Virginia Slims

Phillip Morris introduced and marketed a much narrower, longer cigarette in the late 1960’s geared toward the female smoker. This brand, called Virgina Slims, was a spinoff to the Benson and Hedges brand. With a huge success in its test market, the distribution and marketing took a nationwide seat with an immediate 3% of the market share. Directed toward the young female professional, the slogan “You’ve come a long way, baby.” became famous as many women felt they could relate to the brand’s campaign. Because of the tumultuous times in the cigarette industry during this time, the campaign’s slogan was actually deemed responsible for a dramatic increase in the numbers of teenage girls smoking. Accused of being a “niche” brand, the “It’s a woman thing”, and the “Find your voice” slogans adopted later were slammed by the Surgeon General’s office. Stating that these slogans tried to directly link a woman’s freedom and empowerment to their smoking, the campaigns have focused on the independence, slimness, attractiveness, glamour, style, taste and liberation of women. Sponsoring the Women’s Circuit of tennis, the Virginia Slims cigarette brand is sometimes credited with the growth of awareness among the sport itself.