Eve (cigarette)

Eve was launched in 1971 to compete with rival Philip Morris corporation's Virginia Slims cigarette, a brand targeted at the growing women's market.[3] The Eves brand was marketed as a more conventionally feminine cigarette.

In the 20th century, both the Eve cigarettes and the packages containing them featured a floral design, prompting some ads to describe the cigarette as having "Flowers on the outside, flavor on the inside." As of 2002, the floral pattern has been replaced by butterflies.

Advertising for Eve urged women to embrace their femininity.[4] Like Virginia Slims, Eve hoped to attract women by potraying the cigarettes as fashionable. Many print advertisements across the decades portrayed women in fashionable, ladylike outfits, notably more conservative than their Virginia Slims counterparts. Some Eve slogans made direct reference to physical appearance, such as the "Farewell to the ugly cigarette pack" in the 1970s. The slogan intended to tell women that they would be beautiful if they smoked a beautiful cigarette. Like Virginia Slims, Eve cigarettes are longer and narrower than average cigarettes, capitalizing on the concept of a slim, slender figure as often presented as being desirable in women’s fashion magazines and by models in the fashion industry. Thus, Eve joined Virginia Slims in providing a subliminal, indirect message that their brand would result in its smokers obtaining or maintaining a slim figure. Eve also took advantage of its extra length (commonly 120mm as opposed to the 85 mm of an average cigarette); a 1980s slogan, "Every inch a lady", drove home the connection between long cigarettes and sophistication the marketing pushed at the time.

Lit Eve Light 120, with watermark butterflies above the Eve logo

Pack of German Eve 120s, with the new health warning label mandated by the European Union.

Eve cigarettes used feminine art in their marketing, starting with the cigarette itself, which was long and slim: The length was originally 100mm, but increased to 120mm within two years to be more readily identified with the feminine ideals of slimness and length. The packages were decorated with flowers to look feminine and fashionable, as well as to catch the eye of consumers.

The advertising approach was to make Eve appear to be a beautiful cigarette, which made the woman who chose to smoke Eve more attractive. Accordingly, the objective was to capture the market share from other brands, particularly other brands targeted at women, and to recruit non-smokers, suggesting that an Eve smoker is more attractive than a woman who did not smoke.

Models featured in advertisements were made to appear elegant and ladylike. Advertising text complemented the feminine imagery it was trying to create. In 1976, Eve was even marketed in association with a fashion line with colors and floral prints similar to Eve's cigarette packs. The message was that women who smoked Eve were feminine, ladylike, and ladies of leisure.

Eve cigarretes are aimed at a more niche market than their main competitor Virginia Slims. As a result they have not reached the same sales number, being more aimed towards women who wish to appear sophisticated.

Eve is mainly sold in the United States, but also was or still is sold in Germany, Philippines, Austria, Ceuta, Melilla, Italy, Hungary, Russia, Israel and Argentina.[5][2]

Unlit Eve and Eve Blue cigarettes, German made

Unlit Eve Light 120 cigarette, American made (ultra light and menthol styles similar)

Eve's packaging has significantly evolved over time. Originally created by Lubalin, Smith, & Carnase, the packaging was an art noveau design that covered both the box and the cigarettes themselves[6]. It then went from a soft pack with the trademark flowers and drawing of Eve in the garden, to losing the female figure and retaining only the flowers, then moving the flowers to a band lengthwise on a white cardboard box. This packaging went unchanged until 1992 when the small multicolored flowers were replaced by thin orchid-like flowers in jewel tones on the box, and a single small colored flower on the filter band of the cigarette. In Germany, the packaging and cigarette design did not change, retaining the floral band. Menthol versions of Eve used similar designs but with more green tones. Shorter 100mm Eve in Regular and Menthol boxes were eventually reintroduced in 1985 but gradually disappeared due to lack of consumer interest. In 1990, Eve Ultra Lights 120s were introduced in Regular and Menthol, promising lowered tar and nicotine, and more mild flavor. Packaging was white flip top box with long stemmed flowers done in pastels, with a single pastel flower on the filter band. Menthols were similar but are more green. After 1992, packaging remained unchanged until 2002, except for a reintroduction of 100mm length Eve Lights and Eve Ultra Lights in 1991. In 2002, the flowers were replaced by butterflies (gen. 5). Ultra Lights lost the long stemmed flowers they had since their introduction and unified with the regulars for the first time by assuming the butterfly motif, with different colors identifying Ultra Lights (blue) and Menthol Ultra Lights (teal), to complement the colors identifying Lights (purple) and Menthol Lights (green). In 2002 soft pack 100s were reintroduced, using the butterfly design of the 120s. As before, the 100s were gradually phased out.

As of 2023, four styles of Eve cigarettes are available, including Eve Amethyst 120s, Eve Sapphire 120s, Eve Menthol Emerald 120s, and Eve Menthol Turquoise 120s.[1] The butterfly band around the filter and above the rings with the Eve logo was done in a subtle watermark, instead of bright colors as done in the past. By July 2010, as per the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the words, "lights" and "ultralights" have been removed.

• Smoking culture
• Tobacco smoking