Is it possible to make cigars chic in a largely non-smoking society? Cigar brand Civil Pleasures is trying to do just that, including by inviting people from the fashion industry to be part of its debut marketing campaign.
Designer Maxwell Osborne is among the 10 creatives fronting the 3-year-old cigar brand’s campaign, which includes out-of-of-home and social media ads running from October 11-30. Others featured include photographer Lucka Ngo and model Kay Vitamin. The campaign was shot by fashion photographer Gogy Esparza, who has worked for Supreme and Commes des Garcons Dior.
Based in NYC, Civil Pleasures exclusively sells through four high-end cigar stockists in the city, including Cigarillos, Barclay Rex and Cigar World and Classic Smoke Shop. And it’s focused on bringing younger people into the world of cigars, which was a $12.7 billion U.S. market in 2023 — largest customer base is men ages 30-50. Civil Pleasures’ cigars are made in collaboration with one of the oldest cigar manufacturers in Nicaragua, Joya Cigars, which dates back to 1968.
“We worked with master blenders in Nicaragua to select what we thought would be best suited to the taste and sensibilities of our community here in New York, and one that both enthusiasts and beginners alike could appreciate,” said Sean Dorsey, who co-founded Civil Pleasures with Sean Dorsey, Sharif Khalije, Jesse Roth and Cody Min. “Our first cigar is an entirely handmade blend of vintage, 5-year-aged tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.” The company currently offers one cigar, the CP1, which sells for $30 per cigar, or $300 per box.
Private cigar members’ clubs like Soho Cigar in NYC are also playing into the exclusivity of cigars as a marketing tool. Soho Cigar does not disclose its members count.
Osborne, who launched the fashion brands Public School in 2008 and AnOnlyChild in 2021, is both friends with the brand founders and an investor in the company, as of this year. Civil Pleasures declined to provide further information on funds raised and investors.
“The act of smoking a cigar and the smell triggers a sentimental memory for me,” said Osborne. “An occasional cigar is something that reminds me of my uncles.”
During the 1980s, fashion houses such as Givenchy, Versace, Pierre Cardin, Christian Lacroix and Cartier featured cigarettes in advertising. But it was Saint Laurent that best aligned itself with smokers, releasing a line of “Ritz”-named cigarettes, in collaboration with the British American Tobacco Company, in 1985. Kate Moss was also known for her ever-present pack of Marlboro Lights, but smoking has since become less cool amid more awareness about their health effects. With cigars, famous fans have included actress Brigitte Bardot, artist Andy Warhol and musician Skepta.
Considering the death of smoking in the U.S. and the rising numbers of young people taking up vaping, marketing cigars to a younger, more fashion-forward crowd seems like a tough sell.
“It’s nostalgic for me,” Osborne said. “Cigars aren’t like cigarettes; they are for a place and time. You remember every single cigar you smoke, where you smoke them and, most importantly, when you smoke them.” The growth of new cigar brands will be made easier by the FDA’s decision on August 10 to deregulate premium cigars in the U.S.
