Produced by Atladis, a French company, Gauloises cigarettes enjoy an iconic status in France. The traditional Gauloises cigarettes were unfiltered, made up of tobaccos from Turkey and Syria and were wide and short. They used to give off a very distinctive and strong smell. Although these cigarettes originated in France they are also being produced in Spain since 2005. These cigarettes enjoy great patronage in France. In fact it was considered smoking them as patriotic for quite some time in France. It was the belief that anyone who smoked Gauloises cigarettes supported French values and traditions. French soldiers were known to smoke only Gauloises cigarettes during the two World Wars. Such is the iconic status that the brand enjoys in France.
The advertising campaign of the brand for a very long time reiterated the belief that ‘if you smoke Gauloises, you are actually contributing to the national good’. This line was true to a very large extent as most of the proceeds from the sale of these cigarettes went into spending for beneficial purposes. The brand is known for its range of quality cigarettes which come in a wide variety of tastes and flavor. They are extremely popular outside France too. They are the preferred choice in many European countries, prominent among them being Great Britain. Although quite expensive they are gradually finding a large number of takers in other countries such as the countries of the CIS. The brand has always been linked to inspirational figures and also to high-status in the society. This was one reason why the brand was the favorite with artists and writers in France. The popular hero of Ian Fleming’s novel, James Bond also used to smoke Gauloises cigarettes.