Raffles (also known as Players in the United States; now Virginia S by Raffles) was a British brand of cigarettes which was owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the U.S. and by Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.[5][6]
.jpg) An old British pack of Raffles cigarettes | |
| Product type | Cigarette |
|---|---|
| Owner | Philip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S. |
| Produced by | Philip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Discontinued | May 2011 |
| Markets | United States, United Kingdom[1][2][3][4] |
| Previous owners | Imperial Tobacco |
| Tagline | "One Step Ahead" |
| Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 | |
History
editIn August 2001, Imperial Tobacco announced that it had entered into an agreement with Philip Morris International for the distribution and sale of Marlboro, Raffles and Chesterfield cigarettes in the U.K.[7]
In May 2011, the name of the brand was changed from Raffles to Virginia S by Raffles. Philip Morris Marketing Director Xavier Ducarroz described the rename as a move to a "contemporary look and feel."[8][9]
Advertising
editVarious poster and magazine adverts, as well as promotional merchandise, were made to promote the brand in the 1980s and 1990s.[10][11][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "BrandRaffles - Cigarettes Pedia". www.cigarettespedia.com.
- ^ "Players". www.zigsam.at.
- ^ "Raffles". www.zigsam.at.
- ^ "Brands". www.cigarety.by.
- ^ "BrandRaffles - Cigarettes Pedia". www.cigarettespedia.com.
- ^ Gallop, Annabel. "About the Raffles Family Collection". www.bl.uk.
- ^ "Imperial Tobacco Türkiye". www.imperialtobacco.com.tr.
- ^ "Philip Morris unveils Virginia S – the new name and look for Raffles cigarettes". 10 May 2011.
- ^ "Phillip Morris rebrands Raffles".
- ^ "Tobacco Products Ads". Advertisement Gallery.
- ^ "1986 Raffles Cigarettes Pack Offer leaflet". www.interesting-treasures.co.uk.
- ^ "Pages 2 & 3 - Contents". www.butlins-memories.com.