Pall Mall

Pall Mall is a cigarette brand whose name comes from Pall Mall, a London street in the St James's area associated historically with private clubs and upper-class social life. The brand was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1899 by the Black Butler Company, which positioned it as a relatively premium cigarette for affluent consumers. Its name, visual identity, and early marketing drew on the social associations of the London location. The brand changed ownership in 1907, when the American Tobacco Company acquired Butler & Butler. Under American ownership, Pall Mall became an important vehicle for cigarette-format and manufacturing experiments. The company used the brand to introduce or promote innovations including the 1939 king-size format, which established an 85-millimetre cigarette length that later became a standard reference point in the industry, and a tobacco-stuffing method promoted as producing a smoother experience. Pall Mall subsequently introduced 100-millimetre cigarettes, commonly called longs, in 1966. Pall Mall achieved its greatest prominence in the United States around 1960, when it was reported to be the country's leading cigarette brand. Its advertising relied on distinctive slogans, including the 1940s line "The cigarette which travels the smoke further" and the later claim "Outstanding...and they are mild." The brand also developed substantial exposure through sponsorship of radio and television programs. Its competitive position weakened in the mid-1960s, when Winston overtook it amid a major advertising campaign. The ownership structure changed again in the 1990s and 2000s. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation acquired Pall Mall and Lucky Strike in 1994 as the former American Tobacco Company divested its tobacco brands. Brown & Williamson merged with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2004, with the surviving company continuing under the R. J. Reynolds name. In the United States, Pall Mall became associated with the Reynolds portfolio. Outside the United States, British American Tobacco manufactures and sells the brand and describes Pall Mall as one of its key international drive brands. The brand was repositioned as a value brand in the early 2000s. In 2001 it was relaunched in the United States as a savings brand with an expanded filtered-cigarette range. During the Great Recession its positioning was described as a premium-style product sold at a sub-premium price. Reported U.S. volume and market-share growth between 2006 and 2010 reflected this value strategy, but those figures belong to a historical period and should not be treated as current performance data. Pall Mall's product family includes filtered and unfiltered cigarettes, traditional and menthol variants, king-size and 100-millimetre formats, and color-coded versions such as Red, Blue, Black, White, and Green. In the United States, the brand's packaging and product descriptors were modified because of regulatory restrictions on terms such as Light, Ultra Light, and Mild. The brand therefore combines a long heritage identity with market-specific product, packaging, and ownership arrangements. Its red pack, Art Nouveau-style lettering, heraldic shield with two lions, knight's helmet, and the Latin phrase "In hoc signo vinces" remain among its most recognizable historical design elements.

Pall Mall was introduced in 1899 by the Black Butler Company in the United Kingdom. The name refers to Pall Mall, a street in London's St James's district that was historically associated with private clubs and elite social life. This association informed the brand's original positioning as a higher-end cigarette for upper-class consumers. In 1907, the American Tobacco Company acquired Pall Mall through the purchase of Butler & Butler. The new owner used the brand as a platform for product and manufacturing experimentation. In 1939, Pall Mall promoted a king-size cigarette measuring approximately 85 millimetres, a format that later became widely standardized. The brand also promoted a tobacco-stuffing method claimed to make smoking easier on the throat. In 1966 it introduced 100-millimetre cigarettes, commonly known as longs. Pall Mall reached its strongest U.S. position around 1960, when it was described as the leading cigarette brand in the country. Its advertising included the 1940s slogan "The cigarette which travels the smoke further" and the later slogan "Outstanding...and they are mild." The brand sponsored radio programs including Ripley's Believe It or Not and The Big Story, and later appeared as a sponsor of television programs such as M Squad and MGM Parade. Its U.S. position declined in the mid-1960s as Winston gained ground through a highly visible advertising campaign. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation acquired Pall Mall in 1994 along with Lucky Strike, during the divestiture of brands by the former American Tobacco Company. Brown & Williamson merged with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company on July 30, 2004. The surviving company continued under the R. J. Reynolds name and retained the U.S. Pall Mall business. Outside the United States, British American Tobacco manufactures and sells Pall Mall; the brand is treated within BAT's international portfolio as one of its drive brands. The U.S. brand strategy shifted in 2001, when Pall Mall was repositioned as a savings brand and expanded with filtered variants. During the Great Recession, the product was marketed as a premium-style cigarette at a sub-premium price. The source material reports substantial U.S. share and volume growth from 2006 to 2010, but these are historical figures rather than current performance indicators. Pall Mall's product family has included filtered and unfiltered cigarettes, menthol and non-menthol variants, king-size cigarettes, and 100-millimetre formats. Packaging and naming changed in the United States during the late 2000s. The Ultra Lights pack color was changed in 2007, and hard-pack descriptors were converted to color names in 2009 in response to forthcoming restrictions on descriptors such as Light, Ultra Light, and Mild. In 2012, Reynolds introduced Pall Mall Black and Pall Mall White menthol variants, with the traditional menthol style identified as Pall Mall Green. In 2015, U.S. regulators required the removal of two specified Pall Mall varieties from stores. The brand's historical visual identity includes large Art Nouveau-style Pall Mall lettering, a red pack, a white coat of arms with two lions and a knight's helmet, and the Latin motto "In hoc signo vinces." Pall Mall has also appeared in popular culture, including references in the fiction and commentary of smoker Kurt Vonnegut and a scene in the 1973 film Badlands.

