BrandState Express 555

History

State Express 555 cigarettes (today simply known as 555) were originally manufactured in the United Kingdom by Ardath Tobacco Co. Ltd.. The overseas rights to the brand were sold to British American Tobacco in 1925. It is sold widely throughout the world, including Belgium, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The brand is very popular in Asia, especially in the Chinese, Vietnamese, Bengladeshi, and Taiwanese markets.

State Express 555 cigarettes provide smokers with a unique balance of tobacco and additives making 555 smoke strong, yet very soft and tasty - a great combination for a cigarette. 555's smoothness stands above everything else, making them a premium product that delivers a pleasant and satisfying smoking experience.

One frequently raised issue on branding is from the Nepali subsidiaries of world renowned MNCs. Surya Nepal (P) Ltd., the Nepali subsidiary of British American Tobacco (B.A.T.) that owns the brand 555, has stopped importing 555 on its own. The reason is the liberal attitude of revenue-oriented Nepali customs administration that allows import of 555 cigarettes by anyone as long as the importer is paying the duty applicable on the product. In the process, a lot of counterfeit 555 cigarettes are being imported into Nepal, complain Surya Nepal sources.

In Canada, State Express 555 was manufactured by Imperial Tobacco Canada. The filter king-size version was introduced in 1961; the brand did not achieve great popularity, however, and was discontinued some time in the mid-1960s.