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{{Short description|French cigarette brand}}
Gauloise (plural Gauloises, singular and plural pronounced similar to Goal-was with an almost silent L) is a cigarette of French manufacture and provenance.
{{infobox brand
| name= Gauloises
| logo= Gauloises.png
| image=
| caption=
| type= [[Cigarette]]
| currentowner= [[Imperial Tobacco]], [[Reemtsma]] (Germany only)
| origin= [[France]]
| introduced= {{start date and age|1910}}
| discontinued=
| related=
| markets= See ''[[#Markets|Markets]]''
| previousowners=
| trademarkregistrations=
| ambassadors=
| tagline= "''Liberté toujours''{{-"}} ("Freedom forever")
| website=
| footnotes = Carcinogenicity: [[IARC group 1]]
}}


'''Gauloises''' ({{IPA|fr|ɡo.lwaz|pron}}, "[[Gaul]]ish" [feminine plural] in French; ''cigarette'' is a feminine noun in French) is a brand of [[cigarette]] of [[France|French]] origin. It is produced by the company [[Imperial Tobacco]] following its acquisition of [[Altadis]] in January 2008 in most countries, but produced and sold by [[Reemtsma]] in [[Germany]]. Until 2017 the cigarette was manufactured at a plant in [[Riom]], [[Puy-de-Dôme]], in France, but they are now manufactured in [[Poland]].
Traditional Gauloises were short (a standard size for cigarettes prior to the 1950s), wide, unfiltered and made with dark tobacco of Syrian and Turkish provenance with very little North American Bright or Burley tobacco, which imparted a lighter quality to the American brands. For this reason, and due to the "casing" used on the tobacco during its manufacture, Gauloises had a peculiar and strong odor which some non-smokers have likened to burning tar, burning tyres, burning camel dung or the smoke of what King James, in A Counter-Blast to Tobacco, called "that pit which is bottomless". Even smokers who are unfamiliar with Gauloise's Levantine charms are unapt to say "blow a little my way" to the Gauloise smoker, who is more than most smokers invited to leave the room except in France and sometimes even there.


==History==
The traditional Gauloise packet (cf http://www.tobaccoads.org/advertisement/gauloise/gauloises-caporal-gaul01-02.html) was a peculiarly French blue in that like the blues used in French (Nice) artist Yves' Klein's work, the blue contains little compromise with other primary colors. It is illustrated with what looks like a Germanic helmet, paradoxically given France's long antagonism towards Germany during the zenith of the popularity of the Gauloise.
[[File:Gauloises Caporal.jpg|thumb|240px|Distinctive blue package with the winged [[Imperial helmet|Gallic helmet]] logo designed by Jacno]]


Gauloises was launched by [[SEITA]] in 1910. Traditional Gauloises were short, wide, [[Cigarette filter|unfiltered]] and made with dark [[tobacco]]s from [[Syria]] and [[Turkey]] which produced a strong and distinctive aroma. The brand is most famous for its cigarettes' strength, especially in its original unfiltered version. Forty years later, filtered Gauloises cigarettes debuted. In 1984, the Gauloises brand was expanded to include a light, American-type tobacco with a filter. The original non-filter, Gauloises Caporal, have been discontinued and replaced with Gauloises Brunes, which are also filterless but less strong. Gauloises Brunes have low tar and nicotine levels, because of European tobacco laws, but the tobacco is still dark and strong-tasting.
This is because modern France's founding myth emphasized the way in which the "Gauls" resisted Roman hegemony and were in fact a Nordic tribe.


