Kool (stylized as KOOL) is an American brand of menthol cigarettes that is currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands LLC, a subsidiary of the Imperial Tobacco Company. Kool cigarettes sold outside the U.S. are manufactured by British American Tobacco.
Released by Brown and Williamson in 1933 as an unfiltered 70mm “regular” cigarette, Kool enjoyed continued success throughout the 1950s. A 1953 Roper poll found that two percent of white Americans and five percent of African Americans prefer the Kool brand. Growing public concern about the health risks associated with smoking prompted Brown and Williamson to respond to the release of filtered varieties of Kool: an 85mm “royal” version in the 1960s, followed by a 100mm or “long” version in the 1970s. The 1980s saw the introduction of Kool lamps and the loss of market share to other menthol brands such as Newport.
In 2003, Brown and Williamson acquired RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company , resulting in Kool becoming the Reynolds brand. The famous white-green pack, which had remained virtually unchanged for about seventy years, was recycled, and production of the original Unfiltered Kool cigarettes were discontinued. These changes had little impact on sales growth.
In 2015, as a result of the merger of Reynolds American and Lorillard Tobacco Company, the Kool brand was included in imperial Tobacco Company’s portfolio of facilities.
Old pack of Kool cigarettes. An advertisement for Kool cigarettes began with the penguin character Willie, who was portrayed as several different professions, among which were a doctor, a soldier and a cook. In the early 1950s, the company placed a series of decal signs at the front door reading “Pass … it’s a Kool inside”, indicating that the space is air-conditioned. In the early 1960s, the cartoon penguin image was no longer used, and instead Kool began selling its cigarettes, combining the fresh, relaxing-cool taste of menthol with cool outdoor scenes depicting water or snow. Among the former Kool models is Steve Tyler.