“It’s Toasted!”: Mad Men & Lucky Strike Collectables “It’s Toasted!”: Mad Men & Lucky Strike Collectables 0 By Renee Corbino The opening scene of AMC’s Mad Men introduced us to advertising executive Don Draper, who was writing notes on a napkin while sitting in a bar. He talks to a waiter about his preferred brand of cigarettes, and Don hopes to glean from the conversation why smokers are loyal to one brand over another. The waiter prefers Old Golds, while Don talks about “his Luckies.” Sterling Cooper, as the advertising agency representing Lucky Strike, Don and his colleagues are professed “Lucky Strike Men,” and the brand figures prominently into the series for the first three seasons. In a flash of brilliance, Don comes up with Lucky Strikes iconic slogan “It’s Toasted” to connect Lucky Strike to the fabric of the American family, and traditional agriculture practices. In reality, the “Its Toasted” slogan came much earlier than the early 1960’s. The slogan was coined in 1917, in order to differentiate Lucky Strike cigarettes from the other brands on the market.

Popular throughout the 20th century, Lucky Strike only retains a small United States following, although continues to be popular in Britain. Although the popularity of Lucky Strikes has waned in the United States, the brand continues to be an iconic symbol of the 20th-century smoker, revived most recently thanks to its inclusion in the Mad Men. As an actual cigarette brand during the 20th century, Lucky Strike advertising memorabilia is readily found on the auction market. On January 13th, 2013 a large Lucky Strike advertising display is on the block at Meissner’s Auction Service in Lebanon, New York with an estimate of $100-200. A Lucky Strike novelty jack pot slot machine is up for auction on January 20th, 2013 at Victorian Casino Antiques , with an estimate of $400-$4000, with an opening bid of $300. It will be interesting to see how much this piece sells for as vintage slot machines in general can be quite desirable. Also from Victorian Casino Antiques is a group of 4 vintage smoking items , one of which is an unopened Lucky Strike cigarette pack.

The deep green of the package indicates that this group dates before 1942, when the dark green package was changed to white, as the company made a key change in its advertising, linking their product with the war effort. They proclaimed that the green used in the distinctive color was made with copper that was now going towards the war effort. In actuality, the green did not use copper, but it was a brilliant way to both modernize the brand as well as link themselves with patriotism. Finally, from Roland Auction in New York, is a group of eight cigarette advertising tins , complete with one from Lucky Strike. A varied group of tins with an estimate of $100-200 and opening at $50, this would be a great choice for anyone who collects old cigarette tins, advertising memorabilia, or anyone who is looking to start a collection. Previous sale records show that vintage Lucky Strike collectables, such as tins and unopened cigarette cartons can be had for under $300.

The popularity of likey strike avertisements, including posters, such as a Marilyn Monroe from 1950 or an iconic Keith Haring poster from the 1980’s, clearly underscore the continuing importance of this brand in the American consciousness. Other memorabilia advertising Lucky Strike includes clocks , glass humidors , and match v ending machines , and with most of the rarer pieces at moderate prices under $1,000, all would be perfect pieces for any advertising collectors looking to add a unique piece to their collection. The highest selling Lucky Strike advertising piece was a 1930’s Doctors Advertisement , proclaiming that Lucky Strikes helped coat the throat, selling for $4200. Although the popularity of Lucky Strikes, and smoking in general has waned, this particular brand has become associated with the American mid 20th-century Golden Age, assuring its place in popular culture. Lucky Strikes collectables are a must have for any smoking memorabilia or advertising collector. The availability and mostly modest price points make a small piece of Americana achievable for almost any budget. Tagged with ← Previous Next → About Renee Corbino Renee Corbino has a decade of experience in the auction industry.

Her expertise covers a broad spectrum of fine and decorative arts and antiques including: paintings, silver, ceramics, furniture, netsuke and more. She received her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in classical studies & art history from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Master of Decorative Arts from the Smithsonian & George Mason University. Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette." "Not one single case of throat irritation!" "See how your throat reacts to the delightfully cool mildness of camels." "Your " T-Zone" will tell you! T for taste, T for Throat." "For digestions sake, smoke Camels" "Give your throat a vacation..." "They’re smooth and easy on my throat." "It takes healthy nerves..." "Camels never get on your nerves." "They don’t get your wind." "Fatigued?

