08. July 2023

This intriguing 1928 calendar poster, advertising the „Beacon” cigarette brand, was not only created by the most versatile Chinese commercial artist of the 20th century, but also leads us to explore the story of the first and largest foreign-founded tobacco manufacturer in China.

25. October 2021

"Wise men all choose to smoke Pirate cigarettes". They apparently are also awesome at basketball... 1930s ad poster from British American Tobacco (BAT) brand Pirate cigarettes.

20. November 2019

W.D. & H.O. Wills was a British tobacco importer and manufacturer formed in Bristol, England. It was the first UK company to mass-produce cigarettes. The company was founded in 1786 and went by various names before 1830 when it became W.D. & H.O. Wills. It is also known for having pioneered the use of cigarette cards within their packaging. The “Pirate” brand entered the Chinese market in 1891 and marked the earliest introduction of a foreign cigarette brand in China. After 1902 the...

23. September 2019

"Made in Austria" by Julius Meister & Co., Vienna. The company was active from 1920 to 2012 and together with US firm Ronson represented the oldest lighter manufacturer in the world. The brand name was purchased in 2013 by the Japanese company Windmill and together with its Austrian association continues to enjoy widespread brand awareness in the Chinese market. Depicted with a 1930's cigarette trade card featuring a "fit Spanish beauty". Second picture shows a Chinese Tmall store that...