New "Cigar Bars" Open Across the Country

Anne Landman's Collection

New "Cigar Bars" Open Across the Country

Date: 27 Feb 1997
Length: 2 pages
2070385354-2070385355
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Abstract

This 1997 document from the Philip Morris (PM) collection is a draft press release promoting cigars and cigar use. It mentions how Arnold Schwartzenegger's image has helped increase cigar use and sales around the country:

"News reports from coast to coast show that the cigar smoker's image is now more Arnold Schwartzenegger and less Archie Bunker. The change has been good for the industry. The Cigar Association of America reported last fall that it expected 1996 sales of premium, hand-rolled cigars to hit more than 150 million units, nearly double 1994 sales."

Bodybuilder-turned-movie star-turned politician Arnold Schwartzenegger portrayed primarily action heroes in many Hollywood films in the late 1980's to early 1990's. In 1996, he appeared on the cover of "Cigar Aficionado" magazine sporting a stogey. Thus, Mr. Schwartzenegger's name and image became closely associated with tobacco use, particularly in the form of cigars.

The 1992 Philip Morris document, "Marlboro Target Exploration: Understanding Generation X," reports that when young adult male "Marlboro targets" were asked to name the person whom they admired most, they ranked Arnold Schwartzenegger just below their mothers/ fathers/ grandfathers, and just above retired U.S. General Norman Schwartzkopf. (Start Bates No. 2041855604, on Page 189) http://tobaccodocuments.org/pm/2041855604-5819.html

In August 2003, Mr. Schwartzenegger joined over 100 citizens in placing their names on a ballot as potential replacements for California governor Gray Davis, the subject of a rare recall election in that state.

A 1998 article in the Baltimore Sun described how cigar manufacturers paid Hollywood brokers to get stars like Mr. Schwartzenegger to "wield cigars on television and in the movies." The article credits Mr. Schwartzenegger as well as other stars like Demi Moore, Madonna, hockey great Wayne Gretzky and model Claudia Schiffer with helping bring cigars back to popularity, to the detriment of public health. The article points out that while federal authorities cracked down on use of films as a medium to promote cigarette smoking to youth, cigars escaped the attention of rulemakes and thus their promotion remained unregulated: http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/cgi/getdoc?tid=aqr47c00&fmt=pdf&ref=results

User-Contributed Notes

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Quotes: News reports from coast to coast show that the cigar smoker's image is now more Arnold Schwartzenegger and less Archie Bunker. The change has been good for the industry. The Cigar Association of America reported last fall that it expected 1996 sales of premium, hand-rolled cigars to hit more than 150 million units, nearly double 1994 sales.
Company: Philip Morris
Author: D, P.
Region: United States
Named Organization: 21 Club; Cigar Assn of American; Nations Restaurant News; Patroon
Litigation: Feda/Produced
Operation/Project: Cigar promotion
Named Person: Aretsky, K.; Bunker, Archie (TV Character, "All in the Family" in 1960s)
Bigoted, cigar-smoking "working man"; Schwartzenegger, Arnold (Bodybuilder/movie action-hero from late 1980's-early 1990s)
Entered politics in 2003 by running against California Governor Gray Davis in a recall attempt.
Type: Press release
Subject: Cigars/Cigarillos (Products); promotional campaign; promotions; Movies (Tobacco in the movies)

Document Images

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.DISCUSSION DRAFT/February 27, 1997 page 2 "As a restaurateur," he told Nation's Restaurant News, "I'm offended when I see people spending a lot of money to eat out and then they have to go outside to smoke a cigarette." Three cheers for Ken Arestsky and the scores of other restaurant and bar owners across the country who are not only welcoming but celebrating smokers in their establishments! # # #

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New "Cigar Bars" Open Across the Country From conservative Orange County, California, to the Kansas prairie-to the hip Flatiron district of Manhattan, cigar bars and cigar-friendly restaurants are spreading across the nation. The trend doesn't stop at the border: several cruise lines now cater to cigar smokers. News reports from coast to coast show that the cigar smoker's image is now more Arnold Schwartzenegger and less Archie Bunker. The change has been good for the industry. The Cigar Association of American reported last fall that it expected 1996 salesLof premium hand-rolled cigars to hit more than 250 million units -,)nearly double 1994 sales. And in -the face of rising demand, prices of the best cigars have risen, too, in some cases doubling or tripling. Some people call the trend a "craze," but others believe good cigars represent a luxury that people are rediscovering and will continue to enjoy for many years to come. Ken Aretsky is one of those believers. The former chief executive of New York's famed "21" Club bought a building in midtown Manhattan and says he spent more than a million dollars transforming it into one of the most luxurious cigar- friendly restaurants in the country. Patroon, on East 46th Street in midtown Manhattan, opened last November with superb food, an extensive wine list, a professional staff, an elegant cigar lounge and a walk-in humidor lined with Spanish cedar. Customers pay $1500 a year to store their stogies on the premises. Obviously, Mr. Aretsky does not see cigars as a "fad." To him, accommodation is simply a part of good service.

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Anne Landman's Collection