• 2015

  Two varieties ordered off U.S. store shelves

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The FDA required removal of two specified Deep Set Recessed Filter Pall Mall varieties.

• 2012

  Black and White menthol variants introduced

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Reynolds introduced Pall Mall Black and Pall Mall White in the U.S. menthol range.

• 2004

  Brown & Williamson and R. J. Reynolds merge

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The merger placed the U.S. Pall Mall business within the surviving R. J. Reynolds company.

• 2001

  U.S. value repositioning

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The U.S. brand was repositioned as a savings product and expanded its filtered-cigarette range.

• 1994

  Brown & Williamson acquisition

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Brown & Williamson acquired Pall Mall and Lucky Strike.

• 1966

  100-millimetre cigarettes introduced

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Pall Mall launched longer cigarettes known as longs.

• 1960

  Peak U.S. popularity

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Pall Mall was reported to be the leading cigarette brand in the United States.

• 1939

  King-size format promoted

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The brand promoted an approximately 85-millimetre cigarette format that later became standard in the industry.

• 1907

  Acquired by American Tobacco

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  Pall Mall became part of the American Tobacco Company through the acquisition of Butler & Butler.

• 1899

  Brand introduced in the United Kingdom

  [1]Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org

  The Black Butler Company introduced Pall Mall as a cigarette aimed at upper-class consumers and named after a London street.

Historically introduced as a premium cigarette, Pall Mall later developed a value-oriented or sub-premium positioning in the United States while retaining a broad international cigarette-brand role.

• Cigarette

  Pall Mall Red

  A red-associated Pall Mall variant and one of the brand's principal mainstream product designations. The color system became especially important in the U.S. after conventional descriptors such as Light and Mild were restricted.

• Cigarette

  Pall Mall Blue

  A blue-associated Pall Mall cigarette designation. The brand has used blue packaging and color naming for particular strength or taste variants in market-specific portfolios.

• Menthol cigarette · 2012

  Pall Mall Black

  A U.S. menthol variant introduced by R. J. Reynolds in 2012 and described in the source material as full flavor.

• Menthol cigarette · 2012

  Pall Mall White

  A U.S. menthol variant introduced alongside Pall Mall Black in 2012 and described as smoother.

• Menthol cigarette · 2012

  Pall Mall Green

  The color designation used for the traditional menthol style in the U.S. Pall Mall range after the introduction of Black and White.

• 100-millimetre cigarette · 1966

  Pall Mall Longs

  A longer cigarette format introduced in 1966. The product extended Pall Mall's format experimentation beyond the shorter king-size format.

• Filtered cigarette

  Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter

  A filtered U.S. product family that included a blue variety and a menthol variety. The FDA required both specified varieties to be removed from stores in 2015.

• 2006Premium product at a sub-premium price

  United States

  During the Great Recession, Pall Mall was marketed as offering a premium-style product at a lower, sub-premium price.

  Outcome. The source material associates this value strategy with historical U.S. market-share and volume growth through 2010.

