Philip Morris International Inc. launched BONDS by IQOS, its latest foray into the heated tobacco product category, providing a low-cost smoke-free alternative for adult Filipino smokers.
PMI chief executive Jacek Olczak said BONDS by IQOS “represents another step forward in our ambition to replace cigarettes with innovative, science-based, smoke-free alternatives.”
The launch is PMI’s latest effort in its push to realize its “smoke-free future vision.” By 2025, PMI projects that more than 50 percent of its total net revenues come from smoke-free products.
As of Nov. 21, BONDS by IQOS and its accompanying specially designed tobacco sticks BLENDS became available in stores in Metro Manila. More sari-sari stores are expected to carry the product next year.
Denis Gorkun, president of PMI’s Philippine affiliate PMFTC Inc., said that as PMI’s vision is to deliver a smoke-free future, PMFTC as the Philippine market leader is committed to put the country at the hub of the global smoke-free future.
“With the Filipino adult smoker in mind, we endeavor to offer accessible, affordable science-backed alternatives to smoking combustible cigarettes, with the goal to accelerate the realization of that transformative vision,” Gorkun said.
“The addition of BONDS by IQOS to our smoke-free portfolio in the Philippines is another significant step towards that goal of a smoke-free future for 16 million Filipino smokers and their loved ones,” Gorkun said.
Olczak said, “Providing a range of alternatives to continued smoking—with a variety of taste, technology, usage, and price options—is imperative and helps us to address a range of preferences as diverse as adult smokers themselves—ultimately encouraging them to leave cigarettes behind.”
“BONDS by IQOS provides an opportunity to address consumer acquisition barriers for this segment, most notably up-front device costs and authentic tobacco taste satisfaction—providing further options of innovative smoke-free options to help ensure they do not go back to cigarettes. Through continuous innovation, we want to ensure that all adult smokers who would otherwise continue smoking, switch and abandon cigarettes,” Olczak said.
BONDS by IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it, emitting 95-percent lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. Its resistive external heating, with no blade, delivers an authentic tobacco taste satisfaction without ash and emits less smell than cigarettes.
It is designed to deliver a variety of tobacco tastes. At the time of launch, BLENDS tobacco sticks will be available in four different flavors, including classic and menthol. When fully charged, BONDS by IQOS delivers up to 20 uses, including three consecutive experiences. BONDS by IQOS comes in four different colors.
Offered at a more affordable price, BONDS by IQOS is selling at P990 per device and BLENDS at P 100 per pack.
Like all PMI’s smoke-free, nicotine containing products, BONDS by IQOS and the accompanying BLENDS offer adults who would otherwise continue to smoke access to a compact, low maintenance and hassle-free to use smoke-free product—validated by science as a better alternative to cigarettes.
BONDS by IQOS heats tobacco instead of burning it, emitting 95-percent lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarettes. Its resistive external heating, with no blade, delivers an authentic tobacco taste satisfaction without ash and emits less smell than cigarettes.
IQOS, the world’s most successful tobacco heating device, was launched by PMFTC in 2020 in the Philippines together with its accompanying tobacco sticks called HEETS. Today IQOS and HEETS are available nationwide.
PMI says that they will only achieve a smoke-free future if all adult smokers who do not quit tobacco and nicotine altogether are aware, have access to, and can afford to switch to better alternatives.
PMI’s goal is that by 2025 at least 40 million adults who would otherwise continue to smoke will have switched to its smoke-free products. As of Sept. 30, 2022, PMI estimates there were 19.5 million total IQOS users, excluding Russia and Ukraine, of which approximately 13.5 million have switched to IQOS and stopped smoking, with the balance in various stages of conversion.
