Cigs Are Back 🚬

A Case Study on Anti-Wellness Culture & Organic Marketing

Yesterday, The Cut published an article detailing the rise of the hottest luxury grocery store in the county: Erewhon. It got me thinking about how ‘wellness’ has pervaded nearly every aspect of our discourse. Posting celebrity smoothie collabs, pilates classes, and lymphatic massages have become new signals for social status.

However, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, we are witnessing the comeback of a product written off as a bastion of an older time: the cig.

Cigs are back in a major way, evidenced by the popularization of new cigarette brands, merchandise, and resurgence on social media. Its becoming a new signal of the ‘anti-wellness’ movement.

Let’s break down the brands bringing back the heater.

Hestia

Founded in 2010 by David Sley, Hestia has just recently began to find its niche: downtown ‘ciglfuencers’. Prior to Hestia, a new cig had not been FDA approved it 15 years. The market is dominated by behemoth Philip Morris, which caters to the reported 11% of U.S. adults who smoke.

Hestia should not be as popular as they are with so many barriers to entry. Advertising is highly regulated, and they cannot legally pay influencers or for IG ads.

So Sley’s strategy has been unique: getting the once-little-known cig into the hands of cool people and at parties. The brand is relying on the conversation factor: “What cig is this?” to spark social discourse and organic marketing. This effectively positions Hestia as a cig for people who are ‘cool’ and brand conscious, unlike your typical Malrboro Light.

Hestia also has pretty nice packaging, helping it stand out from less chic options.

Cigfluencers IG

One of my favorite IG moodboards is Cigluencers, which is completely dedicated to posting photos of celebrities candidly smoking heaters.

I believe this IG resonates so well because it dispels the trend of all celebrities being wellness-pilled.

In a crowded social media landscape we are marketed that all celebrities have an Alo deal, and we need to be focused on physical optimization 100% of the time. Ultimately this isn’t true- and our fav stars love to rip a cheeky cig just like we do.

Benjamin Edgar “A Single Cigarette After Dinner”

Ben Edgar makes interesting products, from stainless steel coffee mugs to embroidered oxfords. But his standout offering is a $120 metal tube that carries just one cig.

The ‘Single Cigarette After Dinner’ is purpose-built from the ground up to accommodate a single cig after an espresso/dinner.

Its a fantastic accessory the photographs well at your fav trendy restaurant and is a conversation starter. Its sturdy and feels right at home with a Bottega keychain in your pocket.

Throwing Fits x Zach Bowman

Throwing Fits just dropped a new shirt illustrating some thoroughly smoked heaters in a nice grid. The artwork is by Zach Bowman, a close confidant of artist Tyrell Winston. I don’t have much to say on this one but its a fire shirt.

Why Darts Are Back

The infamous dart is being brought back at a critical inflection point. The mass market adoption of wellness culture presents a net positive for society, but ultimately we are human. Just as ‘high-low’ dynamics have popularized the juxtaposition of caviar and potato chips, the ‘cigfluencers’ listed above are speaking to a subset of culture interested in embracing a bygone era. Cigs represent a cultural leftover from a simpler time.

Ultimately, it feels good to be bad. Relying on organic marketing and cultural trends is important for any marketer, its not just about juicing ad spend and doesn’t have to be. With the right go to market strategy that taps into cultural nuances, even ‘small-tobacco’ players like Hestia can find success.

Plus after 2x martinis, who can resist.

Disclaimer: Cigs are bad for you.

About Jake Bell

Jake Bell is a content marketing strategist based in NYC. He specializes in branding, art direction, creative strategy, content creation, and making things cool.

To get in touch visit www.jb.studio

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Like fit pics and pictures of chairs? Visit his Instagram.