Salem (cigarette)

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Salem is brand of cigarettes introduced in 1956 by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as the first filter-tipped menthol cigarette. For many decades, they were one of the best selling cigarettes in the USA. They are named for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where RJR was founded and headquartered.

In the late 1960s, the brand's slogan (sung to music in television and radio commercials prior to their prohibition on January 1, 1971) was "You can take Salem out of the country, but...you can't take the country out of Salem." Later, the slogan "Springtime... it happens every Salem" was used.

Generally, there are now 2 main brands of Salem: Green Label and Black Label. The Green Label is marketed as being more smooth-tasting, while the Black Label is said to be stronger or "harsher" tasting.

The packaging for Salem was significantly revised in the late 1990s, with the addition of Black Labels which had sliding packs, and the inclusion of a single cigarette with a dark green filter, appropriately called "The Lucky" after the tradition of flipping the first cigarette in the box upside down and smoking it last.

In Japan, a "clean cigarette" was introduced in August 1995 by R.J. Reynolds and branded as Salem Pianissimo, which was designed to reduce the odor of the cigarette, and generate a pleasant smell and taste in a society which holds cleanliness as a high attribute. ^[1]

[edit] Notes

^ cf. Assunta and Chapman, "A 'clean cigarette' for a clean nation: a case study of Salem Pianissimo in Japan", 2004. The same product was prototyped in America, but many felt the "smokeless" tobacco tasted horrible, so the project was scrapped.