Kool

Kool is a cigarette brand associated principally with menthol tobacco products. It originated in the United States when Brown & Williamson launched a 70-millimeter unfiltered menthol cigarette under the name Penguin in 1931. The product was renamed Kool in 1933, while the penguin character remained central to the brand's visual identity. This early identity helped distinguish Kool in a category that used cooling and freshness cues to communicate menthol flavor. The brand expanded during the postwar period and became particularly established among menthol smokers. Historical market research cited in accounts of the brand recorded stronger preference for Kool among African-American smokers than among white smokers in the early 1950s. Kool's advertising and distribution history therefore forms part of the broader history of tobacco companies' targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes to Black communities. The brand also used a distinctive green-and-white package and a broad promotional system that included animated and illustrated penguin characters, merchandise, sweepstakes, outdoor imagery, music-related advertising, and consumer premiums. As cigarette manufacturers responded to growing public concern about smoking-related health risks, Brown & Williamson added filtered formats. A king-size filtered product appeared in the 1960s, a longer 100-millimeter format followed in the 1970s, and Kool Lights were introduced in the 1980s. These changes reflected wider category trends rather than a change in the brand's basic identity. During the 1980s, Kool lost share to competing menthol brands, including Newport. Corporate ownership changed several times. In 2003, Brown & Williamson acquired R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, bringing Kool into the Reynolds portfolio. The brand's traditionally stable green-and-white pack was substantially redesigned and its original unfiltered cigarette was discontinued, but those changes did not materially revive sales. The 2015 combination of Reynolds American and Lorillard moved Kool into a portfolio later associated with Imperial Tobacco (now Imperial Brands), while U.S. production and marketing is handled by ITG Brands LLC. Kool sold outside the United States is manufactured by British American Tobacco under the international arrangements described in the cited reference. In the United States, the modern range is dominated by Green Menthol and Blue Menthol variants in king-size and longer formats. In 2023, ITG Brands added Green and Blue non-menthol products plus Luxe Non-Menthol Bold and Smooth variants. The new packs visually resemble the menthol line, a positioning intended to preserve recognition among existing Kool consumers and support distribution in jurisdictions that restrict flavored tobacco. Product availability varies by market and regulation. Kool remains an active combustible tobacco brand, although its commercial environment is shaped by declining cigarette consumption, restrictions on tobacco advertising and sponsorship, litigation risk, and regulatory debate over menthol. Its historical significance lies in its durable mascot, menthol positioning, extensive lifestyle promotion, and marketing history closely tied to the development of targeted cigarette advertising.

