Politically Incorrect Marketing

I'm perusing the Rattrays on Pipes & Cigars for Marlin Flake (backordered of course) and there are several new blends (at least to me) including the four pictured below, that all have clearly printed on their label, "For Gentlemen Only", words that, to my knowledge, never appeared on any Rattray (or any other brand) of pipe tobacco in the past. Am I missing something or are sales at Kohlhase so strong that they want to turn away any female smokers?


http://img.pipesandcigars.com/p/500/pt/r/pt-rav0100.pnghttp://img.pipesandcigars.com/p/500/pt/r/pt-rau0100.pnghttp://img.pipesandcigars.com/p/500/pt/r/pt-ra00050.pnghttp://img.pipesandcigars.com/p/500/pt/r/pt-rat0100.png

Interesting. Those all happen to be the new Rattray's branded Peterson blends.

Red Lion = Old Dublin
Macbeth = Sherlock Holmes
Stirling Flake = Irish Flake
Sir William = Irish Whisky

I noticed that when I was looking at them a few days ago. Figured they meant it wasn't for slobs like me, so I didn't buy any.

I would think one would know since it is Rattray's that it is "for gentlemen only" :)

This is the double edged sword of tinned tobaccos vs. bulk. Sometimes I really enjoy the additional facet of the label and art that accompanies the tobacco, and sometimes I'd be better off having it handed to me in a bag to stand on its own merits.

I guess I'm a bit thick skinned. It could say a lot worse and I would still smoke it.

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Originally Posted by Pugsley

I noticed that when I was looking at them a few days ago. Figured they meant it wasn't for slobs like me, so I didn't buy any.

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Zakly. It's a written warning to keep away the thugs, druggies, mouth-breathers, hippies, people who use double negatives or end sentences with prepositions and so forth.

Personally, I would smoke some Rattray Marlin Flake if they labeled it "For Runny-Nosed Sissies & Droolers Only".

I dare them to label their tobacco "for hipsters only." :)

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Originally Posted by Bruck

I dare them to label their tobacco "for hipsters only." :)

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I smoked Rattray's before it was Peterson's... :disturbed:

There are a growing number of shops springing up (in big cities: NYC, London, Tokyo etc) which cater to fellas who embrace "The Art of Manliness" and sell pipes, cravats, shaving mugs, mustache wax and similar implements, and it could be that Rattray's is trying to get its products well positioned in that burgeoning market.

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Originally Posted by cpmcdill

There are a growing number of shops springing up (in big cities: NYC, London, Tokyo etc) which cater to fellas who embrace "The Art of Manliness" and sell pipes, cravats, shaving mugs, mustache wax and similar implements, and it could be that Rattray's is trying to get its products well positioned in that burgeoning market.

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Have you been to shops like that in Tokyo?

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Originally Posted by JustTroItIn

I guess I'm a bit thick skinned. It could say a lot worse and I would still smoke it.

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Yeah me too.
I'm not the most politically correct guy out there.

I'm also not the kind of person you want to put on speakerphone.

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Originally Posted by Mr Motoyoshi

Have you been to shops like that in Tokyo?

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I have not been to Tokyo. Merely seen mention over the past couple years in some blogs, mostly relevant to the international trend itself. Sorry to say, I try to keep my bookmarks pretty lean, so it would be hard to track down the sites where I've seen it mentioned. But I am aware that there's a growing craze over there for vintage Western culture, particularly 40s-50s apparel/lifestyle, and next to that some Japanese pipe makers are gaining international fame (Tsuge for example)

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Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Zakly. It's a written warning to keep away the thugs, druggies, mouth-breathers, hippies, people who use double negatives or end sentences with prepositions and so forth.

Personally, I would smoke some Rattray Marlin Flake if they labeled it "For Runny-Nosed Sissies & Droolers Only".

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Count me in the unwanted.

I just wrote on another thread:

Long ago, Rattray Marlin Flake was notorious for molding (1980s and before) but it was still worth the effort :).

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Originally Posted by cpmcdill

There are a growing number of shops springing up (in big cities: NYC, London, Tokyo etc) which cater to fellas who embrace "The Art of Manliness" and sell pipes, cravats, shaving mugs, mustache wax and similar implements, and it could be that Rattray's is trying to get its products well positioned in that burgeoning market.

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The "art of manliness" always seems to be right on the edge the "art of questionable manliness." :)

Kind of funny that actually doing things "manly" is a fringe trend. What the hell happened to us!?

I think the original topic is safe advertising. Look at the membership of this site. I don't think we have a single female piper. The pipe club I belong to is all guys. I know the cigar side occasionally gets a female participant, but they are few and far between. There are some things that are predominantly male and some that are female. I think that's OK.

Hmmm...maybe Hillary's news conference would have gone better if she were smoking a pipe.

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Originally Posted by Bruck

The "art of manliness" always seems to be right on the edge the "art of questionable manliness." :)

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Amen. Marketing terms to attract the insecure.

I like it! It don't bother me a bit.

Just like you won't find me wearing ladies perfume, especially the ones that say so on the bottle. But, there are many men that will. I just choose not to...and who cares!

They can market their products however the hell they want, and if it deters female consumers I'd say that's their loss lol. And I'd say to the females who turn down the product because of the label, your loss on some good tobacco.
All this "manly marketing" makes me laugh. Just own up to your decisions and enjoy what you already know you like, screw the label. I've used women's deodorant before because I thought it smelled fresh, who cares. I smeared it on, walked out the door, put in a hard days work, and put food on the table. And last time I checked, my dick was still hangin between my legs. Daddy told me what separates the men from the boys, is conviction.

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Originally Posted by cpmcdill

..........there's a growing craze over there for vintage Western culture, particularly 40s-50s apparel/lifestyle.................)

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That craze was going on and strong even back in 1979. Lot's of young people dressed in 50's style clothes and there were clubs that were thusly themed.
It was quite a surprise to me then, but I enjoyed it very much.

(good stories for a herf)

Pipe smokers seem to be a tender bunch..