| Raffles | |
| Type: | Cigarette |
| Currentowner: | Philip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S. |
| Producedby: | Philip Morris USA in the U.S., Philip Morris International outside of the U.S. |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Discontinued: | May 2011 |
| Markets: | United States, United Kingdom[1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Previousowners: | Imperial Tobacco |
| Tagline: | "One Step Ahead" |
| Footnotes: | Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1 |
Raffles (also known as Players in the United States; now Virginia S by Raffles) was a British brand of cigarettes which was owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the U.S. and by Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.[5] [6]
In August 2001, Imperial Tobacco announced that it had entered into an agreement with Philip Morris International for the distribution and sale of Marlboro, Raffles and Chesterfield cigarettes in the U.K.[7]
In May 2011, the name of the brand was changed from Raffles to Virginia S by Raffles. Philip Morris Marketing Director Xavier Ducarroz described the rename as a move to a "contemporary look and feel."[8] [9]
Various poster and magazine adverts, as well as promotional merchandise, were made to promote the brand in the 1980s and 1990s.[10] [11] [12]