Cambridge (cigarette)


Cambridge is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the U.S. and by Philip Morris International outside the U.S. In the U.K., it was manufactured by Rothmans International until 1999.

History

Cambridge was launched in 1870 by Philip Morris.
In December 1981, the United Press International reported that the safest cigarettes in terms of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide were "Cambridge Filters", "Carlton Filters" and "Now 100s Filters". All three brands emerged from the Federal Trade Commission tests with less than 0.5 milligrams of tar, less than 0.05 milligrams of nicotine and less than 0.5 milligrams of carbon monoxide. The same conclusion was drawn in March of 1984, when The New York Times published a report.
In the 1990s, the brand was discontinued in most countries due to poor sales. It is still sold in some countries, including the United States.

Advertisement

In 1926, a framed picture of the Mercedes-Benz Modell K was given out to people who bought a pack of Cambridge cigarettes.
In 1969, English Australian radio announcer Tony Barber sponsored the brand on the radio in Australia. He would hold a competition where, if someone would correctly whistle the first few bars of the "Cambridge Song", the person would win a prize. The slogan used in the advert was "Everyone's swinging to Cambridge".
In the 1970s, Cambridge cigarettes were the first cigarette brand to give out Green Shield Stamps to their customers in the United Kingdom.
Rothmans International would also give out a set of rare banknotes called the "Rothmans Cambridge Collection Of Rare Banknotes". The bank notes are from countries like Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, Bulgaria, France and various others, and you could put them in an album. They were given when you bought a carton of Cambridge cigarettes.
A few poster adverts were made by Philip Morris USA to promote the brand as being a "low tar" cigarette in the 1980s in the United States.
Various items were given for free - such as a disposable camera or an umbrella - if the consumer bought a carton of Cambridge cigarettes.

Sport sponsorship

In 1969, Cambridge sponsored the "Cambridge Racing Team" in the "New Zealand Saloon Car Championship". The drivers were Red Coppins and Spinner Black and they drove the Holden Monaro and the Chevrolet Camaro.

Markets

Cambridge cigarettes were or still are sold in the following countries: United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

Products

United States