Get a lift with a camel." "Camels agree with your throat." "It’s a psychological fact: Pleasure helps your disposition." Chesterfield "Chesterfield is best for you!" "First to present scientific evidence on effects of smoking." "...they leave a clean, fresh taste in my mouth." "Nose, throat, and accessory organs not adversely affected by smoking Chesterfields." The largest selling cigarette in America's colleges Craven "A" "They certainly do not affect my throat." "They are so smooth and kind to your throat." "Made especially to prevent sore throats." Embassy "Inhale to your heart’s content." Kent "No other cigarette approaches such a degree of health protection and taste satisfaction." "For the greatest protection you can get from any cigarette." Kools "Your throat will like the change. The mild menthol is definitely refreshing." "Doctors...aree that Kools are soothing to your throat." "Got a cold?

Switch to Kools." "Those holiday throats need a carton of Kools." "For your throats sake—switch from "hots" to "Kools." L&M "Just what the doctor ordered." Lucky Strike "No Throat Irritation—No cough." "Toasting removes dangerous irritants that cause throat irritation and coughing." "The finest flavor and protects the throat." "11,105 doctors say Lucky Strikes prevent throat irritation." "20,679 Physicians say Luckies are less irritating." "Ask your doctor about a light smoke." "7 out of 10 inhale knowingly—the other 3 inhale unknowingly." "Luckies are easy on my throat." "Luckies are always kind to your throat." "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." "I light a Lucky and go light on the sweets." "No excess weight, my answer is—I just smoke a Lucky." "Don’t rasp your throat with harsh irritants." "The extra protection to my throat." "I protect my voice with Luckies." "Sensitive throats welcome Luckies." "There is never a rough puff in a Lucky." "Smoke to your throat’s content." "Gentle on your throat."

 "Ivory tips protect the lips." "Gee, Mommy you sure enjoy your Marlboros." Newport "Let your throat enjoy smooth smoking." Parliament "You’re so smart to smoke Parliaments." Philip Morris "Your throat can tell—It's Phillip Morris." "Sure you inhale—so play safe with your throat." "You can’t help inhaling—but you can help your throat." "All smokers inhale, but your throat needn’t know it!" "Inhaling needn’t worry your throat." "No curative power claimed, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." "Medical authorities recognize Phillip Morris proved less irritating to the smoker’s nose and throat." "When smokers changed to Phillip Morris every case of nose or throat—due to smoking—either cleared completely or definitely improved!" Spud "When you throat is irritated, Change to Spuds." "Got a cold—change to Spuds." "Nose or throat congested?

Its time to change to Spuds." "Throat sore? Time to give it a rest." "Smoke like a chimney? Who cares! Your mouth will taste clean as a whistle." Tareyton "...genuine cork tip to protect the lips." Viceroy "Gives double-barreled health protection." "Viceroy’s filter neatly checks the throat-irritants in tobacco…Safer smoke for any throat. Inhale without discomfort." "Can never stain your teeth." Merry Xmas from Lucky Strike Cigarettes!... It's Toasted! - YouTube Merry Xmas from Lucky Strike Cigarettes!... It's Toasted! Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Nov 10, 2009 LUCKY STRIKE CIGARETTES ► ◄ LUCKY STRIKE CIGARETTES Christmas Commercial Dorothy Collins says the "C" word on TV!

At the end of the video are some photos of advertisements developed by the real MAD MEN of the 1960s. They used these in magazines during the holidays. The musical interlude is the heavenly intonations of The Del Rubio Triplets. "XmasFLIX" is a celebration of holiday cheese with entertainment of the past. An affirmation as to why we are so screwed up today, and the perfect way to blame our parents. Cartoons, commercials and movies that warped our fragile brains and scarred our minds forever. God help us, everyone! * Twitter: ABOUT THE CANCER STICK COMPANY... In the early 1970s, Lucky Strike's television commercials featured the slogan "Lucky Strike separates the men from the boys...but not from the girls" set to music.

When a filtered version was introduced in the mid-1960s, print and TV ads featured the singing slogan "Show me a filter cigarette that delivers the taste, and I'll eat my hat!" Print ads showed smokers wearing hats from which a "bite" was supposedly taken, whereas TV commercials broke away from the smoker who issued that challenge, then came back to show the same smoker wearing a hat with a "bite" out of it. The Lucky Strike logo was created by famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who also created the logos for Exxon, Shell, AT&T and Coca Cola. The logo later became a prominent fixture in Pop-era artist Ray Johnson's collages. The font used on the Lucky Strike logo is a modified form of Futura Condensed Bold. Lucky Strike was the sponsor of Jack Benny's radio and television programs in the 1940s and 1950s on CBS.

