Eve Cigarettes
Eve is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the Liggett Group in the United States. Outside of the U.S., Philip Morris International is the manufacturer of the brand. This brand holds a unique position in the market due to its targeted approach and distinctive design.
History of Eve Cigarettes
Eve was launched in 1971 to compete with Philip Morris Corporation’s Virginia Slims cigarette. It was designed as a more conventionally feminine brand of cigarette targeting the growing women’s market. Eve cigarettes were particularly marketed towards black women.
In the 20th century, both the packaging and the cigarettes featured a floral design. Advertisements described the cigarette as having “flowers on the outside, flavor on the inside.” As of 2002, the floral pattern has been replaced by butterflies.
Eve Cigarettes Line and Varieties
Eve Cigarettes, a brand with a unique appeal, has a range of varieties that cater to different preferences. Known for their elegance and feminine design, Eve Cigarettes offer options that are both visually appealing and satisfying to smoke. Manufactured by the Liggett Group in the United States and by Philip Morris International outside the U.S., Eve has established itself as a notable name in the cigarette industry.
Varieties of Eve Cigarettes
Eve Amethyst 120s
Eve Amethyst 120s are a popular choice among Eve smokers. These cigarettes are known for their longer length of 120mm, providing a smooth and extended smoking experience. The Amethyst variety features a mild and pleasant flavor, making it a preferred choice for those who enjoy a less intense cigarette. The packaging is elegant, with a subtle butterfly motif that adds to the brand’s feminine appeal.
Eve Sapphire 120s
Eve Sapphire 120s are another variant in the Eve lineup. Like the Amethyst, these cigarettes are 120mm long, offering a longer smoking duration. The Sapphire variety is known for its rich and smooth flavor, appealing to smokers who prefer a deeper taste. The packaging is designed with a sophisticated butterfly watermark, maintaining the brand’s signature style.
Eve Menthol Emerald 120s
For those who prefer a menthol flavor, Eve Menthol Emerald 120s are an excellent choice. These cigarettes provide a refreshing menthol taste combined with the smooth smoking experience that Eve is known for. The Menthol Emerald variety is 120mm in length, ensuring a satisfying and extended smoking session. The packaging features green accents and a butterfly design, emphasizing the menthol flavor.
Eve Menthol Turquoise 120s
Eve Menthol Turquoise 120s offer another menthol option in the Eve range. These cigarettes have a distinct menthol flavor that is crisp and invigorating. Like other Eve varieties, the Menthol Turquoise is 120mm long, providing a prolonged and enjoyable smoke. The packaging includes teal highlights and the butterfly motif, reinforcing the brand’s elegant and refreshing image.
Characteristics of Eve Cigarettes
Eve Cigarettes are distinguished by their longer length and narrower design compared to average cigarettes. This design aligns with the notion that slim and slender figures are desirable in women’s fashion and modeling industries. The extra length, typically 120mm compared to the standard 85mm, emphasizes sophistication and elegance.
The brand’s packaging has evolved over the years, with early designs featuring floral patterns that have since been replaced by butterfly motifs. This change reflects the brand’s commitment to maintaining a modern and appealing image while staying true to its feminine roots.
Marketing and Appeal
Eve Cigarettes have always focused on appealing to female smokers. The brand’s advertising campaigns encourage women to embrace their femininity, positioning Eve Cigarettes as fashionable accessories. Print advertisements often depict women in elegant attire, contrasting with the more progressive image of other brands like Virginia Slims.
The slogans used in Eve’s marketing, such as “Every inch a lady,” highlight the association between long cigarettes and sophistication. By promoting their cigarettes as objects of beauty, Eve aims to enhance the attractiveness of women who choose to smoke their brand.
Marketing Strategies
Eve cigarettes employed advertising campaigns urging women to embrace their femininity. Drawing inspiration from Virginia Slims, Eve sought to attract female consumers by positioning cigarettes as fashionable accessories. Numerous print advertisements depicted women in elegant attire, a notably more conservative image compared to their Virginia Slims counterparts, which was associated with the women’s movement. Some of their slogans directly addressed physical appearance, such as the 1970s campaign titled “Farewell to the Ugly Cigarette Pack.”
Eve cigarettes distinguished themselves by being longer and narrower than the average cigarette. This design aligned with the prevailing notion that slim and slender figures are considered desirable in women’s fashion and modeling industries. This characteristic aimed to align Eve with the subliminal message, akin to Virginia Slims, that their brand could contribute to obtaining or maintaining a slim figure. The brand also emphasized its extra length, typically 120mm compared to the 85mm of an average cigarette, using slogans like “Every inch a lady” in the 1980s to underscore the association between long cigarettes and sophistication promoted during that era.
Eve’s advertising strategy centered on portraying their cigarettes as objects of beauty. The primary objective was to gain market share from competing brands, especially those targeting women, and to attract non-smokers by suggesting that choosing Eve would make a woman more attractive.
In comparison to its main competitor, Virginia Slims, Eve targeted a more niche market; as a result, Eve did not achieve the same level of sales as Virginia Slims.
Market Presence
Eve is mainly sold in the United States and was or still is sold in Germany, the Philippines, Austria, Ceuta, Melilla, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Israel, and Argentina. This broad market presence indicates the brand’s attempt to cater to a diverse audience.
Packaging Evolution
Eve’s packaging was created by Lubalin, Smith, & Carnase and originally featured an art nouveau design that covered both the box and the cigarettes. Its original design was a soft pack decorated with flowers and a drawing of Eve in the garden. It later removed the female figure and retained only the flowers, before the flowers were minimized to a band lengthwise on a white cardboard box.
This packaging went unchanged until 1992, when the small multicolored flowers were replaced by thin orchid-like flowers in jewel tones on the box, and a single small colored flower on the filter band of the cigarette. In Germany, the packaging and cigarette design did not change, retaining the floral band. Menthol versions of Eve used similar designs but with more greenish tones.
Shorter 100mm Eve in Regular and Menthol boxes were eventually reintroduced in 1985 but gradually disappeared due to a lack of consumer interest.
In 1990, Eve Ultra Lights 120s were introduced in Regular and Menthol, promising lowered tar and nicotine, and milder flavor. The packaging consisted of a white flip-top box, with long-stemmed flowers done in pastels, and a single pastel flower on the filter band. Menthols were similar but were greener.
After 1992, packaging remained unchanged until 2002, when the flowers were replaced by butterflies. Ultra Lights lost the long-stemmed flowers they had since their introduction and were unified with the regulars for the first time by assuming the butterfly motif, with different colors identifying Ultra Lights (blue) and Menthol Ultra Lights (teal), to complement the colors identifying Lights (purple) and Menthol Lights (green).
In 2002, soft pack 100s were reintroduced using the butterfly design of the 120s. As in the mid-1980s, the 100s were gradually phased out.
By July 2010, as per the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the words “lights” and “ultralights” were removed.
As of 2023, four styles of Eve cigarettes are available: Eve Amethyst 120s, Eve Sapphire 120s, Eve Menthol Emerald 120s, and Eve Menthol Turquoise 120s. The butterfly band around the filter and above the rings with the Eve logo now appears as a subtle watermark, as opposed to the bright colors featured in the past.
Conclusion
Eve cigarettes have carved out a unique space in the market with their distinct design and targeted marketing approach. Despite not achieving the same sales level as Virginia Slims, Eve remains a notable brand in the cigarette industry, appealing to a niche market with its feminine and stylish image. The evolution of Eve’s packaging and marketing strategies reflects changing consumer preferences and regulatory environments, ensuring that the brand stays relevant in a competitive market.