"Optimo Peach Cigarillos pack an appealing fruity flavor and an enticing aroma," notes the manufacturer, while Optimo Icy Mint Cigarillos "deliver fresh taste with a brisk kick." Both new flavors are available in either 5-packs or 60-count boxes.

Also offered are Optimo Peach Blunts and Optimo Icy Mint Blunts in 60-count boxes and Optimo Rum Coronas with natural wrappers in 25-count boxes.

"Our research shows that nearly half of adult smokers are seeking a tobacco alternative to smoking," said Murray S. Kessler, USSTC president. "And we believe that Revel is the alternative because it provides real tobacco satisfaction, is discreet, can be enjoyed anywhere, is odor free and has no second-hand smoke."

Revel, available in both mint and wintergreen flavors, is a blend of premium tobaccos and fresh flavor in clean and neat, easy-to-use packets. Adults simply place a packet anywhere in their mouth where it is comfortable to enjoy the flavor. Unlike other smokeless tobacco products, most smokers who have tried Revel report that they feel no need to expectorate. Revel comes in specially designed plastic "push and pop" containers of 20 packets each, and will be priced at $1.99 per package - or $1 less than the average cost of a pack of premium cigarettes - in order to stimulate trial.

Several marketing initiatives will support the product in this test market, including point-of-sale promotions and one-on-one adult sampling. In March, USSTC expects to launch another test market for Revel in approximately 500 retail stores in Charlotte, NC.

Grown exclusively in the rich, black soil of St. James Parish, Louisiana, authentic Perique, a dark, pungent, spicy tobacco, is among the rarest tobaccos in the world. "When blended with Natural American Spirit premium, 100% additive-free tobacco, St. James Perique provides a unique, rich, and zesty flavor that cannot be imitated," the company explains.

Today, authentic Perique tobacco is produced solely by Percy Martin and his family on their historic Grande Pointe farm, where the Martins have cultivated Perique for nearly two centuries. Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. purchases Martin's entire crop, making the company the exclusive producer of Perique tobacco cigarettes.

"Ultra light is a popular segment and currently makes up nearly 13 percent of the U.S. cigarette market," said Bruce Coley, brand director for Pall Mall. "We expect the new styles will further accelerate sales of the Filtered Pall Mall, already one of the fastest-growing cigarette brands in the country."

Introduced in January 2001, Filtered Pall Mall currently holds 1.25 percent of the U.S. market. Ultra Lights joins other filtered styles - Full Flavor, Lights, and Lights Menthol. All are packed tightly with premium tobacco, making them burn slower and last longer than competitive brands, notes the manufacturer.

Pall Mall Ultra Lights are available in Kings and 100's lengths.

A winner will be selected based on how well the submitted box seal message fits with the Helix brand image and if it projects a clever, witty and fun attitude. The current Helix box seal reads: "BY BREAKING THIS SEAL I AM OPENING MY MIND TO A NEW AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCE."

"This contest creates the opportunity to freshen up this message as well as initiate some adult consumer involvement to help bring them closer to the brand," said Larry Palumbo, president of U.S. Cigar. Entry forms will be inserted into boxes of Helix. Easels and other promotional materials will be placed at retail tobacco shops. The contest runs through June 30, 2004. Winners will be contacted in writing by August 12, 2004.

"Our Puros Indios cigars have always been the best-selling of our product portfolio," states Carlos Diez, the company's Director of Marketing. "Extra-large ring gauge cigars are becoming extremely popular due to the amount of smoking pleasure their generous girth offers." The cigars are packaged in boxes of 20, with a suggested retail of $6.50 per cigar.

Made in the United Kingdom, Andron Menthol Filter Tips are packaged in 100-count transparent containers featuring airtight lids to prevent the menthol from evaporating.

Hailed as the "crown jewel" of Perdomo's family of premium cigars and a tribute to the memory of Nick Perdomo Jr.'s late grandfather and mentor, Silvio Perdomo, the Edicion de Silvio has a secretive blend of all-Cuban seed tobaccos that the Perdomos began aging before Silvio's passing in 1997. Perdomo says the meticulously crafted cigars deliver a superior smoking experience, described as a "mosaic of bold, rich flavors with an undercurrent of delicate and complex tones."

Each gift collection is presented in a smaller version of the rustic Edicion de Silvio "Spanish Galleon" tobacco chest, and holds five cigars of the same size, made in Silvio Perdomo's most cherished vitolas: Robusto (5 x 54); Double Corona (7 5/8 x 50) and No. 2 Torpedo (6 1/8 x 54). The cigars are delicately stocked in a slide-top, perforated Spanish cedar cache surrounded by and continuously exposed to the fragrant, hand-carved shavings of a 120-year old Spanish cedar tree, which imparts a delicate aroma and distinctively elegant finish to each cigar. The retail prices for each gift box are $100 (Robusto), $125 (Double Corona), and $137.50 (No. 2 Torpedo).