Cigarettes & Brands: a compilation of top brand of smokes – both cigarettes and mass-market cigars.
Backwoods: Owned by Imperial Brands. Mass market cigar brand introduced in the US in 1973. All Backwoods cigars are made using a 100% broad-leaf tobacco wrapper which gives each of them a unique and rustic appearance – no two look the same. The “wild ‘n mild” slogan, born in 1980s, still remains on the Backwoods packs today.
Benson & Hedges: Owned by Altria, Philip Morris International, BAT or Japan Tobacco depending on the country. Established in 1873 in Old Bond Street, London, by Richard Benson and William Hedges. Predominantly made of Virginia blend, Benson & Hedges puts “passion” – from seed to smoke – at the core of its brand’s identity.
Camel: Owned by Japan Tobacco. Launched in 1913 when RJ Reynolds. Known for its delicate blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco, Camel is available in more than 100 markets and the third largest international brand with 100 billion sticks annual sales volume (5 billion packs).
Chesterfield: Owned by Altria in the US and Philip Morris International elsewhere. Named after Chesterfield County, Virginia, Chesterfield is sold in more than 70 markets around the world.
Davidoff: Owned by Imperial Brands. A heritage brand developed by Zino Davidoff, son of a Kyiv-based family of tobacconists. A milestone moment for Davidoff cigarettes came with the 1989 launch of Premium Line, a longer stick format, which is still the best-selling product in the Davidoff range. Davidoff cigarettes were added to the Imperial portfolio in 2002 as part of the Reemtsma acquisition. Imperial acquired the Davidoff trademark for cigarettes outright in 2006. Since 2014, Davidoff expands into more than 100 countries with a particular prominence in Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Central & Southern Europe.
Dunhill: Owned by BAT. Dunhill Tobacco of London is established in 1907 on London’s St. James Street and named after the English tobacconist, Alfred Dunhill. As part of the BAT’s Global Drive Brand portfolio and leading premium brand, Dunhill is available in 120 markets around the world.
Esse: Owned by KT&G. Low-tar product with a slim design. Market leader in Korea since 2004. International expansion started from Russia and the Middle East in 2001. Esse is currently present in over 90 markets and accounts for about a third of global ultra-slim cigarette sales as the segment leader.
Export: Owned by Japan Tobacco. Launched by Macdonald Tobacco in 1928 in Canada. Outside its home market, Export is also available in a select few European countries
Gauloises: Owned by Imperial Brands. Launched in France in 1910 as a filter-less cigarette. In 1984, American blend Gauloises Blondes is launched to support international expansion. Now available in around 35 countries with significant presence in Germany, France, Morocco, Algeria and Iraq. Contrary to the usual cigarette category color cues, Gauloises Blue is the full flavor variant and Gauloises Red the lower tar alternative – in association to its French roots.
Golden Virginia: Owned by Imperial Brands. Hand rolling tobacco brand launched in the US in 1877. Notable presence in the UK and Ireland as well as across continental Europe, including Italy and Greece. Golden Virginia is claimed to use of 20 distinct fine tobacco grades from four different continents to ensure its unique flavor.
JPS (John Player Special): Owned by Imperial Brands. Launched in the UK in 1970 a Virginia blend product. JPS king size American blend launch in 1989. Expanded internationally through the 1990s and 2000s. JPS has a significant cigarette & fine cut tobacco presence in around 20 countries, including the UK, Germany and Australia.
Kent: Owned by British American Tobacco (BAT). Kent was introduced by the Lorillard Tobacco Company in 1952 and widely recognized as the first popular filtered cigarette. The brand takes its name from Herbert Kent, the head of Lorillard at the time of launch.
Kool: Owned by Imperial Brands. First menthol cigarette brand in the US to gain national distribution in 1933. Kool maintained a dominant position in the category throughout much of the 20th Century and was synonymous with the US jazz scene of the 1970s and 80s. Imperial Brands acquired Kool brand in the US in 2015. The first ever non-menthol line extension of Kool is launched in 2023.
L&B (Lambert & Butler): Owned by Imperial Brands. Takes its name from a tobacco company founded in London by Charles Lambert and Charles Butler in 1834. The Lambert & Butler business became part of the Imperial Tobacco upon the foundation of the company in 1901. In 1936, Imperial Brands launches its first filtered cigarette: L&B Varsity. Throughout its history L&B has remained one of the most well-known and popular cigarette brands in the UK. L&B has a presence in more than 40 markets in total. Introduced to the Australian market in 2021.
