Navy Cut Tobacco was a brand of tobacco products, pipe and cigarette, originally manufactured by John Player & Sons) in Nottingham, England where it continued to be produced after Player's became a branch of the Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and Ireland in 1901. Named "Player's Navy Cut," the brand gained popularity in Britain, Germany, and British Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, later expanding to the United States.[1] The brand's packaging featured a distinctive logo of a sailor in a 'Navy Cut' cap.[2]
The term "Navy Cut" reportedly originated from sailors' practice of binding tobacco leaves with string or twine, allowing the tobacco to mature under pressure, and then slicing off a "cut" for use.[3] The product was also available in pipe tobacco form.
Packaging
The cigarettes were initially available in tins, later transitioning to cardboard containers resembling classic matchboxes and eventually adopting the flip-top design common among cigarette brands in the 1950s.[4]
Marketing
The brand's imagery, featuring a sailor known as "Hero," evolved over time but retained its appeal to consumers. Advertising campaigns emphasized the product's quality and universal appeal. Player's Medium Navy Cut became the most popular variant, especially in the South of England and among the middle class.[5] Despite its popularity, the brand was discontinued in the UK by the end of 2015.[6]
See also
- Navy cut tobacco
- Wills Navy Cut
- List of cigarette brands
External links
References
- Howard Cox. The Global Cigarette: Origin and Evolution of British American Tobacco, 1880-1945 Oxford University Press, 2000, retrieved 21 February 2013^
- Penny Tinkler. Smoke Signals: Women, Smoking and Visual Culture in Britain Berg, 28 November 2006, retrieved 21 February 2013^
- Advert Scientific American, February 1964, retrieved 21 February 2013^
- Maurice Rickards. The encyclopedia of ephemera : a guide to the fragmentary documents of everyday life for the collector, curator, and historian Routledge, 2000^
- Penny Tinkler. Smoke signals : women, smoking and visual culture in Britain Berg, 2006^
- Player’s Navy Cut Flake, “The best there is.” 2020-09-26, retrieved 2024-04-19^