Since 2018, Gauloises cigarettes have been produced in [[Poland]] after the last manufacturing plant in [[Riom]], [[Puy-de-Dôme]] closed its doors in the end of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2017/01/01/en-2017-les-cigarettes-gauloises-quittent-la-france-mais-pas-le_a_21643399/|title=En 2017, les cigarettes Gauloises quittent la France. Mais elles restent dans l'histoire du cinéma français...|date=1 January 2017|work=[[HuffPost]]|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/how-france-lost-its-iconic-once-romantic-gauloises-cigarette-brand/article18000151/ |title=How France lost its iconic, once romantic Gauloises cigarette brand|access-date=16 January 2018|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref>
During its zenith between the World Wars, the smoking of Gauloises in France, like the smoking of Camels in the USA, was considered patriotic and an affiliation with the "heartland" values of France, as represented by the cigarette smoking *poilu* at Verdun and the resistance fighter during the Vichy occupation of France. As was the case world-wide during the wars, smoking represented, as "the soldier's breakfast", not ill-health and moral turpitude but in fact the willingness to sacrifice the ordinary comforts of daily life to defend the fatherland, and to share both solidarity and cigarettes with workmates or trench-mates at the crisis.


Between the World Wars, the smoking of Gauloises in France was considered patriotic and an affiliation with French "heartland" values. The brand was associated with the cigarette-smoking ''[[poilu]]'' (a slang term for the French [[infantry]]man in the trenches) and the resistance fighters during the [[Vichy Regime]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.30glorieuses.com/#!Gauloise-or-Gitane-A-French-smoking-guilty-pleasure/c5oj/55abe41e0cf25466c2a406fc|title=30 Glorieuses|website=30 Glorieuses|access-date=31 July 2017|archive-date=30 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530142813/http://www.30glorieuses.com/#!Gauloise-or-Gitane-A-French-smoking-guilty-pleasure/c5oj/55abe41e0cf25466c2a406fc|url-status=dead}}</ref> Their slogan was "''Liberté toujours''{{-"}} ("Freedom forever"). In 1939–1940, some packets of cigarettes were given a distinctive "troop brand".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lepoilu-paris.com/fr/1620-paquet-de-cigarette-troupe-gauloises-1939-1940.html |title=PAQUET DE CIGARETTES TROUPE, GAULOISES 1939 - 1940 - Le poilu |publisher=Lepoilu-paris.com |access-date=5 March 2016 |archive-date=30 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220330053637/http://lepoilu-paris.com/fr/1620-paquet-de-cigarette-troupe-gauloises-1939-1940.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Smoking Gauloises was patriotic in another way. This is because many of the profits from sale of Gauloises flowed to the Regie Francais Tabacs, a semi-gorvernmental corporation charged with both controlling the use of tobacco, especially by minors, and directing its profits towards socially beneficial causes.


In March 1954, SEITA launched the "Gauloise Disque Bleu" brand, with CEO Pierre Grimanelli proud of the new packaging that would, he argued, increase sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-radio/histoires-d-info/au-temps-ou-la-france-aimait-la-cigarette_1766665.html|title=Au temps où la France aimait la cigarette|date=24 September 2014|website=Francetvinfo.fr|access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i277DTqCVFwC&pg=PP106|title=Le tabac en France de 1940 à nos jours: histoire d'un marché|first=Eric|last=Godeau|date=31 July 2017|publisher=Presses Paris Sorbonne|isbn=9782840505617|access-date=31 July 2017|via=Google Books|language=fr}}</ref>
However, France's state monopoly has today been superseded by the European Union of which France is a member, and as a result, its traditional policies have been replaced by the goal of eradicating smoking. In particular, Gauloises, which like Camels come today in a variety of downsized and filtered brands for the entry-level smoker (brands known to encourage smoking and to increase the number of cigarettes smoked), now bear black and white EU warnings which destroy the former aesthetic appeal of the former packet. This is in fact a good excuse for the smoker, addicted to Gauloises, to give up, an excuse similar to the increasing prohibition on smoking in bars: for once smoking becomes a barbarism of opening a pack so clearly marked, or littering the sidewalk outside a bar, it's raison d'etre is gone.


