Gold Flake

Gold Flake is a classic Indian cigarette brand that has been in the market for over a century.[1]

For the American snack food brand, see Golden Flake.

Gold Flake
A pack of Gold Flake cigarettes
Product typeCigarette
Produced byITC
Introduced1970s
Related brandsGold Flake, Gold Flake Kings, Gold Flake Kings Lights, Gold Flake Neo
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Gold Flake is sold in a multitude of varieties, including Gold Flake Kings (84 mm), Gold Flake Kings Lights (84mm), Gold Flake and Gold Flake Lights. This brand is owned, manufactured, and marketed by ITC Limited.[2]

History

Gold Flake was first produced by Stephen Mitchell & Son of Glasgow. From 1901, Bristol's W.D. & H.O. Wills, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco, took over production. "Gold flake" refers to cigarettes made using bright rich golden tobacco. After 1912, the biggest change in came in 1971 with the introduction of Gold Flake Kings, followed up with the launch of Gold Flake Kings Lights in 1999.[3]

Gold Flake enjoys a large market share in Pakistan too where it is sold by British American Tobacco Pakistan.

ITC In India
Main article: ITC Limited

ITC launched the brand Gold Flake in India in the 1960s.[4] Initial advertisements were targeted towards adult male SEC A category smokers.

After the introduction of lights as a category, the brand introduced Honeydew Smooth – giving the brand a recognizable differentiator with a dew drop symbol. With smoothness being their biggest selling proposition, the brand used symbols like the silk scarf, feather, paint brush, violin, marble vase, hour glass, and shell as visuals to reiterate and associate themselves with smoothness.[5]

After this, the brand reinvented its image and positioning with a new campaign that moved away from the well-established Honeydew campaign. This was the Go Smooth campaign.

Marketing
Gold Flake cigarettes sold in a metal container between 1945 and 1955.

Many poster advertisements have been made for Gold Flake cigarettes, especially in India.[6][7][8]

In the early 1900s, two characters by the names of "Mr. Gold" and "Mr. Flake" were introduced to promote the Gold Flake brand in the United Kingdom. The characters were used for about 30 years and were popular, but it did not help the sales of the brand and Gold Flake was discontinued for a short period of time.[9][10][11]

Markets

Gold Flake is mainly sold in India. It was exported to Canada, Jamaica, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, South Africa, the Palestinian territories, Nepal, Pakistan and Malaysia.[12][13][14]

Products

The brand has many variations, including Gold Flake Kings (84mm) and Gold Flake Kings Lights (84mm). A 10-pack of Gold Flake quad-core cigarettes costs Rs. 95.[15] Various other variants are available at different prices, and Gold Flake is amongst the top 10 best brands in India.[16]

As of 2013, Gold Flake has been targeting young adult smokers. It extended beyond the SEC A category to the SEC B as well. ITC has launched its smallest size which is of 64 mm and costs 60 Rupees for a 10-pack of cigarettes.[17][18]

Sponsorship

Gold Flake was the main sponsor of the Gold Flake Open tennis tournament from 1997 until 2001. It was an ATP tennis tournament held in Chennai, India.[19][20] The tournament is now known as the Maharashtra Open. The tournament was held from 6 April to 13 April.


References
  1. "Top 10 best brands in India with price". World Blaze. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  2. "Company History". Money Control.
  3. "Top 10 Best Cigarette Brands". List Crux. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  4. "Indian Cigarette Vintage Ads". At The Edge.
  5. "Dew Drop Pivotal to India's Goldflake campaign". Adage. 25 June 2018.
  6. "Gold Flake Cigarettes Stock Photos & Gold Flake Cigarettes Stock Images". Alamy.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  7. "My GF". Jeartranjan.com. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  8. "Indian Cigarette Ads from 1800s to 2000s". Cuttingthechai.wordpress.com. 7 June 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  9. Alford, B. W. E. (5 November 2013). W.D. & H.O. Wills and the development of the UK tobacco Industry: 1786-1965. Routledge. ISBN 9781136584268. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via Google Books.
  10. "Gold Flake - Adverts Tobacciana & Smoking - Gunns Gallery". Gunns Gallery. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  11. "Stock Photo - 1927 UK Magazine Gold Flake Cigarette Advert". Alamy.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  12. "BrandGold Flake - Cigarettes Pedia". Cigarettespedia.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  13. "Gold Flake". Zigsam.at. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  14. "Brands". Cigarety.by. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  15. "ITC Launches New Cigarette Variant". NDTV Profit. 18 September 2014.
  16. "Top 10 best brands in India with price". World Blaze. Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  17. "GST impact on cigarettes: Wills Classic, Gold Flake, Navy Cut prices to increase after hike in cess". 25 July 2017.
  18. "ITC Launches New Cigarette Variant". NDTV Profit.
  20. "PLUS: TENNIS -- GOLD FLAKE OPEN; Moya Concedes; Loses Shot at No. 1 - the New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 28 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
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