Views from a Smoke-Filled Room

LOS ANGELES – One of the cornerstones of marketing in the 21st Century is brand extensions.

Once you find a product that resonates with the public, make as much of it as you can and try to find new things to put the brand name on in order to keep the public buying more.

Davidoff has been perhaps the biggest winner in this area as its fragrance line – especially the Cool Water – has done brilliantly. But Altadis U.S.A. is working hard to provide ever-more visibility for its famous Montecristo brand, already the world’s most famous cigar name.

In the U.S., Montecristo is not just a cigar, but an entire stable of cigars with brand names such as Montecristo, Montecristo Afrique, Montecristo Classic, Montecristo Cabinet Seleccion, Montecristo Club Cabinet Selection, Montecristo Habana 2000, Montecristo Peruvian Square Pressed, Montecristo Platinum, Montecristo Serie C and Montecristo White Label!

In addition, Altadis U.S.A. expanded the Montecristo brand into some experimental gift items which are now available for the holiday season. Chief among these are three interesting and well-made items – not junk with the logo slapped on – which are available at participating stores around the country:

>> Montecristo Cigars & Pen Set, which includes five different Montecristo robustos – Montecristo, Montecristo Classic, Montecristo Platinum, Montecristo Serie C and Montecristo White – and an elegant, heavy rollerball pen with the Montecristo logo and . . . a hidden cigar punch under a screw-cap at the bottom end, made of Japanese steel!

The whole package comes in a neat tray and make a terrific gift; sets are available in the Toro size as well. The best part is it retails for just $65.00, not including local sales and tobacco taxes. And Altadis U.S.A. is donating $10 from each sale to the Montecristo Relief Foundation, which assists victims of natural disasters in the Caribbean and the U.S.

>> Montecristo Streak Knife Set, which debuted last year and is a high-quality knife set even without the instantly-recognizable crossed-swords logo. There are six 10 1/2-inch knives inside a black-wood case, each with a heavy handle and an extra-sharp, serrated cutting blade. And the Montecristo logo is etched into each blade.

It’s a wonderful gift, heavy and impressive and where you can find them, retails for $150.00. And there are no tobacco taxes to pay!

>> Montecristo Cutlery Set, a follow-up to the Steak Knife project, which extends the Montecristo mark into your kitchen. Inside another heavy, black-wood box are five blades from a small paring knife up to a massive kitchen knife, plus a kitchen shears and a sharpening blade.

It does the brand with the crossed-swords logo proud with German 440C steel used throughout and where available, retails for $110.00.

Do these items make sense? Should a cigar brand be anything other than that? Why not!

If as the enthusiasts claim, cigars are a lifestyle, then having high-quality items that compliment the smoker’s lifestyle are not only worthwhile, but de rigeur. After all, who will argue with a cigar lover with a nine-inch Montecristo-branded carving knife in his hand?

(Rich Perelman is editor-in-chief of www.CigarCyclopedia.com, offering comprehensive daily coverage of cigars, accessories, issues, people and prices at www.CigarCyclopedia.com.

Rich Perelman

12/10/07

NO COMMENTS YET

You must sign in to add comments.