The brand was also linked to high-status and inspirational figures representing the worlds of art (e.g. [[Pablo Picasso]]) and the intellectual elite (e.g. [[Jean-Paul Sartre]],<ref><!-->find a better reference<!-->[http://www.cnn.com/2005/BUSINESS/09/01/france.gauloises/ "France fumes over Gauloises move"], CNN, 1 September 2005</ref> [[Albert Camus]] and [[Jean Baudrillard]]<ref>Horrocks, Chris. ''Introducing Baudrillard''. Icon Books, 1996.</ref>). In popular music, for example French pianist and composer [[Maurice Ravel]], American singer [[Jim Morrison]] and British music icon [[John Lennon]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/stubbed-out-the-21-most-iconic-cigarette-packets-of-all-time/gauloises-cigarettes/ |title=Stubbed out: the 21 most iconic cigarette packets of all time |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=20 May 2016 |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref>
Famous Gauloise smokers include Jean Paul Sartre who died from a combination of illnesses probably brought on in part by smoking, and Pablo Picasso who lived a very long life.


American artist [[Robert Motherwell]] used Gauloises packets and cartons in many collages, including an extensive series with the packets surrounded by bright red acrylic paint, often with incised lines in the painted areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://beachpackagingdesign.com/boxvox/robert-motherwell-gauloises-caporal |title=Robert Motherwell & Gauloises Caporal &#124; BEACH |publisher=Beachpackagingdesign.com |date=22 December 2010 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moma.org/collection/works/67576?locale=en |title=Robert Motherwell. Gauloises Bleues (White). 1970 |publisher=MoMA |date=22 February 2010 |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> In the introduction to his 2015 book ''Robert Motherwell: The Making of an American Giant'', gallery owner Bernard Jacobson says, "Motherwell smoked [[Lucky Strike]]s, but in his collage life he smokes Gauloises, around whose blue packets he now organises one composition after another, 'exotic to me precisely because in the normal course of things I don't smoke French cigarettes'." And by incorporating Gauloises packets he makes deft and condensed allusion to "French blue": to the Mediterranean and the palette of [[Matisse]] ... to the smoke coiling up in a [[Cubist]] assemblage."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.artnet.com/people/great-summer-art-reading-robert-motherwell-making-american-giant-308519 |title=Robert Motherwell: Making of an American Giant-artnet News |date=16 June 2015 |publisher=News.artnet.com |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.artsy.net/artwork/robert-motherwell-gauloises-with-scarlet-no-1 |title=Robert Motherwell &#124; Gauloises with Scarlet No. 1 (1972) |publisher=Artsy |access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref>
In France itself, one may purchase most versions of Gauloises including the traditional version, albeit they will bear warnings as noted, at any cafe with the sign "Tabac", and in that cafe, smoking is permitted.


[[Henri Charrière]], French author and convict, repeatedly references the smoking of Gauloises in his autobiography ''[[Papillon (book)|Papillon]]''. This, together with the romantic associations of France, made Gauloises a popular brand among some writers and artists: in practically every story and novel written by [[Julio Cortázar]] set in Paris, the protagonists smoke Gauloises. John Lennon was a noted smoker of Gauloises Bleues. [[Frank O'Hara]] in his poem "The Day Lady Died" writes of going to "the tobacconist in the Ziegfeld Theatre" in New York and casually asking "for a carton of Gauloises." In [[John le Carré]]'s 1979 novel ''[[Smiley's People]]'' a key plot point involves the concealment of a [[microfilm]] in a packet of Gauloises, which are Vladimir's favourite.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} [[Anne Rice]], writing as [[Anne Rampling]] in her 1986 novel ''[[Belinda (Rice novel)|Belinda]]'', also made Gauloises the favored choice of cigarette for her title character/protagonist. Smoking Gauloises is mentioned in the teen television series ''[[Gossip Girl]]''. Sergeant Mort Cooperman smokes Gauloises in several mystery novels by [[Kinky Friedman|Richard "Kinky" Friedman]].<ref>''Greenwich Killing Time'', et al.{{Full citation needed|date=October 2020}}</ref>
In the USA, Gauloises are available only at full-service tobacconists, a dying breed, and not, typically, at the discount cigarette outlets popular in rural areas. They may also be found in French specialty shops and cafes such as the Cafe de la Presse in San Francisco.