  Source
• 1956M Squad sponsorship

  United States

  Pall Mall sponsored the NBC television program M Squad; star Lee Marvin appeared in commercials broadcast during episodes.

  Outcome. The sponsorship linked Pall Mall with a nationally distributed television program before the U.S. television cigarette-advertising ban.

  Source
• 1955MGM Parade sponsorship

  United States

  Pall Mall was an alternating sponsor of MGM Parade during the 1955–56 television season.

  Outcome. The brand gained additional entertainment-program exposure.

  Source
• 1950Outstanding...and they are mild

  United States

  A slogan used during the 1950s and early 1960s presented Pall Mall as both distinctive and mild.

  Outcome. The campaign supported the brand's prominent mid-century positioning.

  Source
• 1940The cigarette which travels the smoke further

  United States

  A Pall Mall advertising slogan highlighted the brand's longer cigarette format and claimed that its smoke traveled farther.

  Outcome. The slogan became part of the brand's mid-century U.S. advertising history.

  Source
• 1940Ripley's Believe It or Not sponsorship

  United States

  Pall Mall sponsored the radio program Ripley's Believe It or Not during the 1940s.

  Outcome. The sponsorship expanded the brand's radio-era visibility.

  Source
• 1940The Big Story sponsorship

  United States

  The brand sponsored The Big Story during the 1940s and 1950s.

  Outcome. Pall Mall maintained exposure through a recurring broadcast sponsorship.

  Source

• 2015

  Regulatory removal of two U.S. varietiesOther

  Background

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration required certain tobacco products to be removed from retail distribution.

  Action taken

  Two Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter varieties, Blue and Menthol, were required to be removed from stores.

  Aftermath

  The specified products were discontinued or removed from U.S. retail availability.

  Source

• 2012

  Expansion of the U.S. menthol rangeProduct launch

  Background

  Pall Mall's U.S. portfolio was being managed through color-coded product variants.

  Action taken

  Reynolds introduced Pall Mall Black and Pall Mall White, while identifying the traditional menthol style as Pall Mall Green.

  Aftermath

  The launch broadened the brand's menthol assortment in the U.S. market.

  Source

• 2009

  Color-based product descriptors adopted in the United StatesOther

  Background

  U.S. restrictions were scheduled to prohibit cigarette descriptors such as Light, Ultra Light, and Mild.

  Action taken

  R. J. Reynolds changed the descriptors on Pall Mall hard packs to color designations and coordinated cigarette-ring and filter lettering with the package colors.

  Aftermath

  The color system became the principal naming approach for the affected U.S. hard-pack variants.

  Source

• 2004

  Brown & Williamson–R. J. Reynolds mergerM&A

  Background

  Brown & Williamson and R. J. Reynolds combined their tobacco operations.

  Action taken

  The companies merged on July 30, 2004, with the surviving company continuing under the R. J. Reynolds name.

  Aftermath

  R. J. Reynolds continued manufacturing and selling Pall Mall in the United States, while BAT handled the brand outside the United States.

  Source

• 2001

  U.S. repositioning toward valueStrategy

  Background

  Pall Mall needed a clearer role in the U.S. cigarette portfolio and was being developed for value-conscious consumers.

  Action taken

  The brand was repositioned as a savings brand and expanded with filtered varieties.

  Aftermath

  Pall Mall became an important growth and value brand within the U.S. Reynolds portfolio.

  Source

• 1994

  Brown & Williamson acquisitionM&A

  Background

  The former American Tobacco Company was shedding tobacco brands.

  Action taken

  Brown & Williamson acquired Pall Mall together with Lucky Strike.

  Aftermath

  The brand later entered the R. J. Reynolds system through the 2004 Brown & Williamson–R. J. Reynolds merger.

  Source

• 1907

  Transfer to American Tobacco CompanyM&A

  Background

  Pall Mall was part of Butler & Butler when the company was acquired by American Tobacco.

  Action taken

  American Tobacco brought the brand into its portfolio and subsequently used it for format and manufacturing experimentation.

  Aftermath

  Pall Mall developed into a major U.S. cigarette brand and later reached the top of the U.S. market.

  Source

1. 1Pall Mall (cigarette)en.wikipedia.org