Tar derby
Encyclopedia
The tar derby is a term used to describe the period in the 1950s and early 1960s marked by a rapid influx in both cigarette advertising
focused on tar
content measurements to differentiate cigarette
s and brand introduction or repositioning focusing on filter
technology. The period ended in 1959 after the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) Chairman and several cigarette company presidents agreed to discontinue usage of tar or nicotine
levels in advertisements.
orders for advertising campaign
s using these. However, these orders did not cover newly introduced brands of cigarettes.
At the same time, three significant scientific articles were released, two in one issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association
and a third in the British Medical Journal
, which linked tobacco smoking
to lung cancer
.
A noticeable decline in per capita tobacco consumption helped stimulate companies to implement harm reduction technology in new brands of cigarettes, especially filter
s. Before the articles linking tobacco smoking and lung cancer were released, in 1950, filter cigarettes only accounted for 1-2% of the market. This statistic grew to 10% by 1954. Lorillard
started the trend with their Kent cigarette
. It was introduced in 1951 with a “micronite” filter made to block tar
from entering the smoker’s body, using asbestos
. Each major tobacco company followed suit with their own brands, such as R. J. Reynolds' Winston
s and Ligget & Myers'
L&M
s.
Companies began promoting their brand
s with claims that clearly positioned other cigarette
s as dangerous to one’s health and overall sales continued to decline as market share
s quickly shifted towards brands focusing on filtered products.
In 1953, the Presidents of the major cigarette manufacturers met in New York
to discuss a response to the scientific reports linking smoking and cancer
and retained John Hill, a noted advertising guru of the time. This eventually led to a two-full-page advertisement placed in 448 newspapers, reaching a circulation of 43,245,000 in 258 cities, outlining the opinion of the newly formed Tobacco Industry Research Committee. This advertisement is known as A Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers.
Another round of FTC regulation in 1955 banned all references to "throat, larynx, lungs, nose or other parts of the body," or to "digestion, energy, nerves or doctors" for all brands, new and old. However, another loophole
is left open with the stipulation that tar and nicotine claims were prohibited "when it has not been established by competent scientific proof ... that the claim is true, and if true, that such difference or differences are significant." This regulation leads to significant shifts in advertisements to focus on taste and pleasure for two years. Filter cigarettes continued to grow in popularity and the emphasis on taste and pleasure helped rebound industry wide sales.
were released, the Surgeon General issued the "Joint Report of Study Group on Smoking and Health.” The report stated, "It is clear that there is an increasing and consistent body of evidence that excessive cigarette smoking is one of the causative factors in lung cancer," which solidified the Surgeon General’s position on tobacco. During the same year, Reader’s Digest included tar and nicotine measurements in their magazine for the first time since the early 1950s.
July 1957 Consumer's Digest Tar Measurements
Plain Tips
Filters
The measurements showed that tar and nicotine levels of filtered cigarettes were higher or close to the levels of former unfiltered cigarettes. Cigarette manufacturers acted quickly and used the objective third party information, to advertise and compete over lower tar and nicotine. The next month Kent was written about again in Reader's Digest for their improved filter which lowered their tar content in their king and regular filtered cigarettes to 23.4 mg and 19.7 mg respectively. These lower tar levels were accompanied by advertisements that boasted:
Each company developed brands with lower tar and nicotine ratings or filters that eliminated more tar.
The 1958 issue of Consumer's Digest again exhibits the tar levels and shows the across the board decreases in tar levels for almost every cigarette measured.
July 1958 Consumer’s Digest Tar Measurements and Comparisons
Companies successfully reduced tar and nicotine
in all brands as seen by the sales-weighted tar and nicotine content decreasing 40% between mid 1957 and the end of 1959.
United States Tobacco Company
1956: King Sano: No cigarette that relies on a filter alone comes even close to KING SANO in reducing nicotine and tars!
Liggett and Myers
1958: L&M is Low in tar with More taste to it
Brown & Williamson
1959: Life: New Life's exclusive Millecel Super Filter absorbs for more tar and nicotine than any other filter. Only new Life with pure tobacco taste filters best by far . . . To give you far less tar and nicotine.
Phillip Morris
1959: Parliament: The most important 1/4 inch in smoking today Parliament is not the only cigarette that does a good job of trapping nicotine and tar. But Parliament is the only leading high—filtration cigarette that recesses its filter 1/4 inch to prevent filter feedback on your lips and tongue.
