Philip Morris International invested US $ 15.5 million in the launch of the new variety of its renowned brand Marlboro, Marlboro Filter Plus, in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Andre Calantzopoulos, President and Chief Executive Officer, said at a press conference.

The new Marlboro belongs to the ‘mild’ segment which the company ranks as a growing and promising segment. Filter Plus will be manufactured at the PM Izhora plant near St-Petersburg where new machinery has been installed, and supplied to the Russian, Ukrainian and Kazakh markets.
Launched successfully in Korea in late 2006, Marlboro Filter Plus is an innovation in terms of cigarette and filter construction, as well as packaging. The filter consists of four sections, one containing tobacco, and a new slide pack has been chosen for the product’s packaging. The brand is going to be offered in two varieties, one with tar and nicotine yield of 3 mg and 0.2 mg per stick respectively, and the other (Marlboro Filter Plus One) with 1 mg tar and 0.1 mg nicotine delivery. The new Marlboro version belongs to the premium price segment and is advised to be retailed at around 1 Euro per pack. (VT)