Forgotten Cigarette Brands of the 1970s

To understand the fate of these brands, you need to understand the corporate landscape of Canadian tobacco in the 1970s and 80s. The industry was dominated by three major players:

• Imperial Tobacco Canada — owned brands like Player’s, Du Maurier, and Matinée.
• Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) — formed from the merger of Rothmans International and Benson & Hedges’ Canadian units [citation:2]. RBH owned Accord as a discount/value brand [citation:2][citation:4].
• Philip Morris International / Altria — which eventually brought Next to Canada as a discount competitor [citation:1].

In 1999, British American Tobacco bought Rothmans and spun off its 60% share of RBH as a separate public company. Then in 2008, Philip Morris International acquired the remaining 60% of RBH for US$2 billion, making PMI the sole owner of Canada’s second-largest cigarette manufacturer [citation:2][citation:6]. This corporate consolidation would prove fatal for many smaller brands.

🔷 Next Cigarettes — From Malaysia to Canada

Producer: Altria / Philip Morris International
Introduced: 1970s / early 1980s
Original positioning: Discount brand, competing with Viceroy, Legend, Studio, and Pall Mall [citation:1]

📜 History:

Next was originally created by Philip Morris International after tax increases in Malaysia pushed Marlboro out of the market [citation:1]. The brand was positioned as a value alternative to premium brands — a strategy that later expanded internationally. In Canada, Next was sold as a discount cigarette brand, competing directly with other imported value brands [citation:1].

Unlike many other forgotten brands, Next actually survived into the modern era. As of the mid-2010s, Next was still available in Canada with several varieties [citation:1]:

• Next Red (Full Flavour)
• Next Blue (Light)
• Next Gold (Smooth)
• Next Green (Menthol) — not available in Alberta [citation:1]
• Next Snap (Menthol Capsule) — not available in Alberta [citation:1]
• Next Xpress (Full Flavour)

❓ What remains today?

Next’s fate is uncertain. In Japan, the brand was discontinued in 2014-2015 due to declining sales, with products being consolidated into Chesterfield or L&M in many countries [citation:3]. In Canada, the brand appears to have been gradually phased out or absorbed into other PMI discount brands. As of 2026, Next is rarely seen on Canadian shelves — a ghost of its former self. The trademark status suggests the brand has been abandoned or allowed to lapse.

🎵 Accord — The Working Smoker’s Choice

Producer: Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH)
Trademark filed: November 1, 1982 [citation:7]
Registered: May 8, 1984 [citation:7]
Original positioning: Discount/value brand — Red, Blue, and Green (Menthol) variants [citation:2]

📜 History:

Accord was a budget-friendly brand produced by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges [citation:2][citation:4][citation:5]. It was positioned as an affordable alternative to premium brands like Du Maurier and Player’s, targeting price-conscious smokers. The brand offered three main variants: Red (full flavour), Blue (light), and Green (menthol) [citation:2].

Accord was part of RBH’s portfolio during the company’s peak years in the 1980s and 1990s. At the time of the 2008 PMI acquisition, Accord was still listed as one of RBH’s active brands, alongside Quebec Classique and other value offerings [citation:6].

The trademark for ACCORD was filed by Benson & Hedges (Canada) Inc. on November 1, 1982, and registered on May 8, 1984. The registration was cancelled on March 25, 2016 — meaning the brand is no longer legally protected or actively marketed [citation:7].

❓ What remains today?

Accord is completely gone. The brand was likely discontinued during portfolio consolidation following the 2008 acquisition of RBH by Philip Morris International [citation:6]. The trademark cancellation in 2016 confirms that no one is actively using or protecting the Accord name in the tobacco category [citation:7].

🇫🇷 Matinée Extra — The Sophisticated Sister

Producer: Imperial Tobacco Canada
Original positioning: Premium extension of the Matinée brand, targeting sophisticated smokers

📜 History:

Matinée (French for “morning”) was a premium brand from Imperial Tobacco Canada, positioned as elegant, European-inspired, and sophisticated — often marketed toward women and urban professionals. Matinée Extra was likely a stronger, longer, or fuller-flavour extension of the main Matinée line, competing with brands like Du Maurier King Size.

The Matinée brand itself (without “Extra”) was produced by Imperial Tobacco Canada. It was known for its distinctive packaging — soft colours, minimalist design, a departure from the bold reds and golds of competitors. The brand was popular in Quebec and among style-conscious smokers.

❓ What remains today?

Nothing — both Matinée and Matinée Extra are completely extinct. Imperial Tobacco quietly phased out the Matinée brand in the early 2000s as advertising restrictions tightened. Without the ability to market its “lifestyle” appeal, the brand lost its competitive edge. Imperial consolidated its portfolio around its heavyweights: Du Maurier and Player’s — the two brands that still survive today (in plain packaging).

The disappearance of Next, Accord, and Matinée Extra can be attributed to five key factors:

1. Corporate Consolidation (2008 RBH Acquisition)

When Philip Morris International acquired Rothmans, Benson & Hedges in 2008 for US$2 billion, it inherited a portfolio of overlapping brands [citation:2][citation:6]. PMI streamlined operations, cutting smaller or underperforming brands like Accord. Next, being a PMI brand itself, was also rationalized as the company focused on global powerhouse brands (Marlboro, L&M, Chesterfield).

2. Advertising Bans (1997 Tobacco Act)

The 1997 Tobacco Act banned most forms of tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorships. Brands like Matinée — which relied heavily on lifestyle marketing and visual identity — lost their ability to reach consumers. Without advertising, brand loyalty eroded, and weaker brands were dropped.

3. Plain Packaging (2019)

When plain packaging became law in 2019, all cigarettes were reduced to identical drab brown packages with standardized fonts. Brand differentiation — already weak — became legally irrelevant. Keeping multiple similar brands made no economic sense.

4. Discount Brand Competition from Native Cigarettes

The rise of native cigarettes (priced at $35-40/carton vs $120+ for commercial brands) ate into the discount market. Why buy Next or Accord for $80-90/carton when you could get BB or Playfare for half the price? Native cigarettes offered better value, accelerating the decline of value-tier commercial brands.

5. Changing Consumer Tastes

Younger smokers (Gen Z) have largely abandoned traditional cigarettes for vapes. The entire cigarette market is shrinking — down from 60% of Canadians smoking in 1965 to under 11% today. As the pie shrinks, weaker brands are the first to go.