Zino Davidoff
Zino Davidoff was born in Kiev in 1906 in Kiev, Russia. Most people know Zino for his classic cigars, but they don’t realize that he is an inventor and innovator. From the very beginning, there is no doubt that his life was surrounded by tobacco products and cigars. His father, Henri, was a tobacco merchant and would have an impact on Zino’s career. Unfortunately, his country was experiencing some internal turmoil when Zino was a child. His family made the difficult decision to relocate to Switzerland. He was only six years old, and the move to Switzerland allowed his family to open up their own shop. Zino was determined to know more about the products and trade.
He relocated to Latin America in order to learn more about the tobacco industry. Some of the countries that he visited during this time include Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil. He only stayed in Latin America to learn more about the industry for a few years. The tobacco plantations introduced him to the product and he instantly fell in love. Then he moved back to Switzerland when he was twenty four years old. When it comes to his personality, one word can probably summarize his style – “cool”.
Zino’s success continued to grow, especially during the 60’s. After the revolution occurred in Cuba in 1967, Cubatobaco contacted Davidoff to see if he was interested in creating a personal brand of cigars. During this time, they were Cuba’s tabacco monopoly. A monopoly is a Company that has managed to dominate an entire industry, making it hard for other players to penetrate the market. They wanted to use the designer in order to catapult them into the cigar market and compete with European manufacturers. It was after World War II and Cuba was about to come a major player in the cigar industry thanks to Davidoff. He released the No. 1 and No. 2, which would become a worldwide sensation. Despite the fact that his brand was growing and experiencing a ton of success, he sold his business in 1970. The decision did not hurt the brand, partly because Davidoff was friends with the person that he sold the business to. He served as the “ambassador” of the brand until he passed away. During the same year, the Mille series was released. A lot of people consider this line of cigars a little more mild than the rest of his products.
In addition to cigars, Davidoff also was an entrepreneur when it came to coffee. The designer has mentioned in the past about how much he loved his espressos. If you want to get a taste of this part of Zino’s life, you can go to the Davidoff Café. The Davidoff brand also came out with multiple fragrances, including the best seller “Cool Water”. The fragrance is somewhat inspired by the crisp and coolness of the ocean. The fact that it’s a little bit lighter is great for women and men who like to stay away from scents that are too sweet. A new addition to the Cool Water fragrance family is called “Cool Water Sea Rose”. It comes in a pretty and pink bottle that may be perfect for a lady during the holiday season. If you are looking for the perfect perfume for a man that likes to keep things simple, you should go with “Silver Shadow”.
When Zino was 88 years old, he sadly passed away. He was laid to rest in a Jewish cemetery and was praised as someone who was dedicated to the cigar industry. Even the modern day butane lighter’s design does not stray far away from Davidoff’s original creation. Men will always be grateful for the high level of quality that he puts into his cigars and other products. He is credited for giving people a taste of the “good life”. The cigarette brand from Davidoff’s line was sold to Imperial tobacco.