Product
Bond Street is an international cigarette brand produced by Philip Morris International. The name refers to Bond Street in London, although the brand is not sold in the UK itself. It is produced in many countries, including Russia and Ukraine.
The Premium Mix variant discussed in the catalog is distinguished by an aroma capsule: the packaging directly says “Press the MIX capsule.” The packs visible in the image carry the price tag “New 75 rub,” which indicates the Russian market and a specific price offer.
History of the brand
The brand's history goes back to 1902, when Belgian King Albert granted the Philip Morris tobacco shop on Bond Street in London the title of royal tobacconist. In the mid-1990s the brand was rebranded, and in 2006 a premium version, Bond Street Special, appeared. According to the sources, in 2016 Bond Street was among the five largest international cigarette brands, with a volume of around 45 billion units.
It is not known when the Premium Mix variant with the capsule appeared, so it cannot be dated. The 2017 date refers to the meme, not to the product's release.
Popularity among young people
The brand's popularity is linked to it becoming a fashionable accessory among young people, including schoolchildren. The photos circulated online highlight the bright purple packaging and the capsule mechanism itself, which sets the pack apart from others.
Such photos were posted on personal profiles and accompanied by captions in which the pack served as a sign of belonging to a certain group. This pattern of spread is typical of many brands that become a subject of teenage fashion.
The memes and their meaning
Memes about the “Bond” with a button are built on irony toward both smoking and those who choose this brand. A typical joke reduces everything to display: the pack shown to others matters more than the smoking itself. The mandatory warning on packs, “Smoking kills,” is presented in these memes as a sharp contrast to the carefree presentation.
The format rests on a simple device: repeated photos of packs held in hands, on knees, and in a circle of friends. Such shots worked as a visual stamp, and their captions were built on exaggerated seriousness, which made the statement sound comic.
Origin of the meme
The origin of the specific meme is not known: the primary source, the exact date of first publication, and the author have not been established. The meme dates to 2017.
The lack of a primary source is typical of memes that spread through personal photos and small communities. So far, it has only been established that the topic relates to a specific brand and to the teenage fashion described in the catalog.
Image
The photo shows several packs of Bond Street Premium Mix laid out on dark fabric, with a person's hand visible nearby. The captions “New 75 rub” and “Press the MIX capsule” are legible on several packs. The purple design and price tags match the catalog's description: the image does indeed show cigarettes of this brand and the variant with the capsule.
