Chesterfield is a 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 ...

, named after Chesterfield County, Virginia. The brand is owned by conglomerate

Altria Altria Group, Inc. (previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc. until 2003) is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and medical products in the treatment of illnesses ca ...

and produced by its subsidiary

Philip Morris USA Philip Morris USA is an American tobacco company. They are a division of the American tobacco corporation Altria Group. It has been the leading cigarette manufacturer in the U.S. since the late 20th century. Its major brands include Marlboro, Vi ...

History

Chesterfields, originally a blend of Turkish and Virginia tobacco, were introduced by the Drummond Tobacco Company of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

in 1873. The company was acquired by American Tobacco Company in 1898, who manufactured Chesterfields until 1911. In 1912, the brand was taken over by Liggett & Myers and production moved to

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

."Chesterfield"
FirstVersions The brand was acquired by Philip Morris (now

) in 1999. Chesterfield was the first cigarette to add an extra layer of wrapping to their pack to preserve moisture. In 1926, Chesterfield's "Blow some my way"

advertising campaign An advertising campaign or marketing campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ide ...

targeted women smokers, while a 1948 advert produced for NBC claimed that the brand was "preferred by professional smokers". In 2011, Philip Morris created three variations (Chesterfield Red, Chesterfield Blue and Chesterfield Menthol) for the UK market. In 2018, Phillip Morris discontinued Chesterfield non-filter cigarettes in the United States; shortly thereafter (January 2019), the company began limited US testing of three filtered varieties: Reds (Full Flavor), Blues (Lights), and Green (Menthol).

Sponsorship

Formula 1

Chesterfield was a sponsor of the

Surtees Surtees may refer to: People *Surti Muslims *Surtees (surname), an English surname Places *Surtees Bridge, a road bridge across the River Tees in Stockton-on-Tees Others *Surtees Racing Organisation, a British racing team and constructor *Surtee ...

team during the 1976 Formula One season and 1977 Formula One season. A second car entered in was sponsored by Chesterfield in 1977. Chesterfield also sponsored the

BMS Scuderia Italia BMS Scuderia Italia SpA (sometimes referred to as simply Scuderia Italia) is an auto racing team founded in 1983 in Brescia by Italian businessman and motorsports enthusiast Giuseppe Lucchini. Originally named Brixia Motor Sport (BMS), the team ...

team in the 1993 FIA Formula One World Championship. They only sponsored the team for one season due to the retirement of the team from F1 to focus on the World Touring Car Cup.

Motorsport

Chesterfield was a sponsor of

Max Biaggi Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in Superbike Wor ...

's Aprilia RSV 250 from the

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

to the 1996 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season in the 250cc World Championship. The livery of the bike was totally black with the mark on the side fairings. In the same years, Aprilia adopted the same livery in the series production of its RS road bikes (in the 50, 125 and 250 cylinder sizes). They were also title sponsor of Tech3's championship winning 250cc campaign in

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

with Olivier Jacque.

Dakar Rally

Chesterfield was the main sponsor of the motorcycle team ''"BYRD"'' (Belgarda Yamaha Racing Division) at the Paris-Dakar Rally from 1987 to 1994. In addition, under the name "Chesterfield Scout" a collaboration with the enduro sport on a more private level. For example, at Yamaha in 1989, there was a "Chesterfield DT" with 125 cc, for the Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré gave it in its first model year in 1989, the color variant "Chesterfield".

Radio and TV

In the 1930s through the 1950s, Chesterfield sponsored popular radio programs. An early one was the radio series '' Music That Satisfies'' which was broadcast in 1932–1933. The ''Chesterfield Hour'' (1939–1944) featured

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

s such as those of

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

and

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

and

Fred Waring Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, choral director, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to ...

. It was followed briefly by

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...

's ''Chesterfield Music Shop'' (1944) and then the '' Chesterfield Supper Club'' (1944–1949) which featured

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

and

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...

with

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

replacing Stafford on some episodes beginning in 1948.

originally wrote the pop standard song " Dream (When You're Feeling Blue)" as the theme song for his Chesterfield radio program; the theme for Como's ''Chesterfield Supper Club'' was the basis for "Smoke Dreams", covered by Jo Stafford, k.d. lang, and other artists. Liggett & Myers sponsored '' Dragnet'', both on radio and on TV, during the 1950s. The 1954 theatrical version of ''Dragnet'' also had Chesterfield product placements, such as advertisements in scenes taking place at drug stores and news counters, or cigarette vending machines.