Lorillard
: Old Gold Straight: Naturally reduced in nicotine
Tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
focused on tar
Tar (tobacco residue)
Tar is the common name for the resinous partially combusted and healed particulate matter produced by the burning of tobacco and other plant material in the act of smoking. Tar is purportedly the most destructive component in habitual tobacco smoking, accumulating in the smoker's lungs over time...
content measurements to differentiate cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s and brand introduction or repositioning focusing on filter
Cigarette filter
A cigarette filter has the purpose of reducing the amount of smoke, tar, and fine particles inhaled during the combustion of a cigarette. Filters also reduce the harshness of the smoke and keep tobacco flakes out of the smoker's mouth.-History:...
technology. The period ended in 1959 after the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
(FTC) Chairman and several cigarette company presidents agreed to discontinue usage of tar or nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
levels in advertisements.
Leading up to the derby
In 1950, the FTC responded to the trend in cigarette manufacturers’ advertising tactic of comparing health effects or tar and nicotine levels by issuing cease and desistCease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
orders for advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
s using these. However, these orders did not cover newly introduced brands of cigarettes.
At the same time, three significant scientific articles were released, two in one issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
and a third in the British Medical Journal
BMJ
BMJ is a partially open-access peer-reviewed medical journal. Originally called the British Medical Journal, the title was officially shortened to BMJ in 1988. The journal is published by the BMJ Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association...
, which linked tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
to lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
A noticeable decline in per capita tobacco consumption helped stimulate companies to implement harm reduction technology in new brands of cigarettes, especially filter
Cigarette filter
A cigarette filter has the purpose of reducing the amount of smoke, tar, and fine particles inhaled during the combustion of a cigarette. Filters also reduce the harshness of the smoke and keep tobacco flakes out of the smoker's mouth.-History:...
s. Before the articles linking tobacco smoking and lung cancer were released, in 1950, filter cigarettes only accounted for 1-2% of the market. This statistic grew to 10% by 1954. Lorillard
Lorillard Tobacco Company
Lorillard Tobacco Company is an American tobacco company marketing cigarettes under the brand names Newport, Maverick, Old Gold, Kent, True, Satin, and Max. Lorillard is a member of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.- History :...
started the trend with their Kent cigarette
Kent (cigarette)
Kent is a brand of cigarettes. Kent's Micronite filter was introduced shortly after the publication of a series of articles in Reader's Digest in 1952 entitled "Cancer by the Carton", that scared American consumers into seeking out a filter brand at a time when most brands were filterless...
. It was introduced in 1951 with a “micronite” filter made to block tar
Tar (tobacco residue)
Tar is the common name for the resinous partially combusted and healed particulate matter produced by the burning of tobacco and other plant material in the act of smoking. Tar is purportedly the most destructive component in habitual tobacco smoking, accumulating in the smoker's lungs over time...
from entering the smoker’s body, using asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
. Each major tobacco company followed suit with their own brands, such as R. J. Reynolds' Winston
Winston (cigarette)
Winston cigarettes are manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company or its newer incarnation as RJR Nabisco and/or its affiliates.The brand was introduced in 1954, and became the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States...
s and Ligget & Myers'
Liggett Group
Liggett Group , formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west in Mebane, North Carolina...
L&M
L&M
Created by the company Liggett & Myers in 1953, L&M is a brand of cigarettes produced by Altria Group, Inc. . "L&M" is one of the earliest, perhaps the earliest brand to have a filter that was not a one sided filter...
s.
Companies began promoting their brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
s with claims that clearly positioned other cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s as dangerous to one’s health and overall sales continued to decline as market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
s quickly shifted towards brands focusing on filtered products.
In 1953, the Presidents of the major cigarette manufacturers met in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to discuss a response to the scientific reports linking smoking and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and retained John Hill, a noted advertising guru of the time. This eventually led to a two-full-page advertisement placed in 448 newspapers, reaching a circulation of 43,245,000 in 258 cities, outlining the opinion of the newly formed Tobacco Industry Research Committee. This advertisement is known as A Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers.
