Du Maurier is a Canadian 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 ...
produced by
Imperial Tobacco Canada
Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited is a cigarette manufacturing company operating in Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of British American Tobacco. It was created in 1908 and bought out the Canadian interests of the American Tobacco Company, ...
, a subsidiary of conglomerate
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products including electronic cigarettes. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, E ...
. The brand is named after
Sir Gerald du Maurier, the noted British actor.
The brand is also produced under license by the West Indian Tobacco Company in
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...
.
History
The brand launched in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
in 1930 after actor and producer
Sir Gerald du Maurier (father of writer
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...
) made requests for "a cigarette less irritating to his throat". He lent his name to the creation of a cigarette brand, the royalties for which he used to pay down his substantial tax liabilities.
The tobacco company that launched the brand, Peter Jackson, was a subsidiary of International Tobacco, which was taken over by Gallaher in 1934.
In 1979, the brand passed to British American Tobacco, which had owned the trademark overseas since they acquired Peter Jackson (Overseas) Ltd.
In 2005, Du Maurier changed the aesthetic of their packs and
cigarette vending machines
A cigarette machine is a vending machine that dispenses packs of cigarettes in exchange for payment. Many modern cigarette machines require customers to swipe an identification card to prevent persons under the legal smoking age from purchasing ...
. Various advertising posters were made for this brand.
Sponsorship
Du Maurier was the sponsor of the
Canadian Women's Open
The Canadian Women's Open (), currently branded as the CPKC Women's Open for sponsorship reasons, is a women's professional golf tournament managed by Golf Canada. It has been Canada's national championship tournament since its founding in 197 ...
golf from 1988 until 2000, as well as the
Canadian Open's women's tennis from 1997 until 2000, when new anti-tobacco legislation came into force in Canada and prohibited tobacco companies from sponsoring major sporting events.
Product
Du Maurier markets the following varieties of cigarettes:
* Signature (red)
* Distinct (blue)
* Distinct Silver (silver)
* Mellow (beige)
* Menthol (green) (discontinued in Canada)
* Fine Cut Blend (discontinued)2019
* Master Blend (discontinued)2019
* Fresh Blend (discontinued in Canada)
* Special Blend
See also
*
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or released from the mouth, as is generally done with pipes and cigars. The practice is believed to hav ...
*
Caballero (cigarette)
Caballero is a Dutch brand of unfiltered cigarettes owned and manufactured by British American Tobacco (BAT). ''Caballero'' is the Spanish word for knight.
History
Caballero was founded shortly after World War II. In 1945, the Dutch advertising ...
References
External links
*
{{British American Tobacco
1930 establishments in Canada
Canadian brands
British American Tobacco brands