Among its popular advertising slogans on the show, as read by announcer Don Wilson, were "LSMFT: Lucky Strike means fine tobacco!" and "Be happy, go lucky, be happy, smoke Lucky Strike!" Lucky Strike was also the major sponsor of the BAR Honda team (partly owned by British American Tobacco, the current owners of the brand) as well as Honda Racing F1 during their maiden year in Formula One before BAR decided to pull out of F1 altogether in the face of increasing anti-tobacco advertising legislation. A Lucky Strike box can be seen in the opening credits of the Cowboy Bebop movie. The cigarette brand is referenced in many modern games, anime, songs, books and film. In the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, a fictionalized version of the brand called Lucky Striker (ラッキー・ストライカー?)is said to be Solid Snake's favorite. Lucky Strike is patronized in the anime Cowboy Bebop, where character Faye Valentine is often seen with one in her mouth. In Eureka Seven, Stoner is seen smoking a pack similar to Lucky Strike in episode 14. The logo also makes prominent background appearances in that show.

In the Tom Waits song "Kentucky Avenue", the first-person speaker references his or her "half pack of Lucky Strikes". Lucky Strikes were the cigarette of choice of Rep. Detective Steele in the Blade Runner video game. In the manga GTO, Professor Onizuka is seen smoking Lucky Strikes. Lucky Strikes can be seen sitting on a piano in a couple scenes in Ralph Bakshi's 1981 animated film American Pop. Lucky Strikes are mentioned by the Ataris in the song "All You Can Ever Learn is What you Already Know" off the record So Long, Astoria - "Trailer parks, neon signs, and an empty box of Lucky Strikes: all used up from the dashboard of America." In the 1983 hit "Keeping the Faith" by Billy Joel, the song's lyrics refer to this cigarette brand: "took a fresh pack of Luckys, and a mint called Sen-Sen." The fictional character Mike Hammer, as written by Mickey Spillane, smoked Lucky Strike through all of the Hammer novels. Lucky Strike cigarettes were also featured in the Stephen King movie Misery where Paul Sheldon (as played by James Caan) would smoke one cigarette after writing a novel.

They are widely smoked in the 2002 miniseries Band of Brothers and are mentioned in George Orwell's account of the Spanish Civil War, Homage to Catalonia. The Lucky Strike logo was created by famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who also created the logos for Exxon, Shell, AT&T and Coca Cola. The logo later became a prominent fixture in Pop-era artist Ray Johnson's collages. The font used on the Lucky Strike logo is a modified form of Futura Condensed Bold. Merry Christmas from Lucky Strike Cigarettes! Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. LUCKY STRIKE CIGARETTES ► ◄ Lucky Strike Cigarettes | CigarettesReporter.com - Your cigarettes guide Lucky Strike Cigarettes 17Jun by Jenny Novac Lucky Strike is a brand of American cigarettes, often referred to as “Luckies”. In the 1930s, Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States. The brand was first introduced by R.A.

Patterson of Richmond, Virginia, in 1871 as cut-plug chewing tobacco and later a cigarette. In 1905, the company was acquired by the American Tobacco Company (ATC), and Lucky Strike would later prove to be its answer to R. J. Reynolds’ Camel. Advertising photo for Lucky Strike, 1936. In 1917, the brand started using the slogan “It’s Toasted” to inform consumers about the manufacturing method in which the tobacco is toasted rather than sun-dried, a process touted as making the cigarette’s taste more desirable. In the late 1920s, the brand was sold as a route to thinness for women. One typical ad said, “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet.” Sales of Lucky Strikes increased by more than 300% during the first year of the advertising campaign. Sales went from 14 billion cigarettes in 1925 to 40 billion sold in 1930, making Lucky Strike the leading brand nationwide. As a result of British American Tobacco plc buying out American Tobacco Company in 1976, Lucky Strike came under control of BAT.

The company acquired Formula 1s Tyrrell Racing team in 1997 and rebranded it as British American Racing the following year, sponsoring the team with its Lucky Strike and stablemate 555 brands. The team was bought outright by partners Honda by 2006, though Lucky Strike continued to sponsor the team until the end of that year. Lucky Strike Original Silver The brand’s signature dark green pack was changed to white in 1942. In a famous advertising campaign that used the slogan “Lucky Strike Green has gone to war”, the company claimed the change was made because the copper used in the green color was needed for World War II. American Tobacco actually used chromium to produce the green ink, and copper to produce the gold-colored trim. A limited supply of each was available, and substitute materials made the package look drab. However, the truth of the matter was that the white package was introduced to modernize the label and to increase the appeal of the package among female smokers; market studies showed that the green package was not found attractive to women, who had become an important consumer of tobacco products. The war effort became a convenient way to make the product more marketable while appearing patriotic at the same time.

