Salem cigarettes are a brand launched 65 years ago by one of America’s largest tobacco retailers, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company. The brand is currently owned by Japan Tobacco outside the United States and by Imperial Tobacco within the country. The change of ownership occurred in 2015.
Some more facts about Salem cigarettes. Salem cigarettes are best known for their minty flavor. Unlike other brands introduced to the menthol cigarette market, Salem managed to stand out due to the blend of tobacco with Asian menthol, which is very different from what other companies use. Salem cigarettes were the first brand to introduce filtered menthol cigarettes. Like many other brands that produce menthol-flavored cigarettes, Salem’s target audience was and still is young smokers between the ages of 18 and 23.
In its advertising campaigns, the brand is based on the freshness felt by the smoker rather than the taste of tobacco. The landscapes of nature and the funny models that appear in their advertisements are supposed to persuade people that smoking Salem cigarettes is not as harmful as smoking regular tobacco cigarettes with a strong flavor.
Depending on smokers’ preferences for cigarette density, Salem offers cigarettes ranging from heavy to light. The brand’s products are also divided into four labels: Black Label, Green Label, Gold Box and Silver Box. Thus, any fan of menthol cigarettes can find Salem products that fit their needs and preferences.
In 1982, Salem cigarettes changed the name of their product towards a younger demographic and launched a new campaign called “Salem Spirit”. The new campaign served to compete with Newport’s ongoing efforts targeting youth and attempted to steal Kool’s declining youth customer base. At Salem Spirit, groups of young men and women come together in fun, youthful activities, ranging from sleigh rides and hot air balloon rides to picnics and romps in the ocean. Internal RJ Reynolds documents described the Salem smoker as self-assured, up-to-date, and younger adult smokers (18-23) who were characterized as social leaders/catalysts as they uniquely possess that sense of humor/wit, spontaneity, warmth and unassuming style that made them fun and exciting to be around. The ads were carefully crafted to target this very specific demographic in many ways.