[[File:Gauloises 001.jpg|thumb|right|Two packets of Gauloises vertes (reduced [[nicotine]]), with a black coffee]]
Some American students have affected Gauloise smoking because of its philosophical and artistic flair, for the same reasons of self-definition that other flaming youth smoke Indian Sher Bidis.
Smoking Gauloises was also promoted as a contribution to the national good: a portion of the profits from their sale was paid to the [[Régie Française des Tabacs]], a semi-governmental corporation charged with controlling the use of tobacco, especially by minors, and directing its profits towards socially beneficial causes. The designers of the traditional Gauloise packet reinforced national identity by selecting a peculiarly French shade of blue (like the blues later used in the work of French artist [[Yves Klein]]).

[[John Frusciante]], guitarist of the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], smoked Gauloises, as noted in the book ''Scar Tissue'' by friend and bandmate Anthony Kiedis.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} During his time at [[Marlborough College]] in the early 1960s English singer-songwriter [[Nick Drake]] would enjoy smoking Disque Bleu cigarettes with his friend Jeremy Mason, in the High Street of the town.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gu8xvkUc91cC&pg=PT35 |title=Nick Drake: The Biography |first=Patrick|last=Humphries|date=17 December 2012|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=9781408841440|access-date=31 July 2017|via=Google Books}}</ref>

The last factory producing Gauloises, in [[Lille]], closed in 2005.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2005-09-22|title=Last smoke for French cigarette factory|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/4269376.stm|access-date=2020-07-29}}</ref>

In July 2016, the French government considered a ban on both the Gauloises and [[Gitanes]] cigarette brands because they were deemed "too stylish and cool". The ban would also apply to brands including [[Marlboro (cigarette)|Marlboro]] Gold, [[Vogue (cigarette)|Vogue]], [[Lucky Strike]] and [[Fortuna (cigarette)|Fortuna]]. It is the result of a new public health law based on a European directive that says tobacco products "must not include any element that contributes to the promotion of tobacco or give an erroneous impression of certain characteristics". Four major tobacco companies have written to the government seeking clarification on the potential law, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the details of the plan. In the letter they accuse French health minister [[Marisol Touraine]] of an "arbitrary and disproportionate" application of EU directives.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thelocal.fr/20160720/france-considers-ban-on-cigarettes-that-are-too-cool |title=France considers ban on cigarettes that are 'too cool' |newspaper=The Local France |date=20 July 2016 |publisher=Thelocal.fr |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-banning-gitanes-and-gauloises-cigarettes-too-cool-a7148701.html|title=France may ban cigarettes that are 'too cool'|date=21 July 2016 |website=The Independent |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@IRahmanJones/french-smoking-cigarette-law-gainsbourg-bardot-cool-f385dbf32597|title=Small, White and Strong: How French Cigarettes Became the Coolest in the World|first=Imran|last=Rahman-Jones|date=2 August 2016|publisher=Medium.com |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/final-smoke-iconic-french-cigarette-8458832 |title=Cigarette brands once viewed as an icon of cool could be banned|first=Sam|last=Webb|date=20 July 2016 |website=Daily Mirror |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/20/french-smokers-fume-france-plans-ban-gitanes-gauloises-cigarettes |title=Smokers fume as France mulls ban on 'too cool' Gitanes and Gauloises|first=Kim|last=Willsher|date=20 July 2016 |website=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref>

==Legal problems==
The cigarette was manufactured by SEITA but 1999 proved to be a landmark year. The legal difficulties crystallised when a French health insurance fund filed a 51.33 million [[French franc|franc]] [[lawsuit]] against four cigarette companies, including SEITA, to cover the estimated and continuing costs of treating the illnesses linked to cigarette smoking. This was followed by an action filed by the family of a deceased heavy smoker and the French state health insurer, ''Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie'', claiming compensation for the cost of the deceased's medical treatment and for producing a dangerous and addictive product. Consequently, brand management was assigned to [[Altadis]], with joint French and [[Spain|Spanish]] ownership, and this company continued manufacture and international distribution until its acquisition by [[Imperial Tobacco]].