Another round of FTC regulation in 1955 banned all references to "throat, larynx, lungs, nose or other parts of the body," or to "digestion, energy, nerves or doctors" for all brands, new and old. However, another loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
is left open with the stipulation that tar and nicotine claims were prohibited "when it has not been established by competent scientific proof ... that the claim is true, and if true, that such difference or differences are significant." This regulation leads to significant shifts in advertisements to focus on taste and pleasure for two years. Filter cigarettes continued to grow in popularity and the emphasis on taste and pleasure helped rebound industry wide sales.
The start of the great derby
In 1957, two years after the FTC's guidelines on cigarette advertisementsTobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
were released, the Surgeon General issued the "Joint Report of Study Group on Smoking and Health.” The report stated, "It is clear that there is an increasing and consistent body of evidence that excessive cigarette smoking is one of the causative factors in lung cancer," which solidified the Surgeon General’s position on tobacco. During the same year, Reader’s Digest included tar and nicotine measurements in their magazine for the first time since the early 1950s.
July 1957 Consumer's Digest Tar Measurements
Plain Tips
| Brand | Size | Tar (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Cavalier | King | 42.8 |
| Old Gold | King | 41.7 |
| Phillip Morris Philip Morris USA Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and... |
King | 41.1 |
| Chesterfield Chesterfield (cigarette) Chesterfield is a brand of cigarette made by Altria. It was one of the most recognized brands of the early 20th century, but sales have declined steadily over the years. It was named for Chesterfield County, Virginia. Chesterfield is still being made today; it is still popular in Europe, but has... |
King | 40.8 |
| Raleigh | King | 39.3 |
| Pall Mall Pall Mall (cigarette) Pall Mall cigarettes are a brand of cigarettes produced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and internationally by British American Tobacco at multiple sites.- History :... |
King | 38.6 |
| Tareyton Tareyton Tareyton is a brand of cigarettes originally manufactured by the American Tobacco Company. It began as a variation of Herbert Tareyton cork-tipped non-filter cigarettes . As filters gained in popularity in the late 1950s, Tareyton was created in 1954 as the filtered version of Herbert Tareyton,... |
King | 36.6 |
| Phillip Morris | Regular | 35.3 |
| Chesterfield | Regular | 32.7 |
| Lucky Strike Lucky Strike Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :... |
Regular | 31.5 |
| Kool KOOL (cigarette) KOOL is a brand of menthol cigarette currently produced by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, introduced in 1933, that has marketed itself towards the "sophisticated man". Originally introduced as an unfiltered "regular" size cigarette, filtered 85 mm king-size versions were later added to... |
Regular | 31.3 |
| Camel Camel (cigarette) Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.-History:In 1913, R.J... |
Regular | 31.0 |
| Old Gold | Regular | 30.9 |
Filters
| Brand | Size | Tar (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Old Gold | King | 39.0 |
| L&M L&M Created by the company Liggett & Myers in 1953, L&M is a brand of cigarettes produced by Altria Group, Inc. . "L&M" is one of the earliest, perhaps the earliest brand to have a filter that was not a one sided filter... |
King | 38.5 |
| Hit Parade | King | 36.3 |
| Marlboro | King | 34.4 |
| Parliament Parliament (cigarette) Parliament is a brand of cigarettes marketed by the company Philip Morris. The brand was introduced in 1931 and is distinctive for its recessed paper filters. In the 1940s and '50s, the brand was marketed for its unique filters, with advertisements reading, "Only the flavor touches your lips", and... |
King | 34.1 |
| Salem Salem (cigarette) Salem is a brand of cigarettes introduced in 1956 by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as the first filter-tipped menthol cigarette. Its name derives from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where RJR was founded and headquartered... |
King | 33.7 |
| Winston Winston (cigarette) Winston cigarettes are manufactured by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company or its newer incarnation as RJR Nabisco and/or its affiliates.The brand was introduced in 1954, and became the best-selling brand of cigarettes in the United States... |
King | 32.6 |
| L&M | Regular | 31.1 |
| Kool | King | 30.4 |
| Kent Kent (cigarette) Kent is a brand of cigarettes. Kent's Micronite filter was introduced shortly after the publication of a series of articles in Reader's Digest in 1952 entitled "Cancer by the Carton", that scared American consumers into seeking out a filter brand at a time when most brands were filterless... |
King | 30.4 |
| Viceroy Viceroy (cigarette) Viceroy cigarettes are made by Brown & Williamson, which was owned by British American Tobacco, and, since 2004, by Reynolds American Inc., a joint venture between the U.S. branch of British American Tobacco and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.... |
King | 30.2 |
| Tareyton | King | 27.1 |
| Kent | Regular | 25.6 |
The measurements showed that tar and nicotine levels of filtered cigarettes were higher or close to the levels of former unfiltered cigarettes. Cigarette manufacturers acted quickly and used the objective third party information, to advertise and compete over lower tar and nicotine. The next month Kent was written about again in Reader's Digest for their improved filter which lowered their tar content in their king and regular filtered cigarettes to 23.4 mg and 19.7 mg respectively. These lower tar levels were accompanied by advertisements that boasted:
KENT with revolutionary NEW Micronite Filter gives you significantly better filtration . . . Significantly less tars and nicotine . . . Than any other leading filter brand.
