Some cigar manufacturers of the late 19th and early 20th century advertised
in newspapers, but most relied for promotion on word of mouth, on drinkers in taverns
treating each other to cigars, and especially on the mute cigar store
salesmanship of the cigar box inner label.
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Cigars were sold out of their open boxes set out side by side in store
display cases. Competition for the buyer's attention was fierce. As a
manufacturer, how did you convince a buyer to purchase your cigar, rather than
one from the box next to it?
The answer is, you tried an emerging form of point-of-sale hucksterism using
colour lithographya new printing technology that produced stunningly vivid
hues. Lithography enabled you to design a colourful label for the inner cigar
box lid that, like a miniature billboard, caught the (nearly always male)
customer's eye and instantly gave him a reason to buy your cigars.
What theme or image might press the customer's “buy” button? Many
manufacturers thought it would be the news of the day, popular phrases and
catchwords, humorous images and puns, depictions of pretty women and exotic
ethnic groups, or the growing cult of celebrity in politics, sports,
entertainment and the military.
The competition to sell cigars at the turn of the 20th century resulted in
the Golden Era of Canadian cigar box label art. Cigar labels became a show in
themselves: they entertained, they amused, they titillated, they informed.
Because the labels were full of images from their time, they now serve as a
window on Canada and Canadians of that era.
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