Craven A

After the end of World War I, the cigarette market resumed its normal competitive spirit with the Carreras Tobacco Company once more well to the fore. Bernhard Baron, a director of Carreras, knew that to compete successfully his product had to be better than his competitors' and in 1921 Carreras launched Craven A, a brand that became a household name in over 120 countries with the slogan "Will Not Affect Your Throat". It was the first machine-made cork-tipped cigarette—the unfiltered version was unusual in that there was at one end a cork tip in place of the paper.[3]—and it used the name of the Earl of Craven; presumably its name did not refer to the normal meaning of the word 'craven' (cowardly).[4]

Following the success of Craven A, several other companies launched cork-tipped cigarettes which enjoyed varying degrees of success. Few (if any) of these remain available as of 2019.

At the same time as Craven A was pioneering a new fashion in cigarette smoking, the competition was moving in on the coupon business. Carreras participated in this market with their Black Cat brand.

The brand enjoyed huge popularity during World War II by not only the British soldiers, but in general.[5] Craven A was one of several brands donated by tobacco manufacturers to soldiers' rations in the hope of developing ongoing brand loyalty.

Rothmans, Benson & Hedges plant in Quebec City, Canada.

Also during the Second World War, General Charles de Gaulle, in exile in London, had a hard time getting his usual French brown cigarettes brand Gitanes. Not really having a choice, he started smoking Craven A and apparently took a liking to the blond tobacco, which until then had been rare in occupied France.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, chain-smoked fifty Craven A cigarettes a day, even while terminally ill with tuberculosis.

Craven 'A' began marketing its advertising campaign under the slogan "For Your Throat's Sake" as early as 1939 – if not before. It had a famous slogan, "Will Not Affect Your Throat".[6][7]

Craven 'A' cork tipped cigarettes were advertised as "made from the finest imported matured Virginia tobacco guaranteed pure and absolutely free from adulteration". Adverts for the cigarettes claimed that the cork tips prevented sore throats. Made by Carreras Tobacco Company and later Rothmans International, the company's products were recognisable from the black cat trademark.[5]

Many advertising posters were made to promote Craven 'A' cigarettes.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Full-page advertisements appeared in the New Zealand magazine the "Mirror" in 1930. Like many ads in the years between the two world wars, this one specifically targeted women, who were the growing market. It tried to associate smoking with sophisticated urban taste.[17]

In May 2014, Carreras Limited warned that counterfeit Craven A cigarettes which were being sold in Jamaica. The counterfeits were said to be non-compliant with Jamaican Public Health labelling regulations. According to Carreras, customers could identify original products by the graphic pictorial health warnings on 60 per cent of the top front and back panels of the pack, as well as other labelling stipulated in the regulations. Counterfeit and illicit cigarette packs displayed the previous 30% textual health warnings, making them easier to identify.

The company threatened to take legal action against people caught selling or in possession of the counterfeit cigarettes.[18][19]

Craven 'A' were or still are sold in the following countries: Canada, United States, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Cyprus, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Palestine, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.[20][21][22][23]

The company sponsored the 1981 Craven Mild Cup Rugby League tournament in New South Wales, Australia. Craven 'A' sponsored a number of entertainment events in Canada, such as the "Just for Laughs" Canadian Comedy Tour in March 1999.[24]

• Cigarette
• Tobacco smoking