Cigarette boxes are used to display cigarettes. Cigarette boxes vary significantly from the normal rectangular cardboard boxes that we are accustomed to seeing. In recent times there has been an increased demand for more unique designs, and cigarette boxes have followed this trend. Some cigarette boxes look like mini bookcases and have multiple shelves, or even windows.
A pack or box of cigarettes is generally a rectangular box, usually of wood, which has several holes punched through it. The box is then designed with a taste-resistant surface, paper, plastic or metal, and sealed via a clear vinyl air-tight lid. To open the box, the user holds the "tab" against the side of the box and pulls it outwards. This releases the tobacco into the air.
Cigarette packaging was once primarily paper. Paper was not very successful as a packaging medium, as it quickly absorbed the oils from the tobacco. Thus, cigarette boxes had no real way of preventing nicotine from leaking out onto the box's surface, or into the package itself. Tobacco inks would seep into the paper while the box was being packaged, causing a funny color change in the finished product. Furthermore, cigarette boxes were relatively flimsy, and required the tobacco brand to be tightly secured within the box, limiting the amount of variation in design. These factors made paper cigarette packaging ineffective as a means of product branding.
Times have changed, and paper is no longer the preferred packaging medium. High-quality cardboards and PVC plastic have replaced the ineffective paperboard. Cardboards have a superior smoothness to them, and they are stronger and often resistant to high-quality printing. PVC plastic is highly durable and has a remarkable resistance to various cigarette flavors, ensuring a customer gets exactly what they want when ordering cigars.
Cigarette packaging materials have also undergone a great change over recent years. Many cigars companies have switched to wood orcerbines, and glass. Glass is highly appropriate for cigars, as it provides a full and clear viewing surface for smokers to see their favorite brand. However, these two materials can be a little less effective as branding materials. Wood andcerbines are generally colored, or designed to blend into surrounding surfaces, sometimes sacrificing the aesthetic quality of the cigars for functionality.
Cigarette packaging has also seen a large number of changes in material since the turn of the millennium. PET bottles and tubes are commonplace in packaging most cigar products, ensuring that customers receive an attractive display. In addition, cigarette boxes have taken on a whole new look in recent years. Modern box designs often feature acrylic, stone, or silver finishes to resemble the elegance found in fine wine, or to mimic the colors and intricate detail found on works of art.
Cigarette packaging materials are certainly a crucial part of the cigarette brand. The design of cigarette boxes, as well as the shape, size, and color can impact positively on how a customer perceives the overall brand. Cigars packaging designs can have a large influence on whether or not a customer purchases a particular brand. If a customer goes to purchase a cigarette, and sees an aesthetically pleasing packaging design, they are much more likely to purchase that brand than if they had gone to a cigarette store, and seen a generic box sitting on a shelf.
Cigarette packaging design has become a huge part of the cigarette brand look and feel. Custom cigarette boxes are a great way to promote a brand, as the design of the box itself can have a large impact on the perception of the product. Cigars are a niche item that appeals to specific types of people. By offering cigarette boxes made with specific themes or designs, cigarette companies can ensure that their product appeal to the audience they want to attract.