Raffles (also known as Players 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 ...
; now Virginia S by Raffles) was a British 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 which was owned and manufactured by
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 ...
in the U.S. and by
Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.
History
In August 2001,
Imperial Tobacco announced that it had entered into an agreement with Philip Morris International for the distribution and sale of
Marlboro, Raffles and
Chesterfield cigarettes in the U.K.
In May 2011, the name of the brand was changed from Raffles to Virginia S by Raffles. Philip Morris Marketing Director Xavier Ducarroz described the rename as a move to a "contemporary look and feel."
Advertising
Various poster and magazine adverts, as well as promotional merchandise, were made to promote the brand in the 1980s and 1990s.
See also
*
Tobacco smoking
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raffles (Cigarette)
Philip Morris brands