In 1978 and 1994, export rights and U.S. rights were purchased by Brown & Williamson. In the 1960s, filtered styles were launched in addition to a mentholated version called “Lucky Strike Green”. This time “Green” was referring to menthol and not to the overall package color. In late 2006, both the Full Flavored and Light filtered varieties of Lucky Strike cigarettes were discontinued in North America. However, Lucky Strike will continue to have marketing and distribution support in territories controlled by British American Tobacco as a global drive brand. In addition, R. J. Reynolds continues to market the original, non-filter Lucky Strikes in the United States. Lucky Strikes currently have a small base of smokers. In 2007, a new packaging of Lucky Strikes was released, with a two-way opening which split seven cigarettes from the rest. In the same year, the company used the world’s smallest man, He Pingping, in their ad campaigns. In 2009, Lucky Strike Silver (the brand marketed as lighter) changed their UK packets from the quintessential red design to blue, albeit with a red teaser outer covering the packet.

Cultural references The cigarette brand is referenced in many modern forms of media. In the MSX2 version of the video game Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, a fictionalized version of the brand called Lucky Striker is said to be the protagonist’s favorite. In the Tom Waits song “Kentucky Avenue”, the first-person speaker refers to his or her “half pack of Lucky Strikes”. Lucky Strikes can also be seen on a piano in Ralph Bakshi’s 1981 animated film American Pop. In the AMC show Mad Men, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) has Lucky Strike as an advertising client for his company, Sterling Cooper. One of the key issues is the fact that advertising companies can no longer use doctor’s statements to say smoking is good for you. They must find a new way to advertise cigarettes. Don comes up with the idea of advertising Lucky Strikes and not cigarettes as a whole. Former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms handed out Lucky Strike cigarettes, which were his personal brand of choice, in his Senate office to meeting attendants until it became “utterly unfashionable.” Lucky Strike Lucky Strike Lucky Strike The brand was first introduced by R.A.

Patterson of Richmond, Virginia, in 1871 as cut-plug chewing tobacco and later a cigarette. In 1905, the company was acquired by the American Tobacco Company (ATC), and Lucky Strike would later prove to be its answer to R. J. Reynolds' Camel. In 1917, the brand started using the slogan "It's Toasted" to inform consumers about the manufacturing method in which the tobacco is toasted rather than sun-dried, a process touted as making the cigarette's taste more desirable. In the late 1920s, the brand was sold as a route to thinness for women. One typical ad said, "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." Sales of Lucky Strikes increased by more than 300% during the first year of the advertising campaign. Sales went from 14 billion cigarettes in 1925 to 40 billion sold in 1930, making Lucky Strike the leading brand nationwide.[2] Lucky Strike's association with radio music programs began during the 1920s on NBC. By 1928, the bandleader and vaudeville producer B. A.

Rolfe was performing on radio and recording as "B.A. Rolfe and his Lucky Strike Orchestra" for Edison Records. In 1935, ATC began to sponsor Your Hit Parade, featuring North Carolina tobacco auctioneer Lee Aubrey "Speed" Riggs (later, another tobacco auctioneer from Lexington, Kentucky, F.E. Boone, was added). The weekly radio show's countdown catapulted the brand's success, remaining popular for 25 years. The shows capitalized on the tobacco auction theme and each ended with the signature phrase "Sold, American." The company's advertising campaigns generally featured a theme that stressed the quality of the tobacco purchased at auction for use in making Lucky Strike cigarettes and claimed that the higher quality tobacco resulted in a cigarette with better flavor. American engaged in a series of advertisements using Hollywood actors as endorsers of Lucky Strike, including testimonials from Douglas Fairbanks concerning the cigarette's flavor.[3] Lucky Strike was also a sponsor of comedian Jack Benny's radio and TV show, The Jack Benny Show, which was also introduced as The Lucky Strike Program. As a result of British American Tobacco plc buying out American Tobacco Company in 1976, Lucky Strike came under control of BAT.

