Amusing how a lighthearted, ironic post about a long-discontinued blend provoked such a delicate response.
Had I written the same about McClelland 40th Anniversary, Dunhill Elizabethan, Germain’s Rich Dark Flake, Esoterica Stonehaven, Balkan Sobranie, Rattray’s Dark Fragrant, Condor Plug, Capstan Blue (pre-1990s) or Gallagher’s War Horse — I doubt anyone would’ve felt the need to intervene. These vanished blends are usually discussed with quiet nostalgia, not corporate anxiety.
But mention an old Samuel Gawith product — and suddenly we’re in the realm of brand damage control.
Frankly, I’m flattered. I merely used a metaphor about tobacco “extinction” — no critique of current production, no mention of sales figures, no commercial judgment.
The post wasn’t about marketing, but about memory: sometimes we recall something not because it was perfect — but because it’s gone.
That’s nostalgia. Not an attack on your brand. No need to defend against ghosts.