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February/ March 2000 |
Tabacalera Launches Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial
Tabacalera Cigars International (U.S.A.), Inc. has added the new Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial brand to its family of premium cigars. The launch, which follows a successful holiday test release, features consumer and trade advertisements, online marketing, and in-store promotions nationwide. Improving on a favorite, Tabacalera's Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial is a variation on the original Saint Luis Rey developed by Master Blender Benjamin Menendez. "The secret is in the wrapper," explains Menendez, Tabacalera's director of Caribbean and Central American operations. "Rather than use the Habana 2000 wrapper that goes on the original Saint Luis Rey, we have specially selected an aged Connecticut Seed Wrapper instead," Menendez says. "The rest of the new Reserva Especial is just what cigar lovers remember from Saint Luis Rey, with an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan and Mexican filler tobaccos." Targeted to high-income cigar smokers aged 35-54, Reserva Especial is being promoted in national consumer ads through a fictitious Saint of the "good life," Luis Rey. "The campaign will match the cigar's strength with marketing muscle," said Donald C. Young III, vice president of marketing. "In addition to advertising, we plan to market the cigar through an online promotion with Yahoo!, linking the Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial with online partners like New Watch, Mammoth Golf, BrooksBrothers.com, and Macy's.com; as well as radio spots, point-of-sale material, and in-store introductory 2-for-1 promotions as early as February," Young added. Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial is available in six shapes priced from $4.75 to $6.50. Hollco-Rohr Premium Cigar Division, Havatampa, Inc., 39-1 Riga Blvd., Tampa, FL 33601, Tel: (800) 247-6654, Fax: (813) 623-3925. |
La Flor Dominicana's Free Cigars
Premium Cigar Imports has randomly packaged boxes of all La Flor Dominicana brands with coupons that consumers may redeem for a free box of their choice. In all, 400 winners will be eligible to receive a total of 10,000 cigars in the promotion, which began in November. Premium Cigar Imports, Inc., 4130A Aurora St., Coral Gables, FL, Tel: (800) 543-7131, Fax: (305) 444-4264. |
Indian Tabac Adds Habano Blend 95 Bundles
Indian Tabac, maker of the popular Indian Tabac Super Fuerte, has released the Habano Blend 95. The cigars feature the classic Indian Tabac taste at a bargain price. Each cigar features an Ecuadorian wrapper and a 75 percent blend of Indian Tabac's long-filler blend from its 1995 Classic line. The cigar is available in Churchill (7 x 47), Toro (6 x 52), and Robusto (41/2 x 50) sizes. Indian Tabac Company, 1440 Rail Head Blvd., Naples, FL 34110; Tel: (888) 766-5387; Fax: (941) 593-1839. |
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Farmer's Gold, U.S.-Made RYO
M&R Holdings has produced a new roll-your-own tobacco. The tobacco is a blend of U.S. and a small amount of Turkish tobacco, and is sold in handsome collector's six-ounce tins, six-ounce bags, or in bulk packages of five pounds or more. Tins are priced at $5.49 each, bags sell for $2.99 each. Farmer's Gold is available in regular or menthol; generic unlabled is also available in full flavor, menthol, or additive-free styles. Inquire for pricing on bulk orders. M&R Holdings, Inc. 104 Broadway St., P.O. Box 403, Pink Hill, NC 28572; Tel: (252) 568-2883; Fax: (252) 568-2690. |
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Monumento Humidified Tubes
Monumento cigars are now packaged in their own humidified, re-usable tubes. The clear plastic tubes each contain one cigar and can be used over and over as portable humidors for single sticks. QCP, the cigar's distributor, is touting the tubes and cigars as a great counter-top impulse purchase for retailers, since the cigars don't require a humidor and can be maintained in simple display unit with a small footprint. Suggested retail is $2.99 to $3.99. Quality Cigar Partners;1080 Lousons Road, Union, NJ 07083, Tel: (888) 657-6653. |
SMOKESHOP - February 2000
