Ludo Cremers? Who Is Ludo Cremers?
From AP/Yahoo!. Emphasis mine:
They're called "Winter Warm Toffee," "Kauai Kolada," and "Twista Chill," but the flavored cigarettes are leaving a bad taste in the mouths of lawmakers who say they should be banned because they target young people.
Anti-smoking groups have charged that tobacco companies, particularly Reynolds American Inc., are luring teenagers into the smoking habit by offering flavored cigarettes and advertising them in magazines with heavy adolescent readership like Rolling Stone, Glamour and Elle....
A bill introduced in Congress in March gives the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco products and would ban the sale of candy flavored cigarettes. It is currently in the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and in the House Subcommittee on Health.
And legislators in New York, Minnesota, West Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas have proposed bills prohibiting the sale of the flavored cigarettes....
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Reynolds American, formed by last year's merger of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., sells flavored versions of its Kool and Camel brands.
Fred McConnell, a spokesman for the company, said it does not target minors with its marketing. After meeting with Sen. Charles Fuschillo, a sponsor of New York's bill, Reynolds decided to stop advertising cigarettes with candy or fruit names though the products will still be sold, he said.
"We recognize use of certain names on Camel Exotics have resulted in unintended concerns," he said.
Currently, the company offers two Camel products — "Mandarin Mint" and "Dark Mint." Those will no longer be advertised in magazines, newspapers or stores, McConnell said.
Nonetheless, McConnell said, the company opposes the legislation to ban flavored cigarettes because it would also ban "conventional" cigarettes.
"Ingredients like cocoa, sugar, licorice and menthol have been used in cigarettes for 100 years," McConnell said. "You would ban almost all cigarettes."...
Now hold on a minute.
A year ago, it was Ludo Cremers who was making the statements about flavored Kool cigarettes. And now Fred McConnell is doing it? I noted that a web search of Reynolds American finds no references to Ludo Cremers. Is former hip-hop hero Ludo Cremers now down with unemployment? Say it isn't so....
P.S. According to Network Solutions' WHOIS service, the domain kool.com is registered (via GoDaddy):
Registrant:
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
401 N Main Street
MC 20901
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102
United States
Registered through: GoDaddy.com
Domain Name: KOOL.COM
Created on: 21-May-97
Expires on: 22-May-07
Last Updated on: 15-Apr-05
Administrative Contact:
INTERNET, RJRT RJRT.INTERNET@rjrt.com
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
401 N Main Street
MC 20901
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102
United States
3367415000 Fax --
Technical Contact:
INTERNET, RJRT RJRT.INTERNET@rjrt.com
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
401 N Main Street
MC 20901
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27102
United States
3367415000 Fax --
Domain servers in listed order:
CBRU.BR.NS.ELS-GMS.ATT.NET
CMTU.MT.NS.ELS-GMS.ATT.NET
But if you try to go to kool.com, you get the following message:
You are not authorized to view this page
I am so not down with that.
But there is a discussion of Kool at the R. J. Reynolds website:
Kool
Launched in 1933, Kool was the first menthol brand to gain nationwide distribution -- and it quickly became one of the world's most famous menthol cigarettes.
Kool is distinctive among menthol cigarettes because it delivers an intense menthol smoking experience that is bold, yet smooth. Kool achieves the perfect balance of rich tobacco taste by combining specially blended tobaccos with the fresh flavor that comes from 100-percent natural menthol. The fusion of tobacco and menthol is symbolized by the interlocking "O's" in the Kool logo, which are present today in much the same form as on the original packaging.
Kool's image and brand personality is demonstrated through dynamic advertising and relevant lifestyle programs, which continue to drive its position as a leading premium brand. Kool celebrates the energy created by diverse cultures, music and fashion, and the brand draws its energy and inspiration from the intensity of vibrant, urban life. Kool captures a sense of boldness, confidence and self-expression -- combining it into a unique brand experience.
Kool is an investment brand because its heritage and proven appeal among adult smokers of competitive menthol brands provide an excellent platform for future growth.
Well, Ludo's work still lives on, I guess.
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