Zig-Zag (company)

This article is about the tobacco products company. For other uses, see Zig zag.

Rolling tin

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.

History of Zig-Zag

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. 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.

Captain Zig-Zag

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.

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

• One of the covers of Zig-Zag inspired the album cover for The Chronic by Dr. Dre.

See also

• List of rolling papers

External links

• Official Website
• Official UK Website
• Group Bolloré company history