Hollywood

Hollywood was a Brazilian cigarette brand manufactured by Souza Cruz, the tobacco company that later became a subsidiary of British American Tobacco. It became one of Brazil’s best-known cigarette brands and, for much of its history, ranked behind Derby among the country’s leading cigarette brands. The brand’s identity was built less around technical product differentiation than around a distinctive lifestyle image linking smoking with youth, outdoor activity, risk-taking, and success. The brand’s corporate origins were connected to Albino Souza Cruz, who established a cigarette business in Rio de Janeiro after settling there in 1903. Souza Cruz developed a portfolio of cigarette brands, and Hollywood was introduced in 1931. Its early communication used the idea of “success” as a central promise. Over subsequent decades, Hollywood became particularly prominent in Brazil through highly recognizable mass-media advertising. A major turning point came in the early 1970s, when Souza Cruz developed the slogan “Isto é Hollywood,” later expanded in the form “Isto é Hollywood O Sucesso.” Television advertisements presented young people participating in demanding or adventurous sports and activities. These executions made the brand’s name synonymous with an idealized image of energy, independence, and achievement. The advertising approach was especially influential because it created a coherent world around the cigarette rather than simply emphasizing taste, packaging, or price. Hollywood also extended its visibility through sports and music sponsorship. In 1975 it was associated with Hollywood Rock, an early Brazilian rock festival held in Rio de Janeiro. The event reinforced the brand’s connection with youth culture and helped turn its advertising platform into a broader cultural property. Hollywood cigarettes also appeared as sponsors in motor racing, including Formula One in 1977 and several CART programs during the 1990s and early 2000s. These sponsorships connected the brand with speed, competition, and technical performance while maintaining its broader adventure-oriented positioning. During the 1990s, Hollywood continued to use television advertising, including the “Flying Lap” commercial. Its television presence, like that of other cigarette brands in Brazil, was ultimately constrained by changes to national advertising rules. Brazilian lawmakers voted to end cigarette advertising on public television, removing one of the principal channels through which Hollywood had built mass recognition. Hollywood remained a major Brazilian cigarette brand into the twenty-first century. In 2016, Marlboro overtook it as Brazil’s most popular cigarette brand, leaving Hollywood in second place according to the referenced account. The brand’s later decline was associated with portfolio and production changes at British American Tobacco. In early 2020, BAT announced that Lucky Strike would replace Hollywood, with remaining Hollywood packs scheduled to be discarded by January 2021. This marked the effective end of Hollywood as a continuing mainstream cigarette label, although its advertising legacy remains significant in the history of Brazilian tobacco marketing.

Hollywood emerged from the Brazilian cigarette business established by Albino Souza Cruz. After settling in Rio de Janeiro in 1903, Souza Cruz created a company that sold multiple cigarette brands. Hollywood was introduced in 1931 and gradually became one of the company’s most recognizable labels. Its early identity centered on the notion of success, a theme that later became the foundation for a much broader lifestyle-marketing system. The brand’s most important transformation occurred in the early 1970s. Souza Cruz developed the phrase “Isto é Hollywood,” later associated with “Isto é Hollywood O Sucesso.” Television commercials showed young people engaged in physically demanding and adventurous activities, including forms of extreme sport. Rather than portraying the cigarette primarily through product attributes, the advertisements constructed an aspirational world in which Hollywood represented energy, confidence, freedom, and achievement. This positioning helped the brand become particularly prominent among Brazilian consumers and made its advertising recognizable beyond the cigarette category. Hollywood’s cultural presence was broadened through sponsorships. In 1975, the brand was connected with Hollywood Rock, a pioneering rock festival held in Rio de Janeiro. The music association complemented the television campaign’s youthful tone. Hollywood also invested in motor racing. It sponsored the March Formula One team during the 1977 season, with Alex Ribeiro driving the car. From 1993 to 1999, the brand sponsored several CART teams, including Dick Simon Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and PacWest Racing. Maurício Gugelmin was among the drivers associated with the sponsorship program. Hollywood subsequently became the main sponsor of Mo Nunn Racing in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The brand continued to use television in the 1990s, including a commercial known as “Flying Lap.” Its ability to rely on television sponsorship was reduced when the Brazilian parliament voted to repeal cigarette advertising on public television. This regulatory change affected Hollywood together with other tobacco brands and weakened the mass-media environment in which its image had been built. For much of its mature history, Hollywood was one of Brazil’s leading cigarette brands, generally described as second only to Derby. It was principally sold in Brazil but also appeared in a number of international markets, including Cuba, Paraguay, Germany, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovakia, Belarus, Georgia, and Bangladesh. The brand remained important in Brazil into the 2010s, although the referenced account states that Marlboro surpassed it in popularity in 2016. Hollywood’s final phase followed a portfolio decision by British American Tobacco. In early 2020, BAT announced that Lucky Strike would replace Hollywood, with the change expected to occur by the end of that year. Unsold Hollywood packs were scheduled for disposal in January 2021. The decision effectively ended Hollywood’s role as a continuing mainstream cigarette brand. Its historical significance lies in the strength of its Brazilian advertising platform, its use of sport and music sponsorship, and its creation of one of the country’s most recognizable cigarette-brand images.

