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| MISS P-P-P IS A P-P-PINES CIGARETTE FAN, 1960 Ad |
“Fresh as a breath of mountain air”---that’s how PINES
CIGARETTES was described when it was launched in the Philippines in the late
1950s, a product of the Associated Anglo-American Tobacco Corporation.
Established in 1949 in Pasay City, it is one of the oldest cigarette
manufacturers in the country. PINES CIGARETTES has an exclusive “air
softened”, snow-white filter, promising
a satisfying mild, refreshingly mentholated smoking experience.
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| Edita Vital as Miss Philippines, courtesy of Mr. Tony Paat |
Newly-elected Miss Press Photography EDITA
RESURRECCION VITAL was recruited to
promote the merit of PINES CIGARETTES in this two-color print ad from
1960. The daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Domingo Vital of Quezon City, Vital
was a student of the University of Santo Tomas when she was voted by the
country’s association of press photographers as their muse.
“My ideal man
should be a PINES smoker, because a PINES Smoker knows his own mind”, so
what she claims in the print ad. “ He knows what he wants in a
cigarette—full-flavor, light menthol coolness, and a mildness that can only be
his, with PINES”.
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| PINES CIGARETTE AD, late 1950s. Courtesy of the Pinoy Kollektor |
Later in the year, Vital went on to win the Miss
Philippines title and got to represent the country in the 1st
ever Miss International Beauty Pageant in Long Beach, California.
She reached the semifinals in the contest won by Colombia’s Stella
Marquez. Lured by showbiz upon her return, she made period movies like Noli
Me Tangere (1961) and El Filibusterismo (1962), which earned her a FAMAS
nomination. Vital is married to lawyer Angel Castaño, Jr.
The company that manufactures PINES CIGARETTES
continues to be in operation even after 70 years. Currently, it produces
American-style cigarettes using a blend of the finest locally sourced and
imported tobaccos. Its current brands include: Winnsboro, Casino, Freedom,
Dallas, Navy Club, Spotlight, and Asia Boston.
SOURCES:
Associated Anglo-American
Tobacco Corporation WEBSITE
Photo of Edita Vital as Miss PH: Tony Paat Collection, Veestarz
Special thanks to Edward
delos Reyes of Pinoy Kollektor, for the use of his Pines Cigarette print ad
clipping.