Reynolds’ newest innovation, nicotine lozenges called Revel, hit the market on March 27. This is the tobacco giant’s first new product launched on a wide commercial scale since the Vuse e-cigarette in 2013.
Sold in four flavors – berry, cream, mint, and dark mint – the lozenges do not contain tobacco or tar and are available in both hard and soft varieties. However, Reynolds is not advertising them as a healthier alternative to smoking or as a way to quit. Rather, Revel lozenges are meant to appeal exclusively to adults who already smoke, as the company believes that a sizable chunk of those customers is looking for a simpler and more discrete way to use nicotine
Shay Mustafa, Reynolds’ senior vice president of consumer marketing, said the products are intended to help meet what she called the “evolving preferences” of adult smokers. “We are not positioning this as a cessation product. It’s just a simple way for adults to enjoy nicotine in a different format,” she added.
Revel lozenges come in child-resistant packaging and are sold only in locations where they are behind a counter. Online sales are limited to two orders per customer at a time and customers must verify that they are at least 21 years old through third-party age-verification software. Reynolds will also require retailers to participate in their “We Card” program, which it created in 1996 to reduce underage access to tobacco products. The company also requires that anyone in Revel’s advertising materials be 25 or older.
“This product is designed for smokers or people who are looking for a wider range of options as it relates to nicotine. We want to offer them more options other than combustible products or smokeless products,” Mustafa said.