L&M: Owned by Altria in the US and Philip Morris International elsewhere. L&M is named after its original manufacturer, Liggett & Myers (- now part of Vector Group).
LD (Liggett Ducat): Owned by Japan Tobacco. Launched in 1999 as an international value brand offering a reliable quality product at an affordable price. LD is available in more than 50 markets.
Lucky Strike: Owned by BAT. Launched in Richmond, Virginia by R.A. Patterson in 1871. Often referred as “Luckies” in informal conversations, Lucky Strike’s recipe involves a secret blend of Burley, Oriental and Virginia tobacco. Although it had reached its peak in the 1930s and 1940s in terms of market presence, Lucky Strike is still regarded as one of the Top-20 cigarette brands in the world.
Marlboro: Owned by Altria in the US, BAT (ITCAN: Imperial Tobacco Canada) in Canada and Philip Morris International elsewhere. Known for its iconic Marlboro Man adverts, Marlboro is the most valuable and most sold cigarette brand in the world (ex-China). Named as the most valuable brand the in the world in 1990 by the Financial World magazine, almost one in every two American smokers still smoke Marlboro this very day.
Mevius: Owned by Japan Tobacco. Previously called Mild Seven, changed its name to Mevius in 2013. Launched in 1977 and became the number one selling cigarette brand in Japan just a year after its launch. Strong presence in the Asian markets.
Natural American Spirit: Owned by BAT in the US and Japan Tobacco elsewhere. Launched in Santa Fe in the US in 1982. Ecological agricultural practices and premium additive-free tobacco are core to the brand’s identity. Moreover, Natural American Spirit cigarettes are color-coded based the flavor, aroma and taste.
Newport: Owned by BAT (Reynolds American). The brand is named after the seaport of Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is the best-selling menthol cigarette in the USA.
Pall Mall: Owned by BAT. Launched in 1899 by Black Butler Company to offer the first “premium” cigarette to the upper class in the UK. The brand is named after Pall Mall, a street in the aristocratic neighborhood of St James’s in London. Now positioned as BAT’s leading global Value-for-Money brand, Pall Mall is present in over 70 markets.
Parliament: Owned by Altria in the US and Philip Morris International elsewhere. Launched in 1931 and known for its iconic recessed filter, Parliament is present in more than 30 countries.
Peter Stuyvesant: Owned by BAT. First launched in South Africa in 1954 and then internationally in 1957. Peter Stuyvesant is sold in about 30 countries around the world.
Prince: Owned by BAT. Launched in Denmark in 1957.
Rizla: Owned by Imperial Brands. Rolling paper with more than 200 years of heritage. Imperial Brands acquired Rizla brand in 1997. Present in more than 70 markets globally. Market leader in Europe and in Africa. Ultra thin, Rizla Precision, paper introduced in 2018.
Rothmans: Owned by BAT. A heritage brand established in 1890 in London. Part of the BAT’s Global Drive Brand portfolio. Rothmans is sold in more than 80 markets globally.
Sobranie: Owned by Japan Tobacco. A 145-year old heritage brand. Founded in 1879 at a time when cigarettes were handmade at the Old Bond Street in London. Excellence, epitomizing luxury and prestige tobacco experience are core to the brand’s identity.
Silk Cut: Owned by Japan Tobacco. Launched in 1964.
USA: USA is a cigarette brand marketed by Liggett Vector Brands, an operating company of Japan Tobacco, since 2002. Positioned in the value (discount) segment, USA cigarettes come in 9 different hard pack variants: King Size (KS) Full Flavor, KS Blue, KS Menthol, KS Silver Menthol, 100s Full Flavor, 100s Blue, 100s Silver, 100s Menthol, 100s Silver Menthol.
West: Owned by Imperial Brands. Launched in Germany in 1981 to challenge the rising popularity of premium American blend cigarettes and positioned as a value offer. International expansion of West started in late-1980s. West sponsored the McLaren F1 team from 1997 to 2005. Now available in more than 40 countries with significant presence in Germany, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.
Winston: Owned by Imperial Brands in the US and by Japan Tobacco elsewhere. The brand is named after Winston-Salem, North Carolina – the city where R. J. Reynolds (currently Reynolds American, the US subsidiary of BAT) is located. Launched in the US in 1954 and became the most popular cigarette in the US in 1966. Winston’s long-term relationship with motor racing in the US began in 1971. Imperial Brands acquired Winston brand in the US in 2015.
Outside the US, Winston is available in more than 130 markets and the second largest international brand with 200 billion sticks annual sales volume (10 billion packs).
