222. For Women Who Smoke: CHELSEA CIGARETTES, 1955-1957

CRISTY ORTEGA, vekvet-voiced singer of Serafin Payawal, for Chelsea, 1955

The idea of Filipinas smoking was not exactly an alien practice early on in our history,  as women—and even children smoked tobacco for leisure.  In the 18^th century, tobacco was widely grow in in the islands and became an important and lucrative product for the Spanish government. 

It was so commonplace especially for older women to smoke that the younger, more modern Filipinas were told to shy away from cigarettes. It took Americans to make the practice more “sophisticated” with the coming of imported cigarettes with fancy brand names that were so different from the old-fashioned, local brands like “Alhambra Regaliz”, “Bataan” and “Balintawak”.

 

NORMA CARVAJAL, young model, in an ad for Chelsea, 1956.

“Chesterfield”, “Lucky Strike and ”Camel” sounded cooler and more refreshing—but they were cigarettes that were associated with the masculine market.

In the mid 1950s, CHELSEA Cigarettes were launched in the Philippines by its manufacturer, Larus and Brother Co.,  (Charles and Herbert Larus) of Richmond, Virginia. Under its authority, CHELSEA were distributed by International Tobacco Co., Inc., with offices at Del Pan St., Manila.

 

CONNIE SALES, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957

The products of Larus & Bro. Co. (1877-1968)  were no stranger to the Philippine market.  A first, they produced Smoking and Chewing Tobaco, and its most popular bards was  Edgeworth, introduced in 1903.

The company began to manufacture cigarettes after it purchased the Reed Tobacco Company and adopted it as a subsidiary in 1913. Distribution companies were opened all over the U.S., and its territories. During the World War II, the company’s tobacco supply went to the U.S. Army and its support agencies. In fact, packets of 4 cigarettes were labeled with the words “I Shall Return” and secretly distributed in the Philippines.

 

EMILIE GASPAR, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957

CHELSEA Cigarettes was one of the company’s cigarette brand that was introduced post-war. It  was one of the first products that used the concept of positioning employed in advertising strategies, in which  an image for the product based on a specific and intended audience is created and promoted.

From approximately 1955 to 1957, CHELSEA rolled out a campaign that featured  women personalities—from nightclub singers to models and rising socialites—to extoll the pleasures of smoking the new lady’s brand—“new and fresh as the day it leaves the factory…delightfully mild as I want my cigarette to be!”.

 

PILAR MUYOT, model, in a Chelsea ad, 1957

A few of these ads directly targetted to women smokers are on this spread. However, the makers must have also realized that CHELSEA Cigarettes were also suited for men, as smoking, after all, was still a male-dominated practice. A token ad was produced, showing an illustration of a man lighting up a smoke—touting “the fine taste of quality in the special blend of imported  U.S. Virginia tobaccos…mild and mellow…flavored to your taste”.

 

A CHELSEA AD, this time directed to male smokers, 1950s.

CHELSEA Cigarettes disappeared in the market when Larus and Brother Co. was sold to Rothman's of Canada, Ltd. In 1968. The cigarettes were later reintroduced by Liggett and Myers, who had acquired Larus & Brother's trade marks in 1976.

SOURCES:

Larus & Brother Co.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_and_Brother_Company

Chelsea Brand: http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/BrandChelsea