Free was a Brazilian 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, owned and manufactured by
Souza Cruz, a subsidiary of
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 ...
. It was discontinued in 2016.
History
The brand was launched in 1984 (one of the slogans: ''"Free-A matter of common sense"''). Nowadays, it is one of the most purchased cigarettes in Brazil and, according to the company, it is the leader in the category of cigarettes with tar levels below 7 mg.
In 2009, the company reformulated the brand's packaging and launched a line of products on the basis of menthol, the family Mix (Fresh Mix, Citric Mix and Spicy Mix).
Souza Cruz started in the following months a trademark migration process made for eight years with the now defunct Carlton, which gradually turned into
Dunhill. This time, the global brand of Souza Cruz, which succeeded the Free was
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
.
By the end of 2016, Free also imprinted the logo of Kent. Within a year, the name Free was removed from the pack.
The brand was mainly sold in
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 ...
, but was also 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 ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
.
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 ...
References
External links
Souzacruz.com.br: Ingredientes do fumo
{{British American Tobacco
1984 establishments in Brazil
2016 disestablishments in Brazil
British American Tobacco brands