Tareyton, Raleigh, Viceroy, Kent, Old Gold, Chesterfield, and L&M were once highly recognizable names in American cigarette advertising. Tareyton became famous for its “rather fight than switch” campaign, featuring smokers with fake black eyes to show their loyalty. Raleigh attracted customers with coupons that could be collected and exchanged for household products, appliances, and other items from catalogs.

Viceroy was promoted as an early filtered cigarette and became known for celebrity-focused advertising. Kent also marketed its Micronite filter as an important innovation, but the campaign later became controversial when the original filters were found to contain asbestos. Old Gold, meanwhile, stood out for its memorable advertising and huge dancing cigarette-pack promotions.

Chesterfield was one of the major cigarette brands of the 1950s and 1960s, using celebrities and entertainment personalities to attract consumers. L&M also became widely recognized through catchy television jingles and memorable advertising campaigns. Their popularity reflected a time when cigarette companies had an enormous presence in American popular culture.

These forgotten brands provide an interesting look at how much advertising has changed. Cigarette companies once filled newspapers, magazines, radio, and television with celebrities, slogans, prizes, and promotional claims. After cigarette advertising was banned from American television and radio in 1971, many of these once-famous brands gradually disappeared from everyday life, while a few survived as much smaller names in the tobacco industry.