Double Happiness (cigarette)

Double Happiness (simplified Chinese: 红双喜; traditional Chinese: 紅雙喜; pinyin: Hóngshuāngxǐ) is a Chinese brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the Shanghai Tobacco Corporation. It is one of the oldest Chinese cigarette brands currently on the market.

Double Happiness
An old Hong Kong pack of Double Happiness cigarettes with a Hong Kong text warning and nutrition facts
Product typeCigarette
OwnerShanghai Tobacco Corporation
CountryChina
Introduced1906 (1906)
MarketsSee Markets
Previous ownersNanyang Brothers Tobacco Company

History

Double Happiness was launched in Hong Kong in 1906 by Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company, and has been one of the most influential cigarette brands in China. In its early days it was known as Happydays in English, but its Chinese name, which means literally "Red Double Happiness", has never changed. After the Communist Party of China won the Chinese Civil War and established the People's Republic of China, Nanyang Brothers was nationalized in two stages: first partly in 1951 and then completely in 1959. The "Double Happiness" brand is now owned by the state-owned Shanghai Tobacco Corporation.[1]

Double Happiness in China

In China, the brand, with its yellow and red packaging, evokes tradition, good luck and high status. Because it is culturally iconic and one of the most expensive brands, it is highly popular as a gift during the Lunar New Year and weddings. During the 1980s and 1990s, Double Happiness cigarettes played an unexpected role in Chinese weddings: the bride had to light a cigarette for every man attending the wedding banquet as a token of gratitude. After the 2000s, this custom slowly started to disappear, most likely due to the health hazards that smoking can cause.[2][3][4]

The brand is also known to be used as a "social currency" in China. "A person who wanted to buy a bicycle in the early 1980s often had to obtain a ration coupon from his unit, and in such a situation it often made sense to hand the individual responsible for issuing coupons a carton of Double Happiness cigarettes and a couple bottles of erguotou baijiu (white liquor)" wrote Andrew Wedeman, in his book "Double Paradox: Rapid Growth and Rising Corruption in China". In 2009, Chinese legislators decided that "tobacco consumption had led to an increase in rampant corruption" and drafted a bill that would make it illegal for government officials to accept cigarettes as gifts. The bill failed to pass.[5]

Controversy

In May 2015, it was reported that Double Happiness is specifically targeted towards the growing numbers of Chinese tourists and diaspora and is sold in more and more duty-free shops around the world. The brand is specifically popular because it evokes tradition, good luck and high status.[3]

Markets

Double Happiness cigarettes are mainly sold in China, but also were or are still sold in Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Poland and Russia.[6][7][8]

See also

References
  1. Cheng Boli; Cao Yuan. 红双喜烟标的民俗文化及其百年发展 [The folk culture and century-long development of the Double Happiness cigarette brand] (PDF) (in Chinese). China Tobacco Museum. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  2. Ming, Ye. "The Strange Use of Cigarettes at 1980s Chinese Weddings". Time. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  3. Conner, Shawn. "Cigarette packaging clearly targets specific demographics: research". Vancouversun.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  4. "Review: Double Happiness". Richardkol.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  5. Rohrlich, Justin (22 November 2014). "Papers, Please: Police State Cigarettes". Thedailybeast.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  6. "BrandDouble Happiness - Cigarettes Pedia". Cigarettespedia.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  7. "Double Happiness". Zigsam.at. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  8. "Brands". Cigarety.by. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
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