Zig-Zag
In the annals of smoking history, Zig-Zag Rolling Papers emerge as an iconic brand with a legacy spanning 140 years.
About Zig-Zag
The saga begins amidst the strife of the Crimean War in 1855, where a French Zouave named Boris, facing the Siege of Sevastopol, birthed the brand’s inception by rolling a cigarette from a torn piece of gunpowder bag paper after a stray bullet pierced his clay tobacco pipe.
In 1879, the Braunstein brothers, Maurice and Jacques, founded a cigarette paper company, immortalizing the Zouave on their packaging. The brothers pioneered an interleaving process in 1894, earning a gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris and trademarking the name “Zig-Zag” in 1906. This innovation became a global standard for rolling paper products, setting Zig-Zag apart.
The year 1919 witnessed a move to Thonon-les-Bains near the Alps, granting Zig-Zag access to the pristine waters of Lake Geneva. This natural advantage elevated the quality and consistency of paper production, a tradition upheld today as each industrial paper reel weighs 550lb and spans over 15 miles before packaging.
The brand’s global recognition soared in 1969 with the unconventional “Captain Zig-Zag Wants YOU!” marketing campaign. Over the years, Zig-Zag’s influence extended beyond smoking culture; the brand found a place in Janis Joplin’s concert posters and gained prominence on Dr. Dre’s album cover for “The Chronic” in 1992.
Despite its historical roots, Zig-Zag remains at the forefront of innovation. In 2018, the brand introduced Organic Hemp Papers and Ultra Thin Cones, expanding its product line to cater to diverse preferences. As Zig-Zag strides into the future, having weathered the ebbs and flows of cultural shifts, one can only wonder what the next 140 years hold for this venerable brand, which has seamlessly blended tradition with innovation, making it an enduring symbol in the world of rolling papers.