The company acquired Formula 1s Tyrrell Racing team in 1997 and rebranded it as British American Racing the following year, sponsoring the team with its Lucky Strike and stablemate 555 brands. The team was bought outright by partners Honda by 2006, though Lucky Strike continued to sponsor the team until the end of that year. The brand's signature dark green pack was changed to white in 1942. In a famous advertising campaign that used the slogan "Lucky Strike Green has gone to war", the company claimed the change was made because the copper used in the green color was needed for World War II.[4] American Tobacco actually used chromium to produce the green ink, and copper to produce the gold-colored trim. A limited supply of each was available, and substitute materials made the package look drab. However, the truth of the matter was that the white package was introduced to modernize the label and to increase the appeal of the package among female smokers; market studies showed that the green package was not found attractive to women, who had become an important consumer of tobacco products.

The war effort became a convenient way to make the product more marketable while appearing patriotic at the same time.[5] The message "L.S.M.F.T." ("Lucky Strike means fine tobacco") was introduced on the package in 1955. In 1978 and 1994, export rights and U.S. rights were purchased by Brown & Williamson. In the 1960s, filtered styles were launched in addition to a mentholated version called "Lucky Strike Green". This time "Green" was referring to menthol and not to the overall package color. In late 2006, both the Full Flavored and Light filtered varieties of Lucky Strike cigarettes were discontinued in North America. However, Lucky Strike will continue to have marketing and distribution support in territories controlled by British American Tobacco as a global drive brand. In addition, R. J. Reynolds continues to market the original, non-filter Lucky Strikes in the United States. Lucky Strikes currently have a small base of smokers.[6][7] In 2007, a new packaging of Lucky Strikes was released, with a two-way opening which split seven cigarettes from the rest.

In the same year, the company used the world's smallest man, He Pingping, in their ad campaigns. In 2009, Lucky Strike Silver (the brand marketed as lighter) changed their UK packets from the quintessential red design to blue, albeit with a red teaser outer covering the packet. All prices are in USD Copyright 2017 CiggiesWorld - Kretek Cigarettes. Sitemap | cheap cigarettes Camel Silver/Super Lights Camel Silver/Super Lights 10 packs, 200 filtered cigarettes, King Size Box. (Tar - 4 mg, Nicotine - 0.3 mg) Made in EU Camel Silver/Super Lights For several years advertising image of Camel cigarettes was a guy with hat aslant - an all-right and mellow guy. But in the beginning of 1920's advertising concept has changed and now the symbol of Camel became successful, elegant, refined man. Of course, advertising hero Camel couldn't remain alone for a long time and in the end of 1920's appears She - graceful, with sophisticated taste in cloths beauty. Perfect manners of the lady from high society, frozen stare of Greta Garbo and brilliants on toilet table...

New image caught fancy not only of men but also for women. Camel cigarettes in female fingers became accessory for the first time. Just in about ten years feminism has strengthened positions so much that Camel cigarettes became one of the emancipation symbols. In 1932 cigarettes brand Camel claims "It's NOT Toasted!" running counter to assurances of Lucky Strike brand about "benefit" namely of "toasted tobacco". "They are NOT toasted!" entices Camel, insisting on its' "refreshing" power namely because tobacco wasn't toasted. This advertising campaign took place in December 1932 in "Popular Science" magazine. Advertising campaign in which fearless girl makes difficult gymnastic trick, hitch... but everything worked out, and now she can light up a Camel cigarettes!.. In 1933 in "Popular Science" magazine was published advertisement with slogan "I would dance on broken glass for Camel". "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!" Once Martin Francis Reddington (Camel advertising manager) was playing golf with his friends; in the heat of the play players have smoked all cigarettes.

Everybody was very disappointed with this fact and one of the golf players has told in warm blood: "I would walk a mile for a cigarette!" Martin Francis Reddington in spite of the fact that he was at rest has reminded this catchy phrase and has turned it into legendary slogan "I'd walk a mile for a Camel". World War II has changed the world for good. America has also considered that they are obliged to take part in struggle against fascism. In USA billboards have urged people to send to the front parcels with Camel cigarettes in order to strengthen patriotic courage of the soldiers and warm them up away from native land. Advertising slogan "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" has acquired new actuality. Each mile and each cigarette now has approached soldiers to victory. In Europe cigarettes with camel on the pack acquired incredible popularity - first of all, they were smoked by allies-winners; secondly, exhausted by war Europe has suffered of deficit the very elementary things. Cigarettes represented real currency and foreign Camel for long time became European symbol of America.

