Tonight I was over at a friend’s house and he was smoking Natural American Spirit cigarettes. The packaging included some copy that explained “Many of the flavorings in cigarettes manufactured by the major tabacco companies are used to mask the poor taste profile of reconstituted sheet tobacco - we use only whole leaf, additive-free natural tobacco.” (my emphasis added.)
My friend Peter then told me that he American Spirit is now owned by RJ Reynolds - the “second-largest tobacco company in the United States, manufacturing about one of every four cigarettes sold in the United States.” (rjrt.com 11may2003) Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, makers of Natural American Spirit cigarettes confirm that they are owned by the second largest cigarette company.
It’s interesting how companies enter markets and create propaganda that endorses some of their products by smashing other products.
5 Comments
It is interesting and makes a lot of sense to do if you’re looking to make money and be the “top dog” of your market. The more you are able to bring in different types of people and their choices in the same market & in the same company the more money you will make. Also, you may even have customers switch but they are still buying from you when it comes down to all of it. When it comes to the cost of American Spirits, they are a little more expensive to buy than a lot of the RJ Reynolds other brands. Now it’s not much but enough to make a extra 25 cents per pack. What is also adding to it being a benefit for them is that lately, health and wellness companies & sales have become increasingly more popular. Eventhough cigarettes are unhealthy no matter what. The fact that they say natural and no additives really will attract smokers who don’t want to quit but seek “healthier” methods. Very ironic and very interesting that it does work.
American Spirits are not really ment to be healthier, just better. The way they make regular cigerettes is fairly disgusting. Spirits are only whole leaf tobacco. Actual leaves of the tobacco plant. If you think thats what is in regular cigerettes, your way off. The whole process is fairly lenghy but basicly its boiled to a mash, stripped of relevant chemicals, bleached, the chemicals are added back to the paste in carefully controled levels, rolled out on sheets, flattened and shredded. Thats a long way of of whole leaf tobacco.
I have to agree its ironic that RJR is using the indie image of santa fe tobacco co. Its image is one of the best marketing strengths, so its
not to surprising RJR would use it. I believe Santa Fe Tobacco kept alot of its operating rights, so it could be few people at RJR even saw the campaign.
Something to consider is the fact that for hundreds and maybe even thousands of years before European arrival most indigenous peoples of the so called Americas (Native Amer/Mexican)would smoke tobacco by the bowl load everday sometimes after a delicious cup of chocolatl. They lived to be of the utmost health and age.
Compared to how most cigarrettes are made it is definatly a big step in the right direction.
So I wouldn’t exactly say that it is unhealthy. People need to respect the god given tobacco and use it as originally as possible and hey.. now there is natural and organic alternatives so easily accessable. What a perfect time to smoke and give thanks to to Ipalnemoani (the creator of all things)!
Although it is a little concern that rj reynolds now owns I would not stress about it as long American Spirits stays true to its formula.
Peace and Quetzal Plumez to all!
My name is Tamás Oszter, and I am Hungarian living in Budapest. I would like to become a distributor of your American Spirit cigarrettes. I believe that there is a market in Hungary for this your product; however, I do not have any traditional means to conversing with an actual representative. Please e-mail me the following information: Point Of Contact(POC), Telephone and Fax No., and an address. I appreciate your time and consideration. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Tamás Oszter
Well Well well !!! I did not know that RJR is now dabling into my “GOOD SMOKES”…lol, I just hope that they do stay true to the recipes of the Santa Fe company. I would be hardpressed to find another cigarette as good as this one !!
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