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise), ''Dragnet'' franchise ...

as Sgt. Joe Friday was seen smoking Chesterfields in the movie and TV series. The Martin and Lewis Show, on NBC radio from 1949 to 1953, was sponsored or co-sponsored for most of its run by Chesterfield. Also in the 1950s, ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' on both radio and TV was similarly sponsored primarily by Chesterfields and L&Ms. In 1963,

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

the creator of

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

"often seen smoking a cigarette while narrating the Intro and Outro to his episodes" frequently smoked and promoted Chesterfield Cigarettes at the end of the episodes, usually following the famous quote "They Satisfy". In the 1940s and 1950s

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

, and

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. At the peak of his success, in the early to mid-1950s, Godfrey was heard on radio and seen on television up to six days ...

were among Chesterfield's official spokesmen; Chesterfield being one of the primary sponsors of the radio and TV programs of these stars during that time.

Markets

Chesterfield is sold in:

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

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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 ...

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Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

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In popular culture

Novels

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

frequently makes references to different smoking products in his famous

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

novels. The Chesterfield brand of cigarette are portrayed as one of Bond's favorites as seen in the 1959 book '' Goldfinger.'' In this novel, James Bond demands of Goldfinger's servant, "Oddjob, I want a lot of food, quickly. And a bottle of bourbon, soda and ice. Also a carton of Chesterfields, king-size..." In numerous

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

novels, his characters frequently smoke Chesterfield cigarettes. In King's 2000 book '' On Writing'', he wrote that Chesterfield was the first brand he smoked, and that his World War II veteran uncle dismissed them as "stockade cigarettes." In Oscar Hijuelos' Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, several main characters smoke Chesterfield cigarettes.

Television series

In the 2010

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

TV series '' Boardwalk Empire'', Agent Knox is seen giving three packs of Chesterfield cigarettes to Clayton. In the 2020 miniseries '' The Queen's Gambit'', Beth Harmon's adoptive mother asks Beth to run to the store to pick up three packs of Chesterfields. In the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'',

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth II. ...

’s favorite cigarettes are Chesterfields. In real life, the Princess was known to smoke up to sixty cigarettes per day.

Films

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

frequently appeared in Chesterfield advertisements. A scene from the 1944 movie ''To Have and Have Not'' shows him with a pack of Chesterfields. In the 1958 movie South Pacific, Joe Cabel ( John Kerr) is seen taking a Chesterfield out of a pack as he arrives at the Navy base. A Chesterfield placement appeared in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' in which the cigarette smoked by the actress Jean Seberg is a Chesterfield.

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important producti ...

bought two packs of Chesterfield cigarettes in the movie ''

Il Sorpasso ''Il sorpasso'' (), also titled ''The Easy Life'' in English, is a 1962 Italian comedy film co-written and directed by Dino Risi and starring Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Catherine Spaak. It is considered Risi's masterpiece and on ...

''. In Jack Clayton's 1974 adaptation of '' The Great Gatsby'', Gatsby (

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

) splits the last Chesterfield in his pack with Nick Carraway ( Sam Waterston) while the two chat on Carraway's porch. Nick Carraway is a thinly-disguised F. Scott Fitzgerald in ''The Great Gatsby''. Fitzgerald's favorite cigarette was Chesterfield, so the scene is an accurate adaptation. Jake Blues (

John Belushi John Adam Belushi ( ; January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, singer and musician. He was one of seven ''Saturday Night Live'' cast members of the first season. He was arguably the most popular member of the ''Satur ...

) smoked Chesterfield cigarettes in the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers''. Near the end of the scene at Bob's Country Bunker, Jake is seen briefly flashing a flattened and nearly empty pack of Chesterfield cigarettes, pretending it is his musician's union ID card. In

Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician. He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...

's 1984 film ''

Stranger Than Paradise ''Stranger Than Paradise'' is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film directed, co-written and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, an ...

