BrandDu Maurier
Brand du Maurier
- du Maurier (vertical line) KS-25-H - Australia
- du Maurier Superkings L-20-S (white) - Brazil
- du Maurier (Version 1--1936-1969) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 1) S-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 2--1970-1988) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 3--duty-free--1988-1996) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 4--1996-2006) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 4) S-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 4--duty-free) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 4) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 4--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier (Version 5--duty-free-2006- ) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 1--1978-1988) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 2--1988-2007) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 2--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 2--duty-free) L-20-H - Canada)
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 2) L-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Special Mild (Version 2--duty-free) L-25-H - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 1--duty-free--1980-1988) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 2--duty-free--1988-1996) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 3--1996-2006) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 3) S-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 3--duty-free) S-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 3) KS-20-H - Canada)
- du Maurier Light (Version 3--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Light (Version 4--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 2--duty-free--1988-1996) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 3--1996-2006) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 3) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 3) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 3--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Extra Light (Version 4--duty-free) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Ultra Light (Version 2--1996-2006) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier Ultra Light (Version 2) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Edition (Version 1--2003-2006) S-20-B - Canada
- du Maurier Edition (Version 1) KS-20-H - Canada
- du Maurier Edition (Version 1) S-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Edition (Version 1) KS-25-B - Canada
- du Maurier Super Longs (white) L-20-H - England
- du Maurier (with vertical line) S-20-H - Malta
- du Maurier (unique design) S-20-H - South Vietnam
- du Maurier (with vertical line) S-10-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier (with vertical line) S-20-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier Menthol (with vertical line) S-20-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier (red, modern design) S-10-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier (red, modern design) S-20-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier Menthol (green, modern design) S-20-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier Lights (blue, modern design) S-10-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier Lights (blue, modern design) S-20-H - Trinidad
- du Maurier (unique variant) KS-20-B - U.S.A.
- du Maurier (1970s design) KS-20-B - U.S.A.
du Maurier is the most popular brand of cigarettes that is available in Canada. They were named for Sir Gerald du Maurier (1873-1934), a British actor and manager. They were introduced in Canada in 1936, and produced by the Peter Jackson tobacco company (a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Canada, which was credited with their production from roughly 1970 through 1996, when they were credited to Imperial Brands). The American version (originally with a creped paper filter tip) was produced by Columbia Tobacco, a small firm which was likely bought up by one of the larger American tobacco companies (I would hazard to guess either Philip Morris or Brown and Williamson). du Maurier is also currently made in Trinidad and Tobago, under license by the West Indian Tobacco Compnay.
In Canada, the first extension to the du Maurier brand was a Menthol version, introduced in 1969 and lasting through at least the early 1970s. du Maurier Special Mild, in a silver pack, were brought out in 1978, followed by du Maurier Light in 1980. These were followed by du Maurier Extra Light in 1987, du Maurier Ultra Light in 1991, and du Maurier Edition (with less ”tar” and nicotine than the Ultra Light version) in 2003. The du Maurier name and logo also appears on Avanti, a brand of slim cigarettes which were introduced in the mid-1980s (see under that brand).
du Maurier Edition was the first brand-extension cigarette in Canada marketed without using a ”light” or ”mild” variant wording; this is, of course, common place today with the words’ banishment from Canadian cigarette packages in 2007. This has led to multiple name changes in the du Maurier family: du Maurier Speical Mild is now called du Maurier Special (in a blue package), Light is now Distinct, Extra Light is now Prestige, and Ultra Light is now Premiere.
Most du Maurier brands in Canada are made in regular (75 mm) and king size (84 mm). du Maurier Special (Special Mild) is also produced in a 100 mm size, as are du Maurier Distinct (Light) and Prestige (Extra Light) (which were introduced circa 2004).
In 2008, Imperial Tobacco Canada ceased their Canadian manufacturing operations; today, all of their brands (including du Maurier) are produced in Mexico and shipped to Canada for sale.
