By Brian Desind
They control everything, yet they control nothing. Most of us are living in a world built by men long dead, men obsessed with power, who designed systems to keep us docile, compliant, and convinced that this is just how things are. It’s true of our country. Our industry. Our companies. We go along with the herd and tell ourselves it’s out of our hands.
Don’t make waves, they say.
I brought a surfboard.
I’ve always colored outside the lines. That’s never sat well with the people who live inside them, or the ones who drew the lines in the first place. And now, that same friction is starting to show in the cigar world too. Some of you noticed I kicked off the #burnthebox campaign. I’m calling for a 25% reduction in wooden cigar boxes—because most of them end up in the trash. And per usual, none of the big guys want to go first.
Same old story.
It’s easy to keep doing what you’ve always done. It’s hard to change. I get it. But change is coming. I’d bet that by the time Privada and the Limited Cigar Association hit 20 years, more than half the cigars on the market will come in cellophane, hard paper, or bundles.
Forget where you stand on global warming. Believe it’s real, believe it’s fake, I don’t care. If your worldview is spoon-fed to you by a TV personality, then you already lost the plot. The point is: less. Less waste. Less noise. Less bullshit.
Too many of us are overweight, overstimulated, overwhelmed, and somehow still starving. Drowning in stuff. Addicted to more. And it’s making us lazier, dumber, slower.
Some of the best cigars I’ve ever had never touched a cedar box. And most “cedar” boxes aren’t even cedar. What are we doing here? Seriously. Yet brands cling to this tired aesthetic because it’s what the other guy’s doing—and everyone’s chasing the illusion of luxury.
They’ll keep doing it until they see companies using less wood making more money. Because that’s what drives 95% of your favorite brands and retailers—money.
So let it be known: I use hard paper boxes for 90% of my releases. It’s better for me, better for the world, and frankly, a no-brainer. The ultra-high-end stuff will still get the wood. Sparingly. Rarely. As it should be.
And when Privada and LCA continue to grow because of decisions like this—because we care about the shops, the culture, the future—others will eventually follow. Just like they always have. Late. Uninspired. And unoriginal.
