Muriel Cigars
Product typeCigars
OwnerAltadis
CountryUnited States
Introduced1912 (1912)
Previous ownersLorillard Tobacco Company
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Muriel Cigars is a brand of machine-rolled cigars, most recently owned by Altadis, a subsidiary of Imperial Brands.

History

The Muriel Cigars brand was established in 1912 by Lorillard Tobacco Company[1] in Jersey City, New Jersey.[2] Muriel Cigars was acquired by Consolidated Cigar Holdings, Inc. in 1956,[3][4] which in turn merged with Havatampa in 2000 to form Altadis USA.[5]

The first Muriel cover girl, long considered a mystery, was an adult imagining of a child, Muriel Berry, granddaughter of Dr. Carl Moehle. Moehle was the owner of the lithographic firm that produced the original label.[1] The brand chose a new model in the 1970s in an attempt to maintain relevance in changing times.[6]

Muriel's popularity peaked in the 1950s,[7] but Consolidated continued to market the brand extensively in America throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[2] The brand did $40 million in annual sales by 1973,[6] spending as much as $2.5 million per year on marketing in the 1970s.[8] Muriel Cigars ran television advertisements in the first Super Bowl in 1966.[9] Actress Edie Adams notably worked as a pitch-lady for Muriel Cigars, appearing in multiple commercials throughout the 1950s and 1960s.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The NEW Miss Muriel". Printers' Ink. July 11, 1952.
  2. 1 2 "Muriel Cigars - CheapLittleCigar.com". www.cheaplittlecigars.com. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  3. Kiersh, Edward (March 1997). "The El Producto Story". Cigar Aficionado.
  4. "CIGAR SALES SMOKING ONCE AGAIN". Chicago Tribune. June 13, 1993. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  5. Parks, Kyle (November 22, 2000). "Villazon cigar plant to roll up business". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1E.
  6. 1 2 Sloane, Leonard (September 1, 1976). "Advertising". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  7. "Muriel Cigar Sales Up". The New York Times. August 16, 1951. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  8. "Cigar Maker Seeking New Agency to Handle Muriel". The New York Times. September 23, 1970. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  9. Beschloss, Michael (January 24, 2015). "Before the Bowl Was Super". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  10. Weber, Bruce (October 16, 2008). "Edie Adams, Actress and Singer (and Flirt With a Cigar), Dies at 81". The New York Times.
  11. Thurber, Jon (October 17, 2008). "Tony award-winning actress, TV star". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
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