Camel that for already 50 years lived one life with America couldn't ignore sexual revolution.(It hasn't began in 1960s as it is believed, say researchers from University of Florida. Sexual revolution began with generation of 1940s and 1950s). Traditional posters that have praised virtuous wives and respectable husbands have been changed with ruffian billboards with pin-up girls in daring bikini. Strength and manliness that are so needed during hard times have remained in past. New after war times demanded from Camel new flavor, mild and light. Smiling, bold girls excellently met new tendencies of the epoch. LUCKY STRIKE'S COMEBACK BID - NYTimes.com LUCKY STRIKE'S COMEBACK BID By N.R. KLEINFIELD Published: October 21, 1982 It was the best-selling cigarette in America. With great hoopla, it made the big move over ''The Hump,'' as its nemesis, Camel, was known, during the 1930's. For people now in their 20's and 30's, this was often the brand their fathers and mothers smoked.

Who can forget its sponsorship of ''Your Hit Parade,'' or that catchy string of letters - L.S./M.F.T. ''Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco.'' By now, Lucky Strike has sold more than a trillion ''sticks,'' but like an aging movie star whose best roles are only memories, the brand faded from the limelight decades ago. A chart of its market share over the last three decades would show a line heading straight down. Strangled by filter products, the cigarette that in 1931 controlled 39 percent of the market now clings tenuously to a dwindling eight-tenths of 1 percent. In the world of consumer marketing, however, it is believed that a good name ought never die, and so the American Tobacco Company, which makes Lucky Strike, is betting what it calls ''big bucks'' that it can bring the magic back with a new low-tar filtered rendition. Billboards are steadily cropping up across the nation heralding the rebirth: ''Lucky Strikes Again.'' A Cautious Introduction Lucky, however, has been striking at a cautious pace. The cigarette was first tested in Binghamton, N.Y., and Spokane, Wash., last November.

When it recently wended its way to New York and Detroit, its penetration had only reached 40 percent of the country. ''We want to know that what we're doing is working,'' explained Thomas Hays, executive vice president of American Tobacco, which also makes Pall Mall, Carlton and Tareyton brands. According to Mr. Hays, the new brand has captured more than half a percent of the market in many cities and a full percent in some. John Maxwell, an analyst with Lehman Brothers, reckons that viability in the frenzied cigarette industry, congested with some 200 brands, seems to begin at half a percent, which roughly translates into manufacturer revenues of $65 million. ''It's one of the few new brands that have taken off in a while,'' said John Schiro, division general manager of ARA Services, a Binghampton vendor. ''Lucky has a good name. You ask people what L.S./M.F.T. means and they'll tell you.'' Indeed, a key reason why American Tobacco, a unit of American Brands, thinks the new Lucky will be a hit is because the name still rings a lot of bells.

The first thing the company did almost two years ago was to determine if people remembered Lucky. To the surprise of the company, a remarkable 98 percent of smokers 35 and older knew the name and an even more amazing 97 percent of the younger set recognized it. The 'Toasted' Cigarette Lucky Strike was introduced in 1916, borrowing its name from a tobacco brand first used in 1871. Since the tobacco was refined by a cooking process, sales experts hit upon the idea of touting it as ''It's toasted.'' The notion became a famous Lucky slogan, and billboards boasting a toasting fork dotted the country's highways. The new smoke began a meteoric rise. Heavy advertising played a pivotal role. Among the Lucky themes: ''Luckies Use Only Center Leaves -The Center Leaves Give You the Mildest Smoke;'' ''With Men Who Know Tobacco Best, It's Luckies 2 to 1.'' To further spread brand awareness, the company turned to such things as a cigarette-rolling exhibition in New York and began in 1930 to sponsor the ''Lucky Strike Radio Show,'' which eventually starred the likes of Frank Sinatra and Phil Harris. Television was its next battleground.

It backed ''The Lucky Strike Theater,'' ''Your Hit Parade'' and ''The Jack Benny Show.'' Originally, the Lucky Strike package was green, but during World War II the chromium needed for the green coloring became a valued war commodity. So, in 1942, the package became white with a red bull's eye, and the company got enormous mileage out of a ''Lucky Goes to War'' campaign. The L.S./M.F.T. slogan also was introduced at this time. Rise of the Filters It was all great while it lasted, but increasingly smokers became dismayed about all that tar the cigarette produced. The death knell for the big brands of the day - Camel and Chesterfield among them - was sounded in the early 1950's with the arrival of filtered cigarettes. One statistic succinctly tells the story: In 1953, filters controlled less than 10 percent of the cigarette market. In 1957, they had captured more than half of it. Along with its nonfiltered brethren, Lucky Strike commenced its long downward ride. Since the old Lucky Strike has been foundering for nearly three decades, what took American Tobacco so long to whip up a filtered version?

