
& Myers), and, eventually, Old Gold
(Lorillard) were the major imitators.
Cigarettes did not become the major
form of tobacco in the U.S. until the
mid-1920s when cigarettes for the first
time outsold moist snuff and chew.
The three packs are of WW II vintage
(no foil). The Lucky Strike pack
was packed for overseas use on Navy
vessels and the Old Gold pack was given
to military service personnel by the
Red Cross.
Sample packs illustrate
some of the variety of classic major
brands as well as some mid-century innovations
such as king size (pioneered by Pall
Mall) and filters (illustrated here
by Viceroy). Camel, Lucky Strike,
Chesterfield (including Army field ration
pack), Old Gold (with field ration pack),
Pall Mall, Raleigh, Philip Morris, Viceroy. |
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Marlboro was a woman's
cigarette ("Mild as May") until
its makeover as a filter cigarette in
the mid-1950s. This pack was made
in 1953 but its design dates from the
1920s. |
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Johnnie's "Call
for Philip Morris" was the hallmark
of this brand for decades. This
pack, signed by Johnny, was made in 1940. |
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Price competition in
the 1930s boosted the fortunes of a number
of minor manufacturers. Wings, Paul
Jones, Twenty Grand, Marvels and Coupon
were among the brands that prospered.
Philip Morris leveraged its success with
brands such as Paul Jones to become one
of the big six makers, and Brown &
Williamson did the same with Wings.
On display: Coupon (1932), Paul
Jones (1941), Twenty Grand (1942), Marvels
(late-1950s). |
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Christmas carton, Lucky
Strike, 1955. Giving gifts of cigarettes,
to servicemen overseas or at holidays,
was heavily promoted through the 1940s
and 50s. |
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