Bond - cigarettes whose name has long been heard in more than fifty countries around the world. Moreover, the well-known James Bond has nothing to do with them.
Simple story
Each product necessarily has its own story. Some appear on the market as a result of a scientific discovery or marketing move by a manufacturing company, while others by chance. Bond - cigarettes that most likely belong to the second of these groups. The story is simple and straightforward.
Famous in those years, the owner of the company, Philip Morris, had several tobacco shops. The goods were in good demand, and trade went on as usual. In the shop you could buy everything: from cigarettes that appeared in the mid-19th century, to cigars and pipe tobacco. One of Morris' fans was King Alfred, who ruled Belgium at that time. In order to somehow express his sympathy, in 1902 he ordered the shop to be proud of the title of royal boutique. And since there was a retail space on a street called Bond Street, the first cigarettes became Old Bond Street, respectively.
Since then began their triumphal march around the world. For many, now Bond - cigarettes of truly royal quality.
World recognition
Philip Morris, as the owner of the company, did not strive to create some kind of exceptional or unique product. His goal was to bring his products to the masses. In fact, "Bond" - cigarettes that were originally aimed at a simple average man with an average income. They were supposed to be a good combination of excellent quality and affordable price. And so it happened. They quickly learned about the new product abroad. Particularly popular cigarettes of this brand began to use in developing countries. For them, “Bond” was the only opportunity to join in something foreign and of high quality. After all, cigarettes like Dunhill and Camel were simply beyond the means of people, and here it was possible to smoke good tobacco for a small price.
Later, around the fifties, the manufacturer completely changed the appearance of the pack. On the shelves appeared "Bond" in the usual solid packaging for the buyer, which further increased its competitiveness in the market.
Some details
The beginning of the 2000s was especially successful for the Bond brand. Cigarettes, photos of which flaunted on bright booklets and did not leave the TV screens, gradually won their audience.
They were recognizable and loved by many. And the reason for this popularity was that in this product the three most important components were most harmoniously combined:
1) Tribute to centuries-old traditions and quality. The status of the manufacturer and decades of proven technology did not allow it to engage in the production of unworthy products. And the royal coat of arms on the package obliges a lot.
2) Style. Cigarettes of this brand are distinguished by a wonderful aroma of tobacco and soft smoke, which during smoking does not tear at the throat at all.
3) The price that is available to anyone.
All this together allowed the famous brand to be a recognized leader for a long time. However, after the tobacco companies of other countries acquired the production license, the situation has changed a bit. For example, Russian-made Bond is noticeably inferior in quality to the original. Perhaps this was the reason that many smokers with experience over time completely abandoned this variety of cigarettes.
Not rich choice
Among the well-known western brands in Russia, Bond is the most popular. The types of cigarettes of this brand, however, do not pamper the user with their variety. At first there were only three of them:
1) Bond Street Red;
2) Bond Street Light;
3) Bond Street Super Light.
Later, a number of products were supplemented by the products of the Bond Street Special line (Reach, Mild and Fine). True, since 2008 they have already stopped producing them.
To the mass buyer in our country, they are better known as:
- Bond Classic Selection;
- Bond Special Selection Light;
- Bond Fine Selection Super Light;
- Bond one.
Then came packs of thin cigarettes:
- Bond Superslims Gold;
- Bond Superslims Silver.
The goods were sold in blocks of 10 packs, each of which contained 20 cigarettes. The difference was only in the characteristic packaging design and the content of the main controlled elements: resin and nicotine. These cigarettes are rightfully considered premium products. It is a pity that now they can only be remembered. According to informed sources, since 2009 the product has been completely discontinued.
Product Reviews
Many smokers are familiar with Bond cigarettes. The reviews of these people eloquently indicate that the product is simply ideal for its price. This was originally a chip of the manufacturer itself. He did not try to compete with the giants, but simply offered the ordinary buyer quality goods. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, our country also got such an opportunity. It was even considered to some extent prestigious to smoke tobacco, which was highly valued by the Belgian monarch himself. Cigarettes attracted with a pleasant aroma and delicate taste. Anyone could choose a suitable option for themselves. A poor choice of varieties and species was quite enough for this.
However, after the copies appeared on sale, which indicated that the goods were made in Russia, the desire of the buyers was reduced. All unanimously reiterated that the "Bond" was no longer the same. The cigarettes tasted empty, and the aroma completely disappeared. Possibly, the reason for everything was poor-quality tobacco or the inability to process it. But this already speaks more about the level of a company that has taken on such a difficult task as the release of a world-famous product.