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Zig-Zag is a brand of rolling papers that originated in France. The Zig-Zag brand produces primarily hand-rolled tobacco related products such as cigarette rolling papers, cigarette tubes and rolling accessories.
 | |
| Industry |
|
|---|---|
| Founded | 1855 |
| Founder | Maurice Braunstein Jacques Braunstein |
| Headquarters | France |
| Website | zigzag |
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History edit
The company was founded in 1855 by Maurice and Jacques Braunstein. Based in Paris, in 1882 the company built the Papeterie de Gassicourt, a cigarette paper production plant near the town of Mantes-la-Jolie. In 1894, they invented the process of "interleaving" rolling papers. They called their papers Zig-Zag after the zigzag alternating packaging process.[1] In 1900, Zig-Zag was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris.
Success led to expansion in 1919 to a new mill in Thonon-les-Bains. During World War II, the company's original facility in Mantes-la-Jolie was destroyed and at war's end, all production was shifted to the Thonon factory.
With the death of Jacques Braunstein, in the 1950s Zig-Zag was sold to a partnership of the Group Bolloré and competitor JOB. In 2000, Zig-Zag became part of Republic Technologies of which Group Bolloré owns 19 percent.
In 2021, Zig Zag and Turning Point Brands, Inc. announced that they would be collaborating and launching a studio, Zig Zag Studios.[2] Their focus is to a media platform featuring a wide range of artists, culture, art, and lifestyle content.[2]
Marketing edit
Captain Zig-Zag edit
The zouave soldier portrayed on the front of Zig-Zag products is colloquially known as the "Zig-Zag man". The choice of a member of this French North African regiment as a Zig-Zag icon originates from a folk story about an incident in the battle of Sevastopol. When the soldier's clay pipe was destroyed by a bullet, he attempted to roll his tobacco using a piece of paper torn from a musket cartridge.[3]
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In an advertising campaign in the 1960s, Zig-Zag published leaflets with the zouave facing the viewer (much like Uncle Sam) and the caption, "Captain Zig-Zag wants YOU!" The reason for using the rank of "captain" is unclear as the Zig-Zag man is portrayed in the fez and embroidered jacket of an ordinary zouave and is not an officer.
In popular culture edit
- One of the covers of Zig-Zag inspired an alternate cover for Eazy-E's 1989 single We Want Eazy, which went on to inspire the album cover for The Chronic by Dr. Dre.
- One of the concert posters promoting a show at The Avalon Ballroom featuring Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin was done to look like a packet of Zig-Zags
- In the poem The Shoelace by Charles Bukowski, Zig-Zag is mentioned: "...plenty of zigzag but no pot...."[4]
- Afroman mentions Zig-Zag in one of his most popular songs, Crazy Rap.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "History of Smoking and Rolling Papers | Zig-Zag".
- ^ a b "Iconic Rolling Paper Brand Zig-Zag Announces Launch of Zig-Zag Studio". www.businesswire.com. 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
- ^ "Zig-Zag".
- ^ Shoelace, The. "The Shoelace by Charles Bukowski". allpoetry.com. Retrieved 2023-02-22.