On 30 October 2007 the Criminal Chamber of the [[French Supreme Court]] ruled against SEITA, accusing it of having signed a partnership agreement with the organisers of the 2000–2002 [[Les Francofolies de La Rochelle|Francofolies Festivals]] for the use of visual brand elements of Gauloises Blondes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://france.globe24h.com/lex/judiciaire/001/017/01773/0017737046.shtml|title=Arrêt de la Chambre Criminelle de la Cour de Cassation : Audience publique du 30 octobre 2007|website=France.globe24h.com|access-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216154004/http://france.globe24h.com/lex/judiciaire/001/017/01773/0017737046.shtml|archive-date=2013-12-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Sport sponsorship==
[[File:Yamaha YZR-M1 2004.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Yamaha YZR-M1]] of [[Valentino Rossi]] used in the [[2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season]] on display.]]

===Auto sponsorship===
Gauloises was the primary sponsor of the [[Équipe Ligier]] [[French people|French]] [[Formula One]] team in {{F1|1996}}, replacing sister brand [[Gitanes]], as well as its successor [[Alain Prost]] by [[Prost Grand Prix]] from {{F1|1997}} until {{F1|2000}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allf1.info/teams/ligier.php|title=All Formula One Info - Equipe Ligier|first=Andrew|last=Novikov|website=Allf1.info|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref> Gauloises also sponsored the [[Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team]] [[Citroën Xsara WRC]] in [[World Rally Car]]s in the [[WRC]] during the [[2006 World Rally Championship]].{{cn|date=December 2024}}

===Moto sponsorship===
Gauloises was the primary sponsor of the factory [[Yamaha Motor Racing|Yamaha]] team in 2004 and 2005,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2005/06/27/gauloises-yamaha-celebrate-historic-podium-double/138775|title=Gauloises Yamaha celebrate historic podium double|first=Dorna|last=Sports|website=Motogp.com|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yamaha-racing.com/motogp/articles/news/2005/114230/gauloises-yamaha-takes-to-the-snow-in-bormio|title=Gauloises Yamaha takes to the snow in Bormio|website=Yamaha-racing.com|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=9 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909223019/https://www.yamaha-racing.com/motogp/articles/news/2005/114230/gauloises-yamaha-takes-to-the-snow-in-bormio|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as the satellite [[Tech 3]] team from 2001 until 2004 when they got sponsored by [[Fortuna (cigarette)|Fortuna]] in the [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|MotoGP]] class. Gauloises was a major sponsor for teams in the Dakar Rally. Gauloises also sponsored various grand prix races on the MotoGP calendar, such as the [[Dutch TT]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.catawiki.nl/catalogus/speldjes-pins-en-buttons/thema-s/evenementen/5253833-gauloises-dutch-tt-assen-2003|title=Gauloises Dutch TT Assen 2003 - Evenementen - Catawiki|website=Catawiki.nl|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref> the [[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya]] and the [[Masaryk Circuit|Brno Circuit]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/czech-gp-team-gauloises-yamaha-friday-notes/|title=Czech GP: Team Gauloises Yamaha Friday notes|website=Motorsport.com|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=8 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008003350/https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/czech-gp-team-gauloises-yamaha-friday-notes/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Markets==
Gauloises is mainly sold in [[France]], but also was or still is sold in [[Algeria]], [[Argentina]], [[Australia]], [[Austria]], [[Belarus]], [[Belgium]], [[Canada]], [[Croatia]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Germany]], [[Greece]], [[Hungary]], [[Israel]], [[Italy]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Madagascar]], [[Mexico]], [[Morocco]], [[Netherlands]], [[Norway]], [[Poland]], [[Romania]], [[Serbia]], [[Slovenia]], [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], [[Syria]], [[Thailand]], [[Tunisia]], [[Ukraine]], and [[United Arab Emirates]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/BrandGauloises|title=BrandGauloises - Cigarettes Pedia|website=Cigarettespedia.com|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cigarettespedia.com/index.php/BrandGauloises_Blondes|title=BrandGauloises Blondes - Cigarettes Pedia|website=Cigarettespedia.com|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zigsam.at/B_Gauloises.htm|title=Gauloises|website=Zigsam.at|access-date=16 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cigarety.by/brand.php?n=10&l=6&p=0&w=GAULOISES|title=Brands|website=Cigarety.by|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-date=15 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615004954/http://www.cigarety.by/brand.php?n=10&l=6&p=0&w=GAULOISES|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=these sources do not support all the countries listed and they are all about 6 years old|date=September 2024}}

