Exclusive insight: Slow-Smoke Event at Oettinger Davidoff in Basel with ZINO Nicaragua Half Corona

Exclusive insight: Slow-Smoke Event at Oettinger Davidoff in Basel with ZINO Nicaragua Half Corona.

Unpack your humidors and take out the Zino Nicaragua Half Corona Pre Cut, because today I'm taking you on an adventurous and smoky expedition! On January 12, 2024, the event par excellence took place in Basel - at the elegant Maison Oettinger Davidoff. Imagine this: Four intrepid cigar heroes