Pall Mall - A Cigarette with a Rich History
The first thing that should be said about the Pall Mall cigarettes is that, from many perspectives, they pioneered the tobacco industry in the last century. The 85 and 100 mm standards are both directly related to this brand and so is the idea of advertising a mild cigarette.
The reference of the name in the brand is a well-known street in London. There are three attributes that link to this street: elegance, rich people, and cheerful lifestyle. The whole idea behind this brand was to create a cigarette that was both stylish and elegant, and also adaptable to common situations. In other words, Pall Mall cigarettes are both trendy and accessible.
Producing a good cigarette at an affordable price was probably the most important marketing strategy in the 20th century and many other brands followed the example given by Pall Mall. People were eager to try quality tobacco, but the price was too high for most of them. It was around 1950 when good cigarettes finally became available for people with an average income.
Today, brands like Kent, Marlboro, Salem, and Camel advertise high quality tobacco at good prices, but one should bear in mind that Pall Mall was the first brand to use this strategy to attract more customers. As such, this brand has supporters all over the world and its imbalance between quality and price has become proverbial.
A peculiar set of realities made all these things possible. Pall Mall is a brand that was bought several times by major tobacco companies (such as British American Tobacco, Brown and Williamson, and RJR). This shift from one owner to another only added to the initial look and enriched it to the point where it has become truly international. Today, even if it suggests a street in London, Pall Mall is from all points of view a 100% trans-national brand.