Actually, the company made a couple of dismal stabs at it, but committed the mistake of failing to capitalize on the popular name. In 1956, it introduced a filtered cigarette called ''Hit Parade.'' It went nowhere, not being helped much by the fact that two years later the television show ''Your Hit Parade'' vanished. ''Hit Parade,'' the cigarette, disappeared in 1962. Then, in 1971, the company tried ''Lucky 10's,'' another flop that was finally scrapped last year. A jumble of magazine ads blanket Tom Hays's desk. He wanted to illustrate how the new Lucky Strike was trying to stand alone among its competitors. The cigarette is aimed at 21-to-35-year-old male smokers, so the key brands it has to battle are low-tar filtered versions of Marlboro, Winston and Camel. The Macho Problem Lucky tested three ad strategies. One was a nostalgia approach. Consumers yawned. Then it tried a macho slant. The problem here was its rivals were big on macho. Mr.

Hays nodded at a Marlboro ad of a cowboy on a horse romping through Marlboro country and a Winston ad of two construction workers. He pointed to a Camel ad of a man wading through a stream, a grave look on his face. ''How do you out-macho this?'' he asked. ''You'd have to go to outright killers.'' So it settled on an upbeat ad depicting a man in the foreground of a recording studio popping a Lucky out of a package, while three musicians drag on their Luckies in the background. ''Through the scene here, you can see it's time to light up because they've just finished recording a song,'' Mr. Hays said. ''We show the man up front, but he's also a leader since there's a group behind him.'' The younger smokers Lucky is chasing often buy their packs out of vending machines, and so American Tobacco is making sure it snuggles in a lot of columns. The way to do that is the standard cigarette strategem of paying inducements. Vendors are being offered $4 a year per machine for each column of Lucky Strike filters.

Stocking for the first time also gets them a free carton of filters as well as a bonus carton of Pall Mall reds. Another $2 can be had for applying a sticker onto the machine pointing out Luckies. If a fresh sticker is put on six months later, another $2 arrives. To create a fresh wave of excitement, American Tobacco has dispatched fetching young women to dole out hundreds of thousands of samples on street corners, as well as in bars and discotheques. How sweet Lucky's comeback is, though, may in the end be determined by the luster of the name. ''Today there's a greater interest in antique cars and early American quilts,'' Mr. Hays remarked. ''So there's more interest in these older brands.'' Illustrations: photos of Lucky Strikes promotions Lucky Strike. A lucky One Lucky Strike. A lucky One Lucky Strike. A lucky One Though this cigarette brand has not been so popular like Marlboro or Camel , every adult smoker knows it even that Lucky Strike doesn’t have a catchy image, or a famous advertising slogan. So, what is the reason for such a great reputation? Well, it’s not a big secret. A wise marketing strategy saved the day for this brand.

Spirit of the Times The history of Lucky Strike started in the 19th century. In Virginia, the famous “tobacco state”, a tobacco company, named R.A. Patterson registered this trademark in order to sell… no, it wasn’t cigarettes, these were not invented yet. Lucky Strike initially was a loose tobacco brand. However, for a long time this brand was just one of many tobacco brands selling in the United States. Things changed when Lucky Strike brand was purchased by American Tobacco Company in 1905. The company needed a brand that could become a best-seller on the market. Marketing specialists liked the name, Lucky Strike, as it corresponded with the spirit of those times, and the American Dream idea. Tobacco consumers discovered the brand shortly after the introduction, but the major success was ahead. Good Toasted Though the history of the famous tobacco brands is always a history of wise advertising and misleading, triumphant march of Lucky Strike started with innovative technologies. In 1916 the brand was re-launched as a cigarette brand, and next year, in an attempt to outstrip major rivals, the manufacturers applied a truly innovative method of tobacco processing.

While other companies sun-cured tobacco leaves, manufacturers of Lucky Strike cigarettes went a step further and started to roast them. By means of “toasterization” (this is how they called the process), they achieved the reaction of caramelization in the leaves, thanks to which the tobacco was not only more aromatic, but also gained chocolate and coffee flavor. Cigarettes advertised as “It’s Toasted” began outdistancing the competitors rapidly. Other tobacco companies immediately started experimenting with methods of tobacco curing. So, American Tobacco Company needed to find other ways to promote their product. In addition, they had the successful experience of Camel brand, which gained huge popularity by unusual marketing campaign. Thus, the company decided to focus on advertising. Feminism Flag As the market of men-oriented cigarettes was very tight, American Tobacco Company concentrated on women. They intentionally selected green color for the packs of Lucky Strike cigarettes, as this color was very fashionable and popular among American women. They employed Hollywood celebrities to promote Lucky Strikes. And in 1929 manufacturers of Lucky Strike cigarettes organized a feminist march, “Torches of Freedom”, where women walked along the main streets of New-York, proudly carrying green packs of Luckies. It brought the needed results very fast.

