Kool cigarettes are a brand of menthol cigarettes introduced to the market in 1933, since 2015 owned by ITG Brands (in), a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco. Originally advertised as “regular” short cigarettes without a filter, Kool cigarettes with an 85mm filter were later added to the range. Filtered cigarettes gained popularity in the 1960s. Since then, varieties of Mild (slightly minty taste), Light (with reduced resin content) and a length of 100 mm have been introduced. Menthol sweetens the taste of tobacco and soothes the mouth, allowing smoother inhalation. The health risks from smoking are as great as from regular cigarettes, if not worse; the smoker inhales the smoke more strongly in a short period of time.
Kool cigarettes commercial originally used the character of Willy – the penguin, who represents different professions, including a doctor, a soldier, and a cook. In the early 1960s, the image of a penguin from cartoons was abandoned, and Kool began selling Kool cigarettes, promoting a fresh taste of menthol for cooling, with outdoor scenes depicting water or snow.
Kool cigarettes and other brands of menthol cigarettes have been criticized for their extensive marketing campaigns aimed at further encouraging African-American smoking. Since 2005, Newport has been the number one menthol cigarette in the United States, and the second most popular brand is the Kool cigarettes one. Menthol cigarettes are especially popular in the African-American community; the same 2005 survey found that 79% of total cigarette sales to African Americans were menthol cigarettes.
It was also the favorite brand of the writer Françoise Sagan. In the film The Master of Paul Thomas Anderson (2012), Lancaster Dodd smokes Kools and said, especially love these menthol. Kool was the main sponsor of “Team KOOL Green” in the CART series from the 1997 season to the 2002 season. In 2002, after the General Settlement Agreement of Tobacco passed, cars for IRL’s Indianap s 500 could not display Kool nets, and the logo was replaced with 7-Ele.
Markets. Kool cigarettes are mostly sold in the U.S., but have also been sold or are still sold in Canada, Hondaras, Antigua, Bahamas, Jamaica, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, and Australia.