Marketing
Kool cigarette advertising began with the character of "Willie" the penguin,[8][9] who was portrayed as several different professions, among which were a doctor, a soldier and a chef.[10][11] Starting in 1936, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's advertising agency also created ads and election guides where the mascot acted as a mediator between feuding political parties, in effect portraying Kool cigarettes as a remedy for heated political debates.[12] In the early 1950s, the company placed a number of decal signs at entrance doors reading "Come in... it's Kool inside", indicating that the space was air-conditioned.[13][14]
In the 1970s, Kool also marketed their cigarettes by linking the taste of menthol to outdoor scenes portraying water or snow.[15] Elaine Devry and John Clarke (actor) featured in Kool's advertisement at this time, as the female smoker whose day was improved by a passer-by who changed her car's flat tire. This was decades before whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand exposed Brown and Williamson's deliberate lacing of their tobacco with harmful substances.
In 1971, Kool initiated an advertising campaign where consumers could mail order a Snark sailboat with the Kool logo on the sail—for $88 (later $99) along with one Kool carton flap—including delivery. The sailboats retailed at the time for $120. As one of Kool's highest scoring ads, the company received over 18,000 orders for "Sea Snarks" in 1971.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Kool sponsored jazz festivals and many advertisements from the era featured a musician or an actor, playing a saxophone. Also, Kool was notoriously targeted to African-Americans, as were many menthol cigarettes.[18] In 1975, Kool held a sweepstakes with a Rolls-Royce Corniche as the prize.
At one time also Kool sponsored a hot-air balloon,[19] which went on tours.
