Tobacco: Silly Milly

Since 100-mm. cigarettes were introduced last year, they have won an unexpected share of the $8 billion US cigarette market. Pall Mall and Benson & Hedges, the first two brands to turn to the super-king size, had only 2% of total cigarette sales at the beginning of this year. Now, 20 different 100-mm brands, backed by heavy advertising have almost 15% of the market, or $1 billion worth. Much of the gain came at the expense of 85-mm. filters.

Reading the smoke signals, the tobacco companies are switching advertising money and marketing emphasis toward the new long size as rapidly as they can. So many brands have appeared, however, that the tobaccomen have been forced to reach for gimmicks. Benson & Hedges grabbed an early sales lead by means of commercials that lampooned longer length. Pall Mall responded with a “seven-minute cigarette” campaign. Introducing its Century Great Lengths, P. Lorillard capitalized on the fact that the name on the pack disappears when the cellophane outer label is crumpled. Lorillard advertising refers to the cigarette as the “whatchamacallit.”

Last week Liggett & Myers went competitors one better. With two 100-mm. brands, L. & M. Menthol Tails and Golden 100s, already out, L. & M. announced national distribution of Chesterfield 101s. The new cigarette is actually 1 mm., or 39/l,OOOths of an inch —the thickness of a dime—longer than competitors, and appears in a plum-colored pack with a large “101” on the front. To emphasize the difference and to create image, L. & M. will play on the “silly millimeter longer” feature of the cigarette, has earmarked a reported $15 million for advertising.