'' the main characters smoke Chesterfields, at times discussing where they can purchase them. In the 1989 film ''Fratelli d'Italia'', Jerry Calà draws a pack of Chesterfield Reds several times. In

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

's 1992 movie '' Reservoir Dogs'', Mr. White offers Mr. Pink a Chesterfield cigarette in an attempt to calm him. In another Tarantino-penned movie, 1993's '' True Romance'', Clarence Worley's father, Clifford, smokes a Chesterfield before his execution at the hands of Blue Lou Boyle's '' consigliere,'' Vincenzo Coccotti. In the 1994 film ''

The Shawshank Redemption ''The Shawshank Redemption'' is a 1994 American Prison film, prison Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella ''Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption''. The film t ...

'', Red ( Morgan Freeman) is seen giving a pack of Chesterfield cigarettes to Heywood ( William Sadler) after losing the ''"Fresh Fish"'' bet. Heywood sniffs the cigarettes and says "Yes, Richmond, Virginia". In the

Coen brothers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, together known as the Coen brothers (), are an American filmmaking duo. Their films span many genres and styles, which they frequently subvert or parody. Among their most acclaimed works are '' Blood Simple'' (198 ...

' 2001 ''The Man Who Wasn't There'', a black and white neo-noir film set in 1949, the main character is an unfiltered Chesterfield chain smoker. In the 2005 film ''Memoirs of a Geisha'', after Pumpkin has immersed herself in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

American soldier culture, she tells Sayuri that she only smokes Chesterfields now. In the 2007 film ''Grindhouse'', the actor

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor before transitioning to leading roles as an adult in various genres such as action adventures, science-fiction, westerns, romance films, co ...

extracts a Chesterfield pack out of his pocket. In 2018, Norman Newlander ( Alan Arkin) mentions smoking Chesterfield cigarettes when he was younger in

Chuck Lorre Charles Michael Lorre ( ; né Levine; born October 18, 1952) is an American television producer, writer, director, and composer. Nicknamed the "King of Sitcoms", Lorre has created/co-created and produced many sitcoms including '' Cybill'' (199 ...

's American comedy-drama series '' The Kominsky Method'' (Season One: Episode 6, ~11min).

Music

The 1992 Jawbreaker song "Chesterfield King" refers to the cigarette twice. First, the singer shares a Chesterfield with a woman he meets in a parking lot. Later, at the end of the song, the singer gives a Chesterfield King to the woman he has been singing about. Donald Fagen's 1982 album '' The Nightfly'' features a pack of Chesterfield Kings on the cover and the brand is also mentioned in the title song ''The Nightfly'' whereby the lyrics go: "I've got plenty of

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

and Chesterfield kings..." The 2001 song "Good Times Gone" by Canadian rock band ''

Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...

'' from their album '' Silver Side Up'' opens with the line, "Lost it on a Chesterfield" in possible reference to ''Chesterfield'' cigarettes.

Celebrities

J. Robert Oppenheimer was a chain smoker of Chesterfields

was known to smoke Chesterfield throughout her life.

, creator and host of the series ''

'' (1959–1964), smoked and sometimes promoted Chesterfield during his brief appearances at the end of each episode. The Hollywood actor Paul Douglas, who died of a heart attack at age 52, advertised them. Longtime college football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant smoked unfiltered Chesterfields, often two to three packs per day.

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

was known to smoke Chesterfields. Because ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...

'' was sponsored by Philip Morris, she was not supposed to be seen smoking any other brand of cigarette on set. She still smoked Chesterfields, but put them in a Philip Morris pack. Popular big band leader Glenn Miller was sponsored by Chesterfield in the early 1940s. He was billed as Glenn Miller and his Chesterfield Orchestra. At one point during the partnership the music stands were designed to look like packs of Chesterfield cigarettes, and later was replaced by a blue banner with gold fringe that was embroidered with Glenn Miller and his Chesterfield Orchestra with two crossed cigarettes at the bottom, the top one having a red tip with emulated smoke rising from it. It was during the Chesterfield radio broadcasts on Sunday afternoons with Glenn Miller that the female trio The Andrews Sisters gained popularity.

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Collection of mid-20th century advertising featuring Chesterfield cigarettes
from the TJS Labs Gallery of Graphic Design. {{Authority control 1873 introductions Philip Morris brands Liggett Group brands Glenn Miller