Capri (also known as Caprice in Germany) is an American brand of
cigarette
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...
s. It is currently owned and manufactured by the
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
.
History
The first American version of Capri was introduced in 1956 by ''Lee Brothers Tobacco'', as ''"Capri Rainbows"'', a high-end brand with different-coloured cigarette papers. At a later point, the Capri trademark was acquired by
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation was a U.S. tobacco company and a subsidiary of multinational British American Tobacco that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancin ...
, who first made Capri as a regular-gauge menthol cigarette.
The brand was relaunched in 1987 as the world's first superslim cigarette, and to compete with other slim cigarettes which were marketed towards women at the time, such as
Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims is an American brand of cigarettes owned by Altria. It is manufactured by Philip Morris USA (in the United States) and Philip Morris International (outside the United States).
Virginia Slims are narrower ( circumference) than stan ...
.
Susan Cameron was one of the people who oversaw the re-launch of the brand at the time.
When Brown & Williamson merged with R.J. Reynolds in 2004, a new company called
Reynolds American
Reynolds American, Inc. is an American tobacco company which is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco and is the second-largest tobacco company in the United States. Its holdings include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, American Snuff Compan ...
was formed, and the company manufactures the brand to this day.
The cigarette has a slim shape at 17mm in circumference
and 100mm in length, specifically marketed towards women. By comparison, standard cigarettes are 25mm in circumference, and slim cigarettes are 23mm in circumference. Capri is available in regular light and menthol light varieties, as well as regular and menthol ultra-light varieties. Capri is also available in a 120mm length, which the packaging describes as "luxury length." All versions of Capri are lights or ultra-lights.
Advertising
Before the introduction of the modern-day Capri brand, a few TV advertisements were made in the 1960s to promote a brand under the similar name. The brand was menthol-only and emphasised that, out of the smokers that were tested, Capri was preferred. Its slogan was ''"Menthol, but with a soft, fresh taste."''
Various poster adverts were also made to promote the brand, especially towards young women.
Advertisements for Capri follow the logic that slimmer is better, apparently influenced by the assumption that women prefer to be physically slim, since a slender figure is often presented as more desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. Slogans such as ''"The slimmest slim in town"'' (1988) and ''"There is no slimmer way to smoke"'' (1994) provided a not-so-subliminal message that by smoking Capri cigarettes, consumers could count on obtaining or maintaining a slimmer figure than everyone else.
In 2000, it was reported that advertising for Capri, which was managed by ''"Bates Advertising"'' would be transferred to
Grey Global Group
Grey Group is a global advertising and marketing agency with headquarters in New York City, and 432 offices in 96 countries, operating in 154 cities. It is organized into four geographical units: North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asi ...
. Grey also managed advertising for
Carlton,
Pall Mall, GPC and Misty brands. Additionally, Grey would remain B&W's agency-of- record. Bates would maintain account responsibilities for
Kool
Kool may refer to:
People
* Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin
* Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang
* Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew)
* Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaica ...
and
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is an American brand of cigarettes owned by the British American Tobacco group. Individual cigarettes of the brand are often referred to colloquially as "Luckies."
Name
Lucky Strike was introduced as a brand of plug tobacco (chew ...
brands.
Controversies
Lawsuit from island of Capri
In May 1989, the Italian island of
Capri
Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...
sued Brown & Williamson for using the name on their ultra-slim cigarette brand.
A lawsuit that the island filed against the Louisville-based tobacco company went to trial in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
on June 30, 1989. Capri officials say they do not want their paradise associated with a potentially harmful product, and Brown & Williamson has no right to market a cigarette in Italy if Capri vetoes the plan. The manufacturer has contended that the action is groundless because the company has complied with "all applicable laws in securing rights to use the Capri name in Italy and in other countries where the brand is sold," said company spokeswoman Valerie Oates. Oates said the company obtained necessary approvals from Italian trademark officials and the nationally owned cigarette distribution system.
Nicotine levels
In 1995, there was further controversy when the former B&W vice president and chemical researcher
Jeffrey Wigand
Jeffrey Stephen Wigand (; born December 17, 1942) is an American biochemist and tobacco industry whistleblower.
He is a former vice president of research and development at Brown & Williamson in Louisville, Kentucky, who worked on the developm ...
defected from the company.
Wigand revealed the company’s secrets, saying that they had been adding unreported chemicals to the cigarettes. The
Kool
Kool may refer to:
People
* Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin
* Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang
* Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew)
* Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaica ...
, Capri, and
Viceroy
A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.
The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...
cigarettes had increased
nicotine
Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...
levels to promote higher addiction factors, therefore promoting sales.
Markets
Capri is mainly sold in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, but also once was or still is sold in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Less ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
,
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
,
West Germany
West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
(where the brand is known as ''"Caprice"'' due to a trademark issue),
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
,
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
See also
*
Smoking culture
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capri (Cigarette)
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company brands
Products introduced in 1987