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 Virginia Slims is a relatively new brand of cigarettes. They were first manufactured and sold in the late 1960's by Philip Morris. Virginia Slim Cigarettes were marketed towards young and professional women who seemed to love them not only for their great smooth taste but also for the edginess that Virginia Slims seems to have. Their famous slogan in the beginning was, "You've come a long way, baby!" Their most popular slogans in the 1990's were "It's a woman thing," and "Find your voice." Both which are still targeted at professional women looking for a unique and different cigarette from her male associates at work.
When Virginia Slims brand of cigarettes was first introduced, it was marketed as a more feminine version of the Benson and Hedges brand. There were many similarities in the two, including:
- flavor
- tobacco blends
- marketing concepts
- color schemes of packages
Until 1979, packs of Virginia Slims actually said Benson and Hedges near the bottom of the package, but that has since been removed to give the woman a feeling of having a brand that is all her own.
Virginia Slims brand manufactures cigarettes that are much thinner in diameter than regular cigarettes. The narrow cigarettes are also longer in length than an ordinary cigarette and can be found in regular, 100’s and the longest is a 120. This was done with the intention of giving the cigarette a more feminine, or elegant and classy look, in attempt to appeal more to women smokers. In addition, the longer, thinner cigarettes were said to produce less smoke than a normal sized cigarette, reducing the amount of second hand smoke in the air.
In addition to being sold in the full flavor variety, other types of Virginia Slims brand cigarettes are available. These types include:
- Superslims
- Lights
- Ultra Lights
All varieties of Virginia Slims brand cigarettes come in menthol flavored, as well as the regular flavor. Menthol varieties have reportedly represented up to 55 percent of the total sales from the cigarettes since more woman choose to smoke menthol cigarettes. The packages have vertical stripes going down the left side of the package. The color of the stripes will vary depending on the type of Virginia Slims you purchase. There have been eleven different varieties of Virginia Slims cigarettes test-marketed in the United States. Seven of those varieties remain on the market today.
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