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MS (cigarette)

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MS
Product typeCigarette
OwnerBritish American Tobacco
Produced byBritish American Tobacco
CountryItaly
Introduced1969; 55 years ago (1969)
MarketsItaly, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Brazil
Previous ownersEnte Tabacchi Italiani

MS is an Italian brand of cigarettes currently owned by the "Monopolio di Stato" or State Monopoly in English and manufactured by the Italian subsidiary of British American Tobacco.

The name is an acronym meaning "MS" ("Best Harvest"), a reminder of the old State Monopoly name.

MS was manufactured by the Italian company Ente Tabacchi Italiani and owned by the State Monopoly, until E.T.I was bought by British American Tobacco in 2004, making MS part of the BAT Italia line of brands. Currently MS is mainly sold in Italy, but they are also sold in various European countries, like in Austria and Spain.[1]

History

MS was originally founded in 1969 by the Italian company "Ente Tabacchi Italiani" and owned by the State Monopoly.[2] Within a few years, it became the most popular brand of cigarettes in Italy due to the strong sense of "Italianism" the brand portrays.[1]

The brand has appeared in many Italian movies, especially during the 1970s, and was even endorsed by Italian actor Nino Manfredi.[3]

MS grew in popularity and in the mid-1980s, it reached its peak in sales. During that time, the brand also expanded in variants. MS was manufactured for years at the Manifattura Tabacchi plant in the city of Roverto, Trentino. The factory was so important that it had its own set of train tracks leading from the railway station directly into the plant. The tracks of the line that led to the Stazione Leopolda passed through the factory, in the direction of Cascine, passing under the railway bridge.

The building was built during the Fascist era for the production of cigarettes. Over time, the Tobacco Factory replaced the two factories used for processing tobacco located at the ex-convent of St. Ursula. A plaque in the Piazza Puccini recalls how the Tobacco Factory was on the war front along the Mugone river in August 1944 and was subject to fierce fighting between the partisan fighter of the Italian resistance movement and forces of the Italian Social Republic and Nazi Germany during the Italian Civil War

The factory closed down on the 16th of March 2001, but MS cigarettes continue to be manufactured in Lecce, Apulia.[4] The tobacco used for MS cigarettes was originally grown in Sardinia.[3]

Sport sponsorship

MS was a sponsor of the Aprilia team in the 500cc from its team's entrance into the sport in 2002 until its departure in 2004.[5]

MS was also a sponsor of the Osella Formula 1 team in the 1980 Formula One season, with Eddie Cheever behind the wheel.[5]

Markets

MS is mainly sold in Italy, but also is or was sold in Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Brazil.[6][2][7]

Products

  • MS Bionde (ex MS Filtro)
  • MS Rosse (ex Mild)
  • MS Chiare (ex Light)
  • MS Bianche (ex Extra Light)
  • 821 full, blue, white AMERICAN BLEND (ex MS 821 with the E.T.I lion on the pack)
  • MS International 100's
  • MS 100's
  • MS Red
  • MS Rosa (ex Extra Mild)
  • Club slim (ex MS Club)
  • Brera slim (ex MS Brera)
  • MS Blu
  • MS Red
  • MS Azzurre
  • MS Special
  • MS Stilo
  • MS Classic
  • MS Nazionali

Below are all the current brands of MS cigarettes sold, with the levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide included.

Pack of MS cigarettes, with an Italian text warning at the bottom
Pack Tar Nicotine Carbon monoxide
MS Rosse hard pack 10 mg 0,8 mg 10 mg
MS Rosse soft pack 10 mg 0,8 mg 10 mg
MS Internazionali 100's 10 mg 0,8 mg 10 mg
MS Blu 10 mg 0,8 mg 10 mg
MS Bionde hard pack 10 mg 0,8 mg 9 mg
MS Bionde soft pack 10 mg 0,8 mg 9 mg
MS Filtro soft pack 10 mg 0,8 mg 9 mg
MS Leggere 100's 6 mg 0,5 mg 7 mg
MS Club Classiche 8 mg 0,8 mg 7 mg
MS Chiare 4 mg 0,4 mg 5 mg
MS Azzurre 7 mg 0,6 mg 8 mg
MS Club Eboli 2 mg 0,1 mg 3 mg
MS Bianche 1 mg 0,1 mg 2 mg
Dati Gazzetta Ufficiale N. 163 del 15 luglio 2010

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Benson & Hedges". Tabaccheria Fanelli Mauro. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "MS". Zigsam.at. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "MS Sigarette - Inventario Italiano". Inventarioitaliano.it. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ^ "MS cigarettes: An Italian Lifestyle Symbol". Florenceinferno.com. 14 October 2013.
  5. ^ a b "MS sigarette del nostro passato qui con curiosità e belle FOTOCuriosando Negli ANNI 60 70 80 90". Curiosando708090.altervista.org. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  6. ^ "BrandMS - Cigarettes Pedia". Cigarettespedia.com. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Brands". Cigarety.by. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
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