New General design is contemporary but has links to 150 years of history

Swedish Match (SM) is giving a new appearance to all of the variants that make up its General brand of snus so as to give them a more uniform design.

In a press note posted on its website, SM said General wasSweden’s most widely sold snus and that it was growing in popularity in other countries.

The brand has been in existence for nearly 150 years and, during that time, has appeared in more than 20 different packaging designs.

The original recipe for General was developed in 1866 by Johan A. Boman, who selected tobacco of the highest quality and topped it with a drop of bergamot oil.

‘The result was the unique flavor that came to define the Swedish snus experience,’ the press note said.

General is still produced according to Boman’s basic recipe, though it has evolved and is currently available in 14 different varieties inSwedenandNorwayalone.

“The snus requirements of consumers have been refined and we have adapted the product over the years,” says Markus Eileryd, senior brand manager for General. “Along the way, however, the design profile of the product portfolio has suffered.”

Nevertheless, Eileryd said that General’s was a “fantastic success story”.

Today, SM sold more than 90 million cans annually, and now it was vitalizing the design so as to enhance the premium sensation while capitalizing on the brand’s historical origins.

The new design was a better match to the product experience, he added.