An Indian pack of Wills Classic Milds cigarettes with a picture warning
Product typeCigarette
OwnerITC Limited in India, Imperial Tobacco outside of India
Produced byITC Limited in India, Imperial Tobacco outside of India
CountryIndia
Introduced1979 (1979)
Related brandsClassic Blue Leaf, Classic Rich Taste (formerly Classic Regular), Classic Balanced Taste (Formerly Classic Milds), Classic Refined taste (formerly Classic Ultra Milds), Classic Ice-burst, Classic Double Burst, Classic Low Smell, Classic Verve, Classic Connect.
MarketsSee Markets
Tagline"Live Your Passion, Discover a passion, For Those Who Value Taste"
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Classic (cigarettes).

Wills Classic (or Imperial Classic as it is known in some countries) is a range of cigarettes in India, currently owned and manufactured by ITC Limited.[1] Outside of India, it is manufactured by Imperial Tobacco.[2]

Overview

Classic Filter Kings is a cigarette brand with a number of variants. The first Classic variant was launched in India by ITC Limited in 1979. At the time the Indian cigarette market was mainly dominated by plain and Regular Size Filter Tipped products, with king size contributing barely 5% of the total market.[1]

History

Advertisement – Classic Filter Kings circa 1979
Advertisement – Classic Filter Kings circa 1979

Classic was launched in 1979 and advertised as a premium brand. It became popular in the metro areas in India, especially in the north and in the east.[3]

1990s

During the late 1990s, the image was changed to become more global.[4] The cigarette size was increased from 83mm to 84mm and the diameter from 24.5mm to 24.75mm. The paper quality was also improved.[5] Classic Ultra Milds were introduced in 1997[6] The different brand variants were sold in packages with different colors.

The brand was connected to sponsorships including racing and golf. These were targeted at Westernised affluent smokers of the SEC A category. In 1996, the company began to incorporate music in their advertising, producing limited edition music packs, as well as other limited edition packs on the themes of polo and racing.

2000s

In the 2000s, ITC Limited launched new variants, including the slimmed version Classic Verve, as well as cigarette flavoured with menthol, lemon, or tea.[7][8]

In 2015, the company started producing capsule cigarettes, which contained a capsule that added a extra flavour to the cigarette. In 2016, the brand launched an innovation called Classic Low Smell[9]

Markets

Wills Classic is mainly sold in India, but has also been sold internationally. ITC's cigarette business continues to maintain high standards of international quality and competitiveness. West Asia is a key export region for ITC and they offer a wide portfolio of high-quality cigarettes in this region. With a variety of brands under the Classic, Wills, Scissors and ACE Umbrella Trademarks.

ITC has cemented its international standing being the 3rd largest player in the countries of Bahrain & Qatar. ITC was also the first company to introduce a flavour-on-demand (capsule) product in the economy industry segment in the West Asia region.[10]

Products

Classic brands marketed in India include

  • Classic Rich Taste (formerly Classic Regular)
  • Classic Balanced Taste (Formerly Classic Milds)
  • Classic Refined taste (formerly Classic Ultra Milds)
  • Classic Blue Leaf
  • Classic Verve
  • Classic Verve Low Smell
  • Classic Ice-burst
  • Classic Double Burst
  • Classic Low Smell
  • Classic Connect


See also

References

  1. 1 2 "ITC Cigarettes". ITC.
  2. ↑ "Wills". Zigsam.at. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. ↑ "ITC". Money Control.
  4. ↑ Dutt, Ishita Ayan (19 November 2014). "40 Years Ago...and now: 'Made for each other'- A case of perfect insight". Business Standard India. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Top 10 Best Cigarette Brands in India With Price 2018 – World Blaze – Part 2". Worldblaze.in. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Launching A Mild Attack". Business Standard India. 3 June 1997. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "ITC focuses on innovation to sustain leadership position in cigarette biz". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "ITC Q4 results: Cigarettes, agri-biz boost firm's FY22 performance". Business Today. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. ↑ Mitra, Sounak (11 April 2016). "ITC launches 'low smell' cigarettes". mint. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  10. ↑ "ITC is the market leader in cigarettes in India". www.itcportal.com. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
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