Death Cigarettes

                                      

Death cigarettes were touted as free of chemical additives such as saltpeter. This ‘chemical-free’ approach included using a hemp cigarette paper with an ink free, watermark of a gray skull and crossbones logo.

Death’s “truth in marketing” approach was to highlight the dangers of cigarette smoking.^[2] Publicity materials included the logo and small black plastic tombstones with epitaphs. The company also sold merchandise such as black leather jackets, T-shirts and leather pouches with the company logo.

Slogans on the packaging and promotional materials included phrases such as “Let Us Be The Nail In Your Coffin” and “The Grim Reaper Don’t Come Cheaper”.

Death was initially marketed and distributed through shops, hotels, restaurants, tobacconists and head shops but proved to be unsuccessful allegedly due to interference from its competitors.

Subsequent approaches included marketing the cigarettes from Luxembourg and allowing UK customers to buy the product by mail order to avoid paying UK cigarette taxes and duties. However, in a court case involving UK Customs and Excise, the European Court of Justice ruled that customers must personally transport the cigarettes in order to avoid paying UK duties at the point of entry.

Death was going to be signed by the Pacific F1 team as title sponsor on May 1st 1994^[3], but the contract was negated after Simtek driver Roland Ratzenberger’s death at Imola on the previous day.

From 1995 onwards sales of the cigarette declined and the Enlightened Tobacco Company was closed in September of 1999.