Gauloises is no longer available in the [[United Kingdom]] or in [[Russia]].{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

==See also==
* [[list of cigarette brands]]
* [[Gitanes]]
* [[Smoking in France]]
* Tabac de Troupe at French Wikipedia [[:fr:Tabac de troupe]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Imperial Tobacco}}

[[Category:Imperial Brands brands]]
[[Category:French brands]]
[[Category:Cigarette brands]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1910]]

Latest revision as of 18:00, 2 January 2025

Product typeCigarette
OwnerImperial Tobacco, Reemtsma (Germany only)
CountryFrance
Introduced1910; 115 years ago (1910)
MarketsSee Markets
Tagline"Liberté toujours" ("Freedom forever")
Carcinogenicity: IARC group 1

Gauloises (pronounced [ɡo.lwaz], "Gaulish" [feminine plural] in French; cigarette is a feminine noun in French) is a brand of cigarette of French origin. It is produced by the company Imperial Tobacco following its acquisition of Altadis in January 2008 in most countries, but produced and sold by Reemtsma in Germany. Until 2017 the cigarette was manufactured at a plant in Riom, Puy-de-Dôme, in France, but they are now manufactured in Poland.

History

[edit]
Distinctive blue package with the winged Gallic helmet logo designed by Jacno

Gauloises was launched by SEITA in 1910. Traditional Gauloises were short, wide, unfiltered and made with dark tobaccos from Syria and Turkey which produced a strong and distinctive aroma. The brand is most famous for its cigarettes' strength, especially in its original unfiltered version. Forty years later, filtered Gauloises cigarettes debuted. In 1984, the Gauloises brand was expanded to include a light, American-type tobacco with a filter. The original non-filter, Gauloises Caporal, have been discontinued and replaced with Gauloises Brunes, which are also filterless but less strong. Gauloises Brunes have low tar and nicotine levels, because of European tobacco laws, but the tobacco is still dark and strong-tasting.

Since 2018, Gauloises cigarettes have been produced in Poland after the last manufacturing plant in Riom, Puy-de-Dôme closed its doors in the end of 2017.[1][2]

Between the World Wars, the smoking of Gauloises in France was considered patriotic and an affiliation with French "heartland" values. The brand was associated with the cigarette-smoking poilu (a slang term for the French infantryman in the trenches) and the resistance fighters during the Vichy Regime.[3] Their slogan was "Liberté toujours" ("Freedom forever"). In 1939–1940, some packets of cigarettes were given a distinctive "troop brand".[4]

In March 1954, SEITA launched the "Gauloise Disque Bleu" brand, with CEO Pierre Grimanelli proud of the new packaging that would, he argued, increase sales.[5][6]

The brand was also linked to high-status and inspirational figures representing the worlds of art (e.g. Pablo Picasso) and the intellectual elite (e.g. Jean-Paul Sartre,[7] Albert Camus and Jean Baudrillard[8]). In popular music, for example French pianist and composer Maurice Ravel, American singer Jim Morrison and British music icon John Lennon.[9]

American artist Robert Motherwell used Gauloises packets and cartons in many collages, including an extensive series with the packets surrounded by bright red acrylic paint, often with incised lines in the painted areas.[10][11] In the introduction to his 2015 book Robert Motherwell: The Making of an American Giant, gallery owner Bernard Jacobson says, "Motherwell smoked Lucky Strikes, but in his collage life he smokes Gauloises, around whose blue packets he now organises one composition after another, 'exotic to me precisely because in the normal course of things I don't smoke French cigarettes'." And by incorporating Gauloises packets he makes deft and condensed allusion to "French blue": to the Mediterranean and the palette of Matisse ... to the smoke coiling up in a Cubist assemblage."[12][13]