Kool began as Penguin, an unfiltered 70-millimeter menthol cigarette launched by Brown & Williamson in 1931. Its original package showed a penguin with raised wings, creating a mascot that became more important to the brand than the product's original name. Brown & Williamson renamed the cigarette Kool in 1933 but retained the penguin concept. The name and imagery established the brand's central promise: a cooling, refreshing menthol experience communicated through a memorable character rather than through technical product claims. During the 1930s and 1940s, Kool developed a highly recognizable advertising language. Penguin characters appeared as doctors, soldiers, chefs, and other figures. Advertising also portrayed the mascot as a mediator in political disagreements, presenting the cigarette as a symbolic way to cool heated arguments. A short animated film was produced in 1935, and later advertising used more stylized, rounded penguin designs influenced by three-dimensional models. In the early 1950s, the brand developed Willie and Millie, penguin characters used in a short-lived comic-book series and on promotional merchandise. Kool also placed signs reading “Come in... it's Kool inside” at entrances, linking the product name to cool, air-conditioned interiors. Kool achieved significant recognition in the postwar cigarette market. A 1953 Roper survey cited in reference material reported that two percent of white Americans and five percent of African-American Americans preferred Kool. More broadly, the brand became part of the tobacco industry's targeted marketing of menthol cigarettes to African-American consumers. Kool advertising also increasingly associated menthol with water, snow, outdoor settings, music, and relaxed social experiences. During the 1970s and 1980s, jazz festivals, musicians, and saxophones featured prominently in promotional activity. Product formats evolved as the market changed. Brown & Williamson introduced an 85-millimeter filtered king-size version during the 1960s and a 100-millimeter long version during the 1970s. Kool Lights appeared in the 1980s. These launches responded to demand for filtered and lighter-positioned cigarettes, although descriptors such as “light” did not eliminate the health risks of smoking. The brand also lost market share during the 1980s to menthol competitors, particularly Newport. Kool's promotional program extended well beyond conventional advertising. In 1971, consumers could order a Snark sailboat carrying the Kool logo for a price below the contemporary retail price, using a carton flap as part of the offer. The promotion reportedly generated more than 18,000 orders. A 1975 sweepstakes offered a Rolls-Royce Corniche, and the brand at one point sponsored a touring hot-air balloon. These activities illustrate the period's tobacco-premium marketing model, in which cigarette brands built lifestyle associations through merchandise, travel, music, and aspirational prizes. Corporate control shifted in the early twenty-first century. Brown & Williamson purchased R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2003, making Kool part of the Reynolds brand portfolio. Reynolds changed the long-established green-and-white package and discontinued the original unfiltered product. The redesign and portfolio changes did not restore the brand's earlier sales momentum. In 2015, the Reynolds American and Lorillard combination altered the ownership landscape again, and Kool later became associated with Imperial Tobacco. ITG Brands LLC currently owns and manufactures Kool in the United States as an Imperial Brands subsidiary, while Kool sold in markets outside the United States has been manufactured by British American Tobacco according to the cited reference. Kool also had a significant role in motorsport promotion. Team KOOL Green carried the brand in CART from 1997 through 2002. Tobacco sponsorship restrictions following the Master Settlement Agreement prevented the Kool name from appearing on the car at the 2002 Indianapolis 500, where 7-Eleven branding was used instead. The current U.S. range includes Green Menthol and Blue Menthol products in filter-king and longer formats. In 2023, ITG Brands introduced four non-menthol variants: Green Non-Menthol, Blue Non-Menthol, Luxe Non-Menthol Bold, and Luxe Non-Menthol Smooth. Their packaging was designed to remain visually close to the established menthol products, helping preserve brand recognition in jurisdictions that restrict flavored tobacco. Kool therefore remains an active, internationally distributed cigarette brand whose identity rests on menthol heritage, penguin iconography, and a long history of lifestyle-oriented tobacco marketing.

• 2023

  Non-menthol range introduced

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

  ITG Brands launched four non-menthol Kool variants in the United States.

• 2015

  Ownership context changes after Reynolds–Lorillard transaction

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

  The Reynolds American and Lorillard transaction preceded Kool's move into the Imperial Tobacco portfolio.

• 2003

  Kool enters Reynolds portfolio

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

  Brown & Williamson's acquisition of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company brought Kool into the Reynolds portfolio; subsequent changes included pack redesign and discontinuation of the original unfiltered product.

• 1997

  Team KOOL Green sponsorship begins

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

  Kool became the principal sponsor of Team KOOL Green in CART.

• 1971

  Sea Snark promotional offer

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

  A mail-order Kool promotion offered logo-branded Snark sailboats and generated more than 18,000 orders according to cited accounts.

• 1960

  Filtered king-size format introduced

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

  Kool expanded into an 85-millimeter filtered king-size format.

• 1935

  Penguin animation produced

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

  An animated short based on Kool's penguin characters was produced as part of the brand's early character marketing.

• 1933

  Brand renamed Kool

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

  Brown & Williamson changed the product name from Penguin to Kool while retaining the penguin mascot.

• 1931

  Penguin cigarette launched

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

  Brown & Williamson introduced Penguin, an unfiltered 70-millimeter menthol cigarette featuring a penguin on its package.

A legacy cigarette brand built around menthol flavor, cooling and freshness associations, recognizable green-and-white packaging, and penguin-based brand imagery. In the United States it has also had a notable history of targeted marketing toward African-American consumers.

• Non-menthol cigarettes · 2023

  Kool Green Non-Menthol

  The traditional green-coded Kool menthol line. In the United States it is offered in Filter Kings and Super Longs formats and represents the brand's strongest continuity with its historic green-and-white visual identity. A non-menthol extension introduced in 2023. Its green packaging closely follows the established Kool menthol presentation, helping maintain visual familiarity while offering a product for markets or consumers where menthol is unavailable.

