Tim Coyle
Project #5

Cigarettes



          Cigarettes began to gain extreme popularity in this country just prior to the turn of the century, even though they were banned in some states at the time. In 1913, the RJ Reynolds corporation first began selling Camels, which used a blend of three different types of tobacco. This marked the birth of the "modern" cigarette, and soon after similar brands, mostly importantly Lucky Strikes and Chesterfields, came on the market. These three brands were the most popular in the United States through the 1930's, with Camels always being the top seller. Other popular brands included Raleigh, Old Gold, and Pall Mall. RJ Reynolds had the leading market share on cigarettes in 1940, followed by the American Tobacco Company (maker of Lucky Strikes), Liggett & Myers (maker of Chesterfields), Brown & Williamson, and Phillip Morris (maker of Marlboros). Tobacco was not the only crop which came to be sold mostly by major corporations during this time period. To learn more about the companies which sold coffee, check out Will Linthicum's site.



          The decade of the 1930's marked the introduction of several new innovations in cigarette smoking. In 1933, Brown & Williamson began selling the brand Kool, one of the earliest and most popular menthol cigarettes to come on the market. The first mentholated brand was Axton-Fisher's Spud, but they could not compete once Kools came on the market. The first cigarette to feature a filter of cellulose acetate was Viceroy, which was introduced in 1936 also by Brown & Williamson. The thirties featured the invention of the Zippo lighter, by George G. Blaisbell, which has since become a staple of American smoking culture.

          During the heart of the Depression major cigarette brands generally sold for 14 cents a pack, with some stores offering two for 27 cents. Then the large tobacco companies raised prices by 1 cent a pack following the lead of RJ Reynolds. In reaction to this, discount cigarettes, usually only costing a dime per pack, began selling more and more. In 1932, they took up a full 20% of the market nation wide. Then, in 1933, the tobacco companies lowered their prices, and discount cigarettes were only able to hold 10% of the market throughout the remainder of the decade. In the 1940's, The American Tobacco Company took RJ Reynolds' place as the top seller of cigarettes with their popular brands Lucky Strike and Pall Mall.


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