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CIGAR OF THE STARS?

Plus: Nebraska theatre cited for smoking by comedian Ron White

Los Angeles, April 20 – One of the success stories of the Cigar Boom is C.A.O.

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Cano A. Ozgener (initials: C.A.O.) built an outstanding reputation in the meerschaum pipe business before turning to cigars in 1995. A calm, warm and friendly sort, his cigar line rose in popularity thanks to the Cigar Boom and a lot of advertising featuring C.A.O. cigars and a lot of women who seemed to have forgotten their clothes when the photographer was shooting.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Ozgener soon made sure his cigars kept up with the times, as well as his advertising. Soon after, the C.A.O. Gold Line was introduced and created new brand fans with a medium-bodied blend that had just a tang of spice on the finish . . . just like Cano.

Then came the three-part l’Anniversaire Series which celebrated his 30 years in the tobacco trade, starting in 1998. Brilliantly packaged and full of flavor when many brands were still on the mild side, the l’Anniversaire Maduro raised the C.A.O. profile, followed by the l’Anniversaire Cameroon in 1999 and the eXtreme in 2000. Then, there was no stopping C.A.O. and its brand-a-year introductions.

With blends which increased in complexity and boldness and packaging to match, C.A.O. introduced the Brazilia line in 2001, the heavy Criollo series in 2002, the double maduro (wrapper and binder) Mx2 in 2003 and the beautiful Italia line in 2004.

At the same time, Ozgener was aided by the considerable energy of his son Tim and daughter Eileen and the inventive outreach ideas of Chief Marketing Officer Jon Huber. The results are not only reflected in some of the most brilliant band and packing design and graphics in the industry, but also in a continuous push in all directions to introduce smokers to C.A.O.

You’d expect coverage of C.A.O. in cigar magazines. But how about Razor, the four-year-old ultra-hip guide to living for 20-something man!? C.A.O.’s elegant seven-blend sampler for Father’s Day, encased in a slide-top cedar box, was featured in the June issue.

And for those who make the party circuit, it’s hard to find one without C.A.O.!

• C.A.O. was the “official” cigar for socialite (?) Nicky Hilton’s 21st birthday party at Las Vegas’s Hard Rock Hotel in October 2004, distributing Flavours by C.A.O. lines Eileen’s Dream (Irish Creme), Moontrance (fruit and bourbon vanilla) and KarmaSutraSplash (mango and chocolate mint ice cream!?!) . . .

• C.A.O. was the “official cigar” of the “EA Sports Madden Bowl 2005" party at Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, Florida in February . . .

• It was the “official cigar” of the Sundance Film Festival premiere of “Dirty Love,” written by and starring Jenny McCarthy . . .

• C.A.O. was the “official cigar” of the People’s Choice Award after-party at Pasadena’s Twin Palms restaurant this past January . . .

• C.A.O. is the “official cigar” for almost anything happening at the Palms Casino Resort . . . Super Bowl party . . . Playboy Golf Classic . . . New Year’s Eve Party . . . the January 8 premiere of “Elektra,” starring Jennifer Garner, and . . .

If the Maloof Brothers are successful in moving the 2007 NBA All-Star Game from Sacramento (where they own the Kings) to Las Vegas (where they own the Palms), watch for C.A.O. to sponsor on-court cigars for the referees, who don’t generally get involved in that game anyway . . .

C.A.O. even makes special cigars for rock stars, having produced 1,000 special, double-banded Moontrance Robusto (5 inch by 48 ring) cigar dubbed “Tommyland” for the “Red, White & Crue 2005 Tour” reunion of the Motley Crue band, produced by music channel VH1/VH1 Classic.

With all this fun surrounding the brand, it’s little wonder that the Ozgeners and Huber are dancing with joy. That has to be the reason why they introduced the newest shape in the Brazilia line, the Lambada (6 x 50, pictured above) two weeks ago. Not too close now, fellas . . .

Ron White concert gets theatre ticketed for smoking:
Remember that flap over comedian Ron White, who lit a cigar in the Pershing Center theatre in anti-smoking Lincoln, Nebraska during his show 10 days ago?

He got a ticket.

Rather, the theatre management firm SMG that runs Pershing Center got a $100 ticket from the Lincoln Police Department for the infraction. In an aging building which is getting less and less popular by the day, taking a $100 hit against the receipts of the show, which brought in 4,500 screaming fans, was certainly worth it.

White wasn’t ticketed personally. According to the Associated Press report, Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady said the comedian won’t be cited because “he’s long gone.”

Casady told the AP that one officer thought about citing White during the show. But the Chief said later, “But she said ‘No way was I going to give a ticket to a comedian on stage with a crowd of 8,000 people.’”

She not only didn’t do her duty (she could have given it to him when he came off-stage at the end of the show), but she can’t count attendance, either. Now you know where those estimates of crowds at St. Peter’s Basilica come from . . .
~ Rich Perelman

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