Each company developed brands with lower tar and nicotine ratings or filters that eliminated more tar.
The 1958 issue of Consumer's Digest again exhibits the tar levels and shows the across the board decreases in tar levels for almost every cigarette measured.
July 1958 Consumer’s Digest Tar Measurements and Comparisons
| Brand | Size | Tar 1958 (mg) | Tar 1957 (mg) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield | 85 mm | 38.7 | 41.1 | -6% |
| Pall Mall | 85 mm | 37.1 | 38.6 | -4% |
| Raleigh | 85 mm | 35.6 | 39.3 | -9% |
| Phillip Morris | 80 mm | 35.4 | 40.8 | -13% |
| Tareyton | 85 mm | 34.3 | 36.6 | -6% |
| Cavalier | 80 mm | 31.1 | 42.8 was 85 mm | -27% |
| Chesterfield | 70 mm | 30.6 | 32.7 | -6% |
| Phillip Morris | 70 mm | 28.9 | 35.3 | -18% |
| Camel | 70 mm | 28.7 | 31.0 | -7% |
| Lucky Strike | 70 mm | 28.6 | 31.5 | -9% |
| Old Gold Straights | 80 mm | 24.5 | 41.7 was 85 mm | -41% |
| Sano | 70 mm | 23.1 | Not included | N/A |
| Old Gold Straights | 70 mm | 22.4 | 30.9 | -28% |
Companies successfully reduced tar and nicotine
Nicotine
Nicotine is an alkaloid found in the nightshade family of plants that constitutes approximately 0.6–3.0% of the dry weight of tobacco, with biosynthesis taking place in the roots and accumulation occurring in the leaves...
in all brands as seen by the sales-weighted tar and nicotine content decreasing 40% between mid 1957 and the end of 1959.
Promotions of the Derby
During the course of the Tar Derby numerous companies launched new products or altered their existing products to gain position in tar ratings. Several companies used the tar ratings or noted tar reduction in their advertisements.United States Tobacco Company
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company
U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company manufactures dipping tobacco and is a subsidiary of Altria.Its corporate headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut, and it maintains factories in Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, Franklin Park, Illinois, and Hopkinsville, Kentucky.Copenhagen and Skoal...
1956: King Sano: No cigarette that relies on a filter alone comes even close to KING SANO in reducing nicotine and tars!
Liggett and Myers
Liggett Group
Liggett Group , formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west in Mebane, North Carolina...
1958: L&M is Low in tar with More taste to it
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson
Brown & Williamson was an American tobacco company and subsidiary of the giant British American Tobacco, that produced several popular cigarette brands. It became infamous as the focus of investigations for chemically enhancing the addictiveness of cigarettes...
1959: Life: New Life's exclusive Millecel Super Filter absorbs for more tar and nicotine than any other filter. Only new Life with pure tobacco taste filters best by far . . . To give you far less tar and nicotine.
Phillip Morris
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
1959: Parliament: The most important 1/4 inch in smoking today Parliament is not the only cigarette that does a good job of trapping nicotine and tar. But Parliament is the only leading high—filtration cigarette that recesses its filter 1/4 inch to prevent filter feedback on your lips and tongue.
Lorillard
Lorillard Tobacco Company
Lorillard Tobacco Company is an American tobacco company marketing cigarettes under the brand names Newport, Maverick, Old Gold, Kent, True, Satin, and Max. Lorillard is a member of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.- History :...
: Old Gold Straight: Naturally reduced in nicotine