Tobacco-product names are being modified in Australia ahead of the December 1 imposition of plain packaging, according to a story by medical editor, Cathy O’Leary, for The West Australian.
From the beginning of December, all Australian tobacco products must be sold in packs designed at the behest of the government to look ugly. All brand names will appear in the same size and font.
Among the reported name changes, Winfield’s Optimum Night cigarettes are being called Crush Blue, while Dunhill’s Fine Cut is becoming Fine Cut Burgundy
An anti-smoking campaigner has accused tobacco companies of “sexing up” their product names to make them more appealing. Australian Council on Smoking and Health president, Professor Mike Daube, said tobacco manufacturers were introducing dozens of extended brand “descriptors” to meet the December 1 deadline.
Daube said too that there seemed to be a move to menthol branding on products, which he believed was because menthol made the taste of cigarettes smoother and more palatable, particularly to younger smokers.
Manufacturers say the new names will help retailers find the right product faster for their customers.