igare tt es , ▁currently ▁owned ▁and ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁the ▁R . ▁J . ▁Reyn olds ▁Tob acco ▁Company . ▁The ▁brand ▁was ▁originally ▁named ▁for ▁the ▁se ap ort ▁of ▁New port , ▁Rh ode ▁Island . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁best - s elling ▁brand ▁of ▁ment h ols ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁History ▁New port ▁was ▁originally ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁by ▁the ▁Lor ill ard ▁Tob acco ▁Company . ▁The ▁cig aret te ▁origin ated ▁within ▁Ireland ▁and ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁culture ▁mostly ▁for ▁the ▁male ▁drink ers ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁sp inn aker ▁present ▁on ▁all ▁pack s ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁is ▁meant ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁association ▁with ▁sail ing . ▁▁ ▁The ▁original ▁New port ▁had ▁a ▁white ▁filter ▁and ▁a ▁hint ▁of ▁mint ; ▁both ▁were ▁gone ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁white ▁filter ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁standard ▁filter . ▁The ▁New port ▁Classic ▁full ▁flav or ▁c igare tt es ▁were ▁promoted ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁cig aret te ▁that ▁allows ▁you ▁to ▁" En jo y ▁a ▁full ▁flav or ▁ment hol , ▁without ▁d row ning ▁out ▁pure ▁to b acco ▁taste ". ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s , ▁New port ▁began ▁an ▁advert ising ▁campaign ▁that ▁target ed ▁African ▁Americans ▁in ▁urban ▁areas . ▁In ▁two ▁years , ▁New port ▁became ▁the ▁fifth ▁most ▁popular ▁cig