USA edit

  • Red (Full Flavor) Box Kings and 100s
  • Blue Pack (Lights) Box Kings and 100s
  • Menthol Box Kings and 100s
  • Bold Menthol Box Kings and 100s
  • Turkish Blend Box (Lights) Kings and 100s
  • Turkish Night Box (Full Flavor) Kings and 100s

Puerto Rico edit

  • Red (Full Flavor) Box Kings
  • Gold Pack Box Kings
  • Menthol Box Kings

Finland edit

Blue Label Box (Lights) Red Label Box (Full Flavor)

External links edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to L&M.

  • L&M Cigarettes packs from Encyclopedia of Cigarettes

Winfield (cigarette) – wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kings discount cigarettes – toluca lake – north hollywood, ca

Winfield’s market dominance encouraged the development of menthol and lower tar varieties. Differing tar strengths are easily distinguished within the Winfield brand family by the pack colour i.e. the strongest variety come in predominantly dark red packaging, the menthol variety in green etc. The differing tar strengths once gave the cigarettes different “official” names. The strongest variety, containing on average 16 mg of tar were Winfield Filters. The next strongest variety, containing on average 12 mg of tar were Winfield Extra Mild. However due to the distinctive packaging the brand was colloquially referred to by the colour. A recent settlement between the ACCC and the tobacco industry in Australia resulted in the withdrawal of such descriptors as “Mild” “Extra Mild” and “Light” in relation to cigarettes, on the grounds that this may mislead smokers into thinking one cigarette was safer than another. This has mirrored recent developments in the United Kingdom as well. Other brands under BATA’s control have opted to use “approved” descriptors such as “Smooth” “Rich” and “Fine”, that the ACCC has approved as not misleading. However with the Winfield brand BATA has opted to use the pack colouring as the descriptor. Thus the brand’s differing products are now officially known by names which they had been colloquially known anyway, i.e. Winfield Red, Winfield Blue, etc.

Winfield entered the Australian market in 1972 in the common pack size of 20’s. They were the first brand in Australia to launch a pack size of 25’s and used this to convey their image of being good value to the everyday Australian. Typical advertisements at the time noted that Winfield was “5 smokes ahead of the rest”. Winfield remain available in Australia today in 20’s or 25’s.

In 1998, a “Deluxe Soft Pack 20” variant on the brand was released. These cigarettes were aimed at a more premium market, and differed in taste and strength from the traditional Winfields available in packs of 25. Winfield Deluxe Filters for example, contained 14 mg of tar, whereas the traditional Winfield Filter contained (and contains) 16 mg. This variant attracted a disappointing market share, and was consequently withdrawn from the market. Soft pack Winfields were relaunched in 2000, and have become the best selling soft pack cigarette on the Australian market. Apart from the packaging though, there is nothing to differentiate them from their hard pack counterparts. These have been discontinued in 2008, with information distributed to the trade in February announcing this decision. In 2006, a new product extension was made available in the Australian market, with a number of varieties being released in a charcoal filter. The packaging for these products varies from the traditional products with a predominantly brushed silver package and coloured lettering indicating the strength (Blue, Gold, Sky Blue or White).

Position in the Australian market edit

Winfield is the dominant market leader within Australia, earning the affectionate nickname of “Winnie Blues” (blues being substituted for ones desired strength) with AC Nielsen figures revealing a share of around 32% (offtake) in 2006 nearly double its closest rival, Longbeach, which is manufactured by Philip Morris. BATA continues to push the boundaries of legal advertising to promote their flagship brand. “Limited Edition” packs featuring small advertisements and a reusable steel cigarette case are some of the tactics BATA have used to promote their brand. Cigarette advertising that originates within Australia has been banned since 1993, on all forms of media except for the packs themselves. Some states had legislation forbidding “giveaways” or “enticements” to buy (such as a free lighter or an ashtray) was circumvented by making the steel case the packaging. If the steel case contained a normal Winfield pack inside, the company would have been in breach of the relevant act. The case, however, contained cigarettes wrapped in foil, thus the steel case was the cigarette packet, rather than an enticement to buy a packet of cigarettes. In fiscal 2004 05, Winfield was the third most valuable grocery brand in Australia. Sales exceeded A$750 million in total value in fiscal 2004 05.

Footnotes edit