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Raffles (cigarette)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Raffles
An old British pack of Raffles cigarettes
Product typeCigarette
OwnerPhilip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.
Produced byPhilip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.
CountryUnited Kingdom
DiscontinuedMay 2011
MarketsUnited States, United Kingdom[1][2][3][4]
Previous ownersImperial Tobacco
Tagline"One Step Ahead"
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

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]

History

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In 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

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Various 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

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References

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  1. ^ "BrandRaffles - Cigarettes Pedia". www.cigarettespedia.com.
  2. ^ "Players". www.zigsam.at.
  3. ^ "Raffles". www.zigsam.at.
  4. ^ "Brands". www.cigarety.by.
  5. ^ "BrandRaffles - Cigarettes Pedia". www.cigarettespedia.com.
  6. ^ Gallop, Annabel. "About the Raffles Family Collection". www.bl.uk.
  7. ^ "Imperial Tobacco Türkiye". www.imperialtobacco.com.tr.
  8. ^ "Philip Morris unveils Virginia S – the new name and look for Raffles cigarettes". 10 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Phillip Morris rebrands Raffles".
  10. ^ "Tobacco Products Ads". Advertisement Gallery.
  11. ^ "1986 Raffles Cigarettes Pack Offer leaflet". www.interesting-treasures.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Pages 2 & 3 - Contents". www.butlins-memories.com.