Lucky Strike became the leading cigarette brand, outstripping even the iconic Camel, and taking 40 percents of American cigarette market. Moreover, the manufacturers of Lucky Strike launched another advertising campaign, where doctors confirmed that Lucky Strikes are healthier than other cigarettes. The Luckies go to the war The wars always were the best time for promotion of alcohol and cigarettes. So, when the World War II began in Europe, and American soldiers went to the Old World, Lucky Strike rapidly came on the spot. In order to distinguish the brand from the competitors, the manufacturers even changed the pack design, trading the green packs for red-and-white ones, inventing a patriotic explanation to that change. They stated that they have changed the colors, because green paint contains copper, and this metal is more necessary on the war. You think it’s a stupid explanation? Definitely! But it worked. Ad even helped reduce expenses on production, as additional color means extra money. However, it was the last major advertising success of the brand. Although, the manufacturer of Lucky Strike used TV and radio to promote the brand, its popularity was going down, as they missed the industry-wide transition to filtered smokes.

Though Lucky Strike was still oriented for women smokers, the cigarettes were equipped with filters only in the late 1960s, whereas most part of target audience already switched to other brands that started to offer trendy filters earlier. In 2006, Reynolds American, the last owner of Lucky Strike trademark discontinued the brand. However, it is still selling in many countries outside of the U.S. being marketed by British American Tobacco . The Quick 10: 10 Questionable Cigarette Ads and Slogans | Mental Floss The Quick 10: 10 Questionable Cigarette Ads and Slogans Image credit: Like us on Facebook I still get a little bit startled when I see people smoking in the office on Mad Men. I know it was totally normal back then, but I just can't quite wrap my head around it not being taboo. I feel the same way when I see these cigarette ads. Back before we knew cigarettes are quite so detrimental to your health, before it was bad to target tobacco products at teens and kids, and apparently before the women's movement, these tobacco ads did their best to get smokers to ask for their brand. 1.

Tipalet - "Blow in her face and she'll follow you anywhere." That's just "“ I mean"¦ there are so many things wrong with this. 2. Camels - "More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette." Dentists, however, felt differently... 3. Viceroy - "As your dentist, I would recommend Viceroys." 4. Lucky Strike - "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet." This one was part of a series of ads that touted cigarettes to dieters. Lucky later had to change the wording of the advertisement to reflect dieting in general instead of sweets specifically after candy companies protested. 5. Lucky Strike "“ "Her singing coach advised a light smoke." Back before celebrities wouldn't be caught dead shilling for cigs, it was commonplace to see big names like Carole Lombard, John Wayne and even Ronald Reagan singing the praises of their "favorite" smokes.

In Carole Lombard's case, a story accompanying her ad explained that she was horrified about having to give up smoking when she accepted a singing role in a movie "“ until her voice coach told her that if she switched to Lucky Strike, she could keep smoking, because Lucky Strikes are so soothing and gentle on the throat. Sure, except for that whole cancer thing. 6. Chesterfield. Sometimes it's not the slogan, but the ad itself that might make you do a double-take. Little kids buying their dad a carton of smokes for his birthday? Heartwarming! 7. Lucky Strike - "It's Toasted." That might not be so bad by itself, but it's the accompanying explanation that went with the tagline: "Toasting removes dangerous irritants that cause throat irritation and coughing." Yep, that's all it takes "“ toasting. 8. Eve Cigarettes - "The first truly feminine cigarette - almost as pretty as you are." Eve Cigarettes came with a band of flowers printed on the stick, because what self-respecting woman would be seen out and about without a cigarette that matched her outfit?

They're still produced today but you don't see them around much. 9. Marlboro "“ "Before you scold me, mom, maybe you'd better light up a Marlboro," and "Gee mommy, you sure enjoy your Marlboro." The gem targeted at dads above was part of the same campaign. 10. Mecca - "Where Was Moses When the Lights Went Out? Groping for a pack of Meccas." Mecca cigarettes answers the age-old rhetorical question about Moses "“ yeah, Moses from the Bible "“ with a rather irreverent statement. Nice! Do you remember any old cigarette ads that would never see the light of day in 2010? More from mental_floss...

Question: ‘It’s Toasted’ was the advertising slogan for which cigarette brand?
Answer: Lucky Strike