Virginia Slims

Virginia Slims is a brand of cigarette manufactured by Altria (formerly Phillip Morris Companies). The brand was introduced in 1968 and marketed to young professional women using the slogan "You've come a long way, baby." Later campaigns have used the slogans, "It's a woman thing," in the 1990s, and "Find your voice."

Virginia Slims are much narrower (23 mm (0.91 in) circumference) than ordinary cigarettes (hence, "Slims"), and are also longer than normal "king-sized" cigarettes (which are 85 mm (3.3 in)), sold only in longer 100 and 200 mm (3.9 and 7.9 in) lengths, to give the cigarettes a more "elegant" appearance and ostensibly to reduce the amount of smoke they produce. They are also sold in "Superslims", "light," "ultra-light," and menthol varieties. The packaging, designed by Walter Landor, is white with colored stripes running lengthwise along the left side.

Virginia Slims were introduced on July 22, 1968, by Philip Morris, and marketed as a female-oriented spinoff to their Benson and Hedges brand. The blends, flavorings, color scheme, and overall marketing concepts closely followed the Benson and Hedges model. Early packs (1968-1978) read "Benson and Hedges Park Avenue New York", near the bottom.

The first test market was San Francisco, California. Originally scheduled for six months, it was cut short after seven weeks due to the success of the introduction - a nearly 3% market penetration. Distribution and marketing was implemented nationwide, and by September 30, 1968, the entire U.S. was covered.

Throughout the 70s and early 80s, growth and market penetration was significant, drawing the attention of competitors who introduced their own slim, female-oriented brands (such as American Tobacco Company's Misty, Brown and Williamson's Capri, Liggett's Eve, and R.J Reynolds' Dawn).

All packings were simultaneously introduced in both Menthol and Non-menthol (e.g., Regular or Filter) varieties. Unlike most other brands, Menthol represents 40–55% of the total sales of a particular packing (vs. 25–35%).

In all, there have been 11 packings introduced or test marketed in the US, of which 7 are still on the market. There are other varieties marketed in the Asian-Pacific region (including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam), Russia, and South Africa. Virginia Slims has never had a significant European or South American presence.

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