Parliament is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the United States and Philip Morris International outside of the United States.
History
The brand was launched in 1931 and is distinctive for its recessed paper filters.[1] It was originally used as an advertising gimmick when cigarettes did not have filters. The first commercial cigarette filters came into use in 1935.[2]
Until the late 1950s, Parliament was packaged in a two-layer "hard" pack. That packaging continued under the Benson & Hedges brand after Parliament adopted a conventional paper pack.
Parliament is one of few brands of cigarettes on the mainstream market to feature a recessed paper filter. Cigarette filters became common in most cigarettes in the 1950s. In the 1950s and 1960s, the brand was marketed for its unique filters, with advertisements reading, "Only the flavor touches your lips", and "Tobacco tastes best when the filter's recessed".[3]