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Head Quest February 2005 "Out of Sight" |
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Sometimes the idea for a new product is so original, yet so darn simple, that you want to kick yourself in the butt for not having thought of it first. When Justin Marquis went looking for a discreet little container to hide his smokes at Hollywood parties and music industry events, he was amazed that there was nothing on the market to fit his needs. ?I needed something that allowed me to light my cigarette really quick and then put it out in the same container,? Marquis says. ?There is absolutely nothing else on the market I?ve seen that is small and will hold just one cigarette.? The closest thing he found was the classic wooden box. But those presented problems. ?The wooden boxes are bulky and they tend to stink after a short period of time,? he points out. ?If a wooden box gets wet, it swells shut and you have to use a hammer to get it open.?
With the help of his friend, Jim Venezia, a packaging and display designer, who has worked for Mattel and Disney, Marquis developed a new style of container -- he dubbed Tightpac -- molded of lightweight, yet extremely durable, high-impact plastic. Tightpac carriers are water-resistant, crush-proof, smell-proof and so airtight that the cap makes an audible POP when it is removed. Three sizes are currently available: the original Tightpac, which is just large enough to keep a single cigarette; Bluntpac, for cigars and wraps; and Partypac, which fits nicely in your hand and is designed to hold four cigarettes, change, and rolling papers or even your household keys. The smallest cases easily pass for an innocent plastic ballpoint pen, complete with a pocket clip on the cap. A travel pack is in the works that will be able to carry an entire cigarette pack and include a lighter that snaps into the cap. ?Tightpacs can be used by anyone who smokes, especially professional people because it gives them a feeling of great security and comfort to have a container that is smell-proof and water resistant,? Marquis says, adding that Tightpacs are perfect to use during outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, and trips to the beach.
Tightpac displays are on the counter in over 130 smoke shops around the country. According to Marquis, they are especially hot items in college towns where shops sell upwards of 10 Tightpacs a day and are ordering new shipments every three weeks. Galaxy Gallery, on Los Angeles?s trendy Melrose Avenue, was the first place to carry the product. They liked the little containers so much that they even designed their own store displays to help educate customers about them. ?Tightpac fills an incredible void in the market. There is nothing as lightweight and streamlined as this. It?s a great idea,? says manager Russ Cress. ?It is a great cheap little item that can be a great add-on purchase with the right salespeople. Tightpac carriers will develop a following once people catch on to them. People come back and say that they use the containers everyday and just love them.?
Marquis proudly states that Tightpac carriers are ?made in America?- handcrafted at a small workshop in Watsonville, California. Turning out a quality product is the company?s top priority. ?Tightpacs are really well made. A lot of effort went into making sure that the product worked,? Marquis says. ?Our goal is to keep making containers for the smoking industry. Our biggest problem with selling the containers is that people don?t know what they are at first. Once people know what it is, they are astounded that it hasn?t been around for 30 years.?
