Parliament Cigarettes

Parliament - Variations of Blue

Few brands of cigarettes managed over time to create the impression of a clean product like Parliament did. The light, minimalistic combination of an abstract design and soft tones of white and blue is the basis of this brand's identity. But why do these colors and this particular design have such a positive impact on the market? This article tries to answer this question, bearing in mind that we're still dealing with one of the most controversial industries in the world: the tobacco industry.

If we take a close look at a pack of Parliament cigarettes, we remark that there's a lot of space left blank. The entire design doesn't seem flooded with a lot of information. On the contrary, all you get from the front image is the type of Parliament cigarette, a mention regarding the recessed filter and the length of the cigarettes. That's all. No other tagline to fill your head with ideas, no complicated logo, mark, or emblem. Nothing. To counteract the effect of bluntness, the designer made sure to find a good balance between colors and lines, but even so the impression is that you're dealing with a minimalistic box. And that's the whole point:

• Parliament is not about information on the topic of tobacco; it's about smoking a good cigarette and trying to forget everything else. This is the main idea behind this brand.
• Blue and white suggest an aseptic environment. This impression is further enforced when you open the pack and find beautiful, simple white cigarettes inside. No detail is left behind, yet nothing points out to the dirty effects of smoking.

Leaving everything else aside, the pack makes you focus on the name and its importance in the context. No taglines are needed, because you already have the feeling that you're dealing with a clean, well-balanced product.