• Non-menthol cigarettes · 2023

  Kool Blue Non-Menthol

  A blue-coded menthol line positioned historically as a milder alternative within the Kool range. Current U.S. formats include Filter Kings and 100s sold under the longer-format designation. A blue-packaged non-menthol extension added in 2023. It broadens Kool's assortment beyond its historic menthol proposition and is available in Filter Kings and 100s according to the cited reference.

• Non-menthol cigarettes · 2023

  Kool Luxe Non-Menthol Bold

  A 2023 non-menthol product using the Luxe name and a bold taste positioning. It is offered in Filter Kings and 100s in the U.S. range described by the reference.

• 1997Team KOOL Green motorsport sponsorship

  United States

  Kool sponsored Team KOOL Green in the CART racing series from the 1997 season through 2002; tobacco sponsorship restrictions later prevented the Kool logo from appearing at the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

  Outcome. Tobacco sponsorship restrictions later prevented the Kool logo from appearing at the 2002 Indianapolis 500.

  Source
• 1975Rolls-Royce Corniche sweepstakes

  United States

  Kool conducted a sweepstakes offering a Rolls-Royce Corniche as the prize.

  Source
• 1971Sea Snark sailboat promotion

  United States

  Consumers could mail order a Kool-logo Snark sailboat for a promotional price by submitting a Kool carton flap; the offer reportedly received more than 18,000 orders and became one of the brand's best-performing promotions.

  Outcome. The offer reportedly received more than 18,000 orders and became one of the brand's best-performing promotions.

  Source
• 1970Jazz and musician sponsorship

  United States

  During the 1970s and 1980s, Kool sponsored jazz festivals and used musicians, saxophones, and outdoor cooling imagery in its advertising. During the 1970s and 1980s, Kool sponsored jazz festivals and used musicians, saxophones, and outdoor cooling imagery in its advertising, connecting the brand with music, nightlife, and lifestyle marketing while reinforcing its menthol positioning.

  Outcome. The activity connected the brand with music, nightlife, and lifestyle marketing while reinforcing its menthol positioning.

  Source
• 1951Willie and Millie penguin merchandising

  United States

  The Willie and Millie characters appeared in a short-lived comic-book series and on promotional goods, including salt-and-pepper shakers.

  Outcome. The characters extended Kool's mascot system into entertainment and household merchandise.

  Source
• 1936Penguin political mediator advertising

  United States

  Kool advertising used penguin characters as intermediaries in fictional political disputes, presenting the brand as a symbolic way to cool heated arguments.

  Outcome. The campaign helped establish the penguin as a flexible and recognizable brand device.

  Source

• 2023

  Launch non-menthol Kool productsProduct launch

  Background

  Possible and existing restrictions on flavored tobacco created a need for products that could be sold where menthol cigarettes were restricted.

  Action taken

  ITG Brands introduced Green Non-Menthol, Blue Non-Menthol, Luxe Non-Menthol Bold, and Luxe Non-Menthol Smooth.

  Aftermath

  The launch expanded Kool's assortment while using packaging similarities to preserve recognition among established consumers.

  Source

• 2003

  Reposition the product portfolio and packagingStrategy

  Background

  After Brown & Williamson acquired R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Kool became a Reynolds brand.

  Action taken

  The company redesigned the historically stable green-and-white package and discontinued the original unfiltered Kool cigarette.

  Aftermath

  The changes did not substantially improve sales according to the cited reference.

  Source

• 1960

  Add filtered formatsProduct launch

  Background

  Growing public concern about the health consequences of smoking contributed to demand for filtered cigarette formats.

  Action taken

  Kool introduced an 85-millimeter filtered king-size product and later added a 100-millimeter long format.

  Aftermath

  The brand expanded its format range, although filtering did not make smoking safe.

  Source

• 1933

  Rename Penguin as KoolStrategy

  Background

  Brown & Williamson had launched the product as Penguin in 1931, but the company chose a new name while retaining the established penguin imagery.

  Action taken

  The cigarette was renamed Kool and the penguin was preserved as the mascot.

  Aftermath

  The name and mascot became the foundation of the brand's long-term identity.

  Source

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