• 2021

  Disposal of unsold packs

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Unsold Hollywood packs were scheduled for disposal in January 2021.

• 2020

  Lucky Strike announced as replacement

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  BAT announced that Lucky Strike would replace Hollywood by the end of 2020.

• 2016

  Hollywood reported as Brazil’s second-ranked cigarette brand

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The referenced account reported that Marlboro had surpassed Hollywood in popularity in Brazil.

• 1993

  CART sponsorship program begins

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Hollywood began a multi-year association with CART teams and drivers.

• 1977

  Formula One sponsorship begins

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Hollywood sponsored the March Formula One team during the 1977 season.

• 1975

  Hollywood Rock sponsorship

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Hollywood was associated with an early Hollywood Rock festival in Rio de Janeiro.

• 1931

  Hollywood cigarettes launched

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Souza Cruz introduced the Hollywood cigarette brand in Brazil.

• 1903

  Albino Souza Cruz establishes a cigarette business in Rio de Janeiro

  [1]Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The business that became associated with Hollywood originated with Albino Souza Cruz’s cigarette enterprise in Rio de Janeiro.

A mass-market Brazilian cigarette brand positioned around success, adventure, youth, outdoor sports, music, and motor racing.

• Cigarettes · 1931

  Hollywood cigarettes

  The core Hollywood offering was a line of factory-made cigarettes sold principally in Brazil. Publicly described material identifies the brand at the cigarette-label level but does not provide reliable detail on individual variants, blends, pack formats, or launch dates. Hollywood was marketed as a mainstream national brand and became closely associated with the success-and-adventure image used in its advertising.

• 1993CART racing sponsorship

  International

  Hollywood sponsored Dick Simon Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and PacWest Racing between 1993 and 1999, and later served as the principal sponsor of Mo Nunn Racing in 2000 and 2001.

  Outcome. The program maintained the brand’s long-standing association with speed, competition, and adventure.

  Source
• 1990Flying Lap

  Brazil

  “Flying Lap” was one of Hollywood’s television commercials during the 1990s, continuing its action-oriented advertising style.

  Source
• 1977Formula One sponsorship

  International

  Hollywood sponsored the March Formula One team during the 1977 season, linking the cigarette brand with speed and elite motor competition.

  Source
• 1975Hollywood Rock

  Brazil

  Hollywood supported an early rock festival in Rio de Janeiro, extending the brand’s youth-oriented positioning into music and live entertainment.

  Outcome. The sponsorship reinforced Hollywood’s association with Brazilian youth culture.

  Source
• 1970Isto é Hollywood / Isto é Hollywood O Sucesso

  Brazil

  Hollywood’s principal long-running advertising platform presented young people practicing adventurous and demanding sports. The campaign translated the brand’s success theme into an aspirational lifestyle associated with energy, independence, and risk-taking.

  Outcome. The platform became strongly associated with Hollywood and contributed to the brand’s prominence in Brazil.

  Source

• 2020

  Replace Hollywood with Lucky StrikeStrategy

  Background

  Hollywood remained a major Brazilian cigarette brand but had been overtaken by Marlboro in reported popularity by 2016.

  Action taken

  British American Tobacco announced that Lucky Strike would replace Hollywood in the portfolio by the end of 2020 and that unsold packs would be discarded in January 2021.

  Aftermath

  The decision effectively discontinued Hollywood as a mainstream cigarette label.

  Source

1. 1Hollywood (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org