Basic (cigarette)
Basic is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris USA in the U.S. and by Philip Morris International outside of the U.S.

History
Basic was launched in the late 1970s as a discount brand.

, Basic is the fourth most popular cigarette brand in the United States (following Marlboro, Newport, and Camel) and the second most popular among white smokers age 26 and older.

Advertisement
In the 1990s and 2000s, Philip Morris USA has made various type of poster advertisements to promote the Basic brand in the United States. The most known slogans were "The best things in life are Basic" and "Keep it Basic".

The 1990s had a signature style and lifestyle and Basic was one of the first to recognize and use this style to market to teens. The 'grunge' theme of the early nineties was very popular among teens and pre-teens; and was characterized by sloppy attire and flannel shirts. The campaign idealized the norm instead of the unobtainable perfect looks and personality and was widely popular among teens and sadly even those under the age of eighteen. Another important theme was that of value: "It tastes good and costs less". This was important in Basic’s popularity because with cigarette prices on the rise middle to low income people wanted a cigarette that wouldn’t break the bank. The themes of style and value came together with an advertisement that had the 3-piece suit tagline because it illustrated that even if you didn't want to spend a lot of money you could still be fashionable and have great cigarettes.

Salt and pepper shakers were also made as a collectible, and were given to you if you would buy a pack of Basic cigarettes.

Markets
Basic cigarettes are mainly sold in the United States, but also were or still are sold in Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany, France, Austria, Spain, Czech Republic, Hong Kong and Japan.

Controversy

PM USA recalls 8 million faulty cigarettes
In May 1995, it was reported that a $100 million recall involving more than eight billion filtered cigarettes, including its Marlboro, Virginia Slims and Benson & Hedges brands. The company said manufacturing defects in filters could cause smokers "temporary discomfort" from an irritant similar to a commercial pesticide.

Since there was no way to identify the defective cigarettes by scrutinizing their boxes or cartons, the company asked all smokers of 36 of its product lines to return them to retailers immediately for a full refund. It offered a 24-hour toll-free number, (800) 757-2555, that consumers, wholesalers and retailers could call with questions. Marlboro is the world's best-selling brand of cigarette. Besides it, Virginia Slims and Benson & Hedges, the other Philip Morris brands being recalled were these: Alpine Lights, Basic, Best Buy, Bristol Lights, Bronson, Cambridge Lights, Merit, Premium Buy Lights and Shield. Each label had a variety of lengths, strengths and package types.

"We regret this inconvenience to our customers and to our retailers," said James J. Morgan, president and chief executive of Philip Morris U.S.A. The recall, which Philip Morris termed voluntary and which analysts and industry observers said was unprecedented, came a half-hour before the close of The New York Stock Exchange. It led to a flurry of selling that ran down Philip Morris stock to $69.875, a loss of $2.

The company said it had not been able to determine whether any of the defective cigarettes had been sold to consumers. Mr. Morgan said the company had not heard complaints from any smokers, although its own quality-control workers identified the problem on May 19 1995. The company has not shipped a single filter cigarette since then from any of its three manufacturing plants, in Richmond; Louisville, Kentucky., and Cabarrus, North Carolina.

Products
Basic comes in several different varieties:
Red (Full Flavor) - Soft: Kings & 100s, Box: Kings & 100s
Gold Pack (Lights) - Soft: Kings & 100s, Box: Kings & 100s
Blue Pack (Ultra Lights) - Soft: Kings & 100s, Box: Kings & 100s
Menthol (Full Flavor) - Soft: Kings & 100s, Box: Kings & 100s
Menthol Gold Pack (Lights) - Soft: Kings & 100s, Box: Kings & 100s
Menthol Silver (Ultra Lights) - Box: Kings & 100s
Non-Filter - Soft: Kings