Jenny McCarthy to Star in Latest Blu E-Cig Commercials

Aug 1, 2013 by Kelly Kaderabek

TV personality Jenny McCarthy, the most recent addition to ABC's "The View," is the new face of Blu e-cigarettes, the leading brand in the category.

Ms. McCarthy will star in the brand's latest TV commercial starting Aug. 5 and webisodes slated for release today, according to Blu, which Lorillard bought for $135 million in 2012.

In the ads, she credits the Blu e-cigarettes for restoring her confidence in her dating life and introduces the Blu eCig Starter Pack, a new product. The webisode is a longer, different version of the TV commercial, in which Ms. McCarthy goes into greater deal about the Starter Pack, a spokeswoman for Blu said.

Blu did the creative for the ads with input from Ms. McCarthy, who follows in the footsteps of actor Stephen Dorff, the subject of TV and print ads for the brand.

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Dramatic Rise of E-Cigarettes Continues

Jul 22, 2013 by Kelly Kaderabek

NEW YORK -- Electronic cigarettes have continued to pick up steam, with Lorillard Inc.'s blu leading the way.

Blu eCigs

In Wells Fargo Securities LLC's recent "Tobacco Talk" survey, 80 percent of respondents indicated the category accelerated in the second quarter vs. the first quarter with annual growth topping 30 percent. "Tobacco Talk" surveys tobacco retailers and wholesaler contacts representing more than 45,000convenience stores.

"Retailers have become incrementally more positive on [e-cigarettes] and continue to praise blu noting that its advertising and marketing efforts are driving growth to the entire category," said Bonnie Herzog, managing director of tobacco, beverage and consumer research at Wells Fargo Securities.

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