Henri Charrière, French author and convict, repeatedly references the smoking of Gauloises in his autobiography Papillon. This, together with the romantic associations of France, made Gauloises a popular brand among some writers and artists: in practically every story and novel written by Julio Cortázar set in Paris, the protagonists smoke Gauloises. John Lennon was a noted smoker of Gauloises Bleues. Frank O'Hara in his poem "The Day Lady Died" writes of going to "the tobacconist in the Ziegfeld Theatre" in New York and casually asking "for a carton of Gauloises." In John le Carré's 1979 novel Smiley's People a key plot point involves the concealment of a microfilm in a packet of Gauloises, which are Vladimir's favourite.[citation needed] Anne Rice, writing as Anne Rampling in her 1986 novel Belinda, also made Gauloises the favored choice of cigarette for her title character/protagonist. Smoking Gauloises is mentioned in the teen television series Gossip Girl. Sergeant Mort Cooperman smokes Gauloises in several mystery novels by Richard "Kinky" Friedman.[14]

Two packets of Gauloises vertes (reduced nicotine), with a black coffee

Smoking Gauloises was also promoted as a contribution to the national good: a portion of the profits from their sale was paid to the Régie Française des Tabacs, a semi-governmental corporation charged with controlling the use of tobacco, especially by minors, and directing its profits towards socially beneficial causes. The designers of the traditional Gauloise packet reinforced national identity by selecting a peculiarly French shade of blue (like the blues later used in the work of French artist Yves Klein).

John Frusciante, guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, smoked Gauloises, as noted in the book Scar Tissue by friend and bandmate Anthony Kiedis.[citation needed] During his time at Marlborough College in the early 1960s English singer-songwriter Nick Drake would enjoy smoking Disque Bleu cigarettes with his friend Jeremy Mason, in the High Street of the town.[15]

The last factory producing Gauloises, in Lille, closed in 2005.[16]

In July 2016, the French government considered a ban on both the Gauloises and Gitanes cigarette brands because they were deemed "too stylish and cool". The ban would also apply to brands including Marlboro Gold, Vogue, Lucky Strike and Fortuna. It is the result of a new public health law based on a European directive that says tobacco products "must not include any element that contributes to the promotion of tobacco or give an erroneous impression of certain characteristics". Four major tobacco companies have written to the government seeking clarification on the potential law, calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the details of the plan. In the letter they accuse French health minister Marisol Touraine of an "arbitrary and disproportionate" application of EU directives.[17][18][19][20][21]

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The cigarette was manufactured by SEITA but 1999 proved to be a landmark year. The legal difficulties crystallised when a French health insurance fund filed a 51.33 million franc lawsuit against four cigarette companies, including SEITA, to cover the estimated and continuing costs of treating the illnesses linked to cigarette smoking. This was followed by an action filed by the family of a deceased heavy smoker and the French state health insurer, Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie, claiming compensation for the cost of the deceased's medical treatment and for producing a dangerous and addictive product. Consequently, brand management was assigned to Altadis, with joint French and Spanish ownership, and this company continued manufacture and international distribution until its acquisition by Imperial Tobacco.

On 30 October 2007 the Criminal Chamber of the French Supreme Court ruled against SEITA, accusing it of having signed a partnership agreement with the organisers of the 2000–2002 Francofolies Festivals for the use of visual brand elements of Gauloises Blondes.[22]

Sport sponsorship

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The Yamaha YZR-M1 of Valentino Rossi used in the 2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season on display.

Auto sponsorship

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Gauloises was the primary sponsor of the Équipe Ligier French Formula One team in 1996, replacing sister brand Gitanes, as well as its successor Alain Prost by Prost Grand Prix from 1997 until 2000.[23] Gauloises also sponsored the Kronos Total Citroën World Rally Team Citroën Xsara WRC in World Rally Cars in the WRC during the 2006 World Rally Championship.[citation needed]

Moto sponsorship

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Gauloises was the primary sponsor of the factory Yamaha team in 2004 and 2005,[24][25] as well as the satellite Tech 3 team from 2001 until 2004 when they got sponsored by Fortuna in the MotoGP class. Gauloises was a major sponsor for teams in the Dakar Rally. Gauloises also sponsored various grand prix races on the MotoGP calendar, such as the Dutch TT,[26] the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Brno Circuit.[27]

Markets

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Gauloises is mainly sold in France, but also was or still is sold in Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, and United Arab Emirates.[28][29][30][31][better source needed]

Gauloises is no longer available in the United Kingdom or in Russia.[citation needed]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "En 2017, les cigarettes Gauloises quittent la France. Mais elles restent dans l'histoire du cinéma français..." HuffPost. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ "How France lost its iconic, once romantic Gauloises cigarette brand". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  3. ^ "30 Glorieuses". 30 Glorieuses. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  4. ^ "PAQUET DE CIGARETTES TROUPE, GAULOISES 1939 - 1940 - Le poilu". Lepoilu-paris.com. Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Au temps où la France aimait la cigarette". Francetvinfo.fr. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  6. ^ Godeau, Eric (31 July 2017). Le tabac en France de 1940 à nos jours: histoire d'un marché (in French). Presses Paris Sorbonne. ISBN 9782840505617. Retrieved 31 July 2017 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "France fumes over Gauloises move", CNN, 1 September 2005
  8. ^ Horrocks, Chris. Introducing Baudrillard. Icon Books, 1996.
  9. ^ "Stubbed out: the 21 most iconic cigarette packets of all time". The Telegraph. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Robert Motherwell & Gauloises Caporal | BEACH". Beachpackagingdesign.com. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  11. ^ "Robert Motherwell. Gauloises Bleues (White). 1970". MoMA. 22 February 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Robert Motherwell: Making of an American Giant-artnet News". News.artnet.com. 16 June 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  13. ^ "Robert Motherwell | Gauloises with Scarlet No. 1 (1972)". Artsy. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  14. ^ Greenwich Killing Time, et al.[full citation needed]
  15. ^ Humphries, Patrick (17 December 2012). Nick Drake: The Biography. A&C Black. ISBN 9781408841440. Retrieved 31 July 2017 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ "Last smoke for French cigarette factory". 2005-09-22. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  17. ^ "France considers ban on cigarettes that are 'too cool'". The Local France. Thelocal.fr. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  18. ^ "France may ban cigarettes that are 'too cool'". The Independent. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  19. ^ Rahman-Jones, Imran (2 August 2016). "Small, White and Strong: How French Cigarettes Became the Coolest in the World". Medium.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  20. ^ Webb, Sam (20 July 2016). "Cigarette brands once viewed as an icon of cool could be banned". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  21. ^ Willsher, Kim (20 July 2016). "Smokers fume as France mulls ban on 'too cool' Gitanes and Gauloises". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Arrêt de la Chambre Criminelle de la Cour de Cassation : Audience publique du 30 octobre 2007". France.globe24h.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  23. ^ Novikov, Andrew. "All Formula One Info - Equipe Ligier". Allf1.info. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  24. ^ Sports, Dorna. "Gauloises Yamaha celebrate historic podium double". Motogp.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Gauloises Yamaha takes to the snow in Bormio". Yamaha-racing.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Gauloises Dutch TT Assen 2003 - Evenementen - Catawiki". Catawiki.nl. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Czech GP: Team Gauloises Yamaha Friday notes". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  28. ^ "BrandGauloises - Cigarettes Pedia". Cigarettespedia.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  29. ^ "BrandGauloises Blondes - Cigarettes Pedia". Cigarettespedia.com. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Gauloises". Zigsam.at. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Brands". Cigarety.by. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
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