▁currently ▁owned ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁Japan ▁Tob acco . ▁ ▁History ▁Me vi us ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁M ild ▁Seven ▁and ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁m ild ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Seven ▁Stars ▁brand ▁in ▁Japan ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁launched ▁over se as ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁brand ▁that ▁adopted ▁the ▁char co al ▁filter ▁in ▁American ▁bl end ▁in ▁Japan . ▁Initial ly ▁it ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁treat ▁M ild ▁Seven ▁similar ▁to ▁Seven ▁Stars , ▁but ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁J T ▁changed ▁the ▁F 1 ▁participation ▁brand ▁from ▁Cab in ▁( another ▁Japanese ▁brand ▁owned ▁by ▁J T ) ▁to ▁M ild ▁Seven ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁the ▁vertical ▁blue ▁left ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁white ▁background ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁a ▁bel t ▁design . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁this , ▁the ▁advert ising ▁s log an ▁" The ▁blue ▁world ▁of ▁m ild ▁seven " ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁television ▁commer ci als , ▁and ▁after ▁that ▁blue ▁became ▁the ▁colour ▁of ▁choice ▁for ▁the ▁brand . ▁▁ ▁The ▁c igare tt es ▁are ▁the ▁third ▁most ▁widely ▁sm oked ▁cig aret te ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁with ▁ 7 6 . 5 ▁billion ▁around ▁the ▁world , ▁behind ▁Mar l bor o ▁and ▁Cam el . ▁The ▁Me vi us ▁under ▁the ▁M ild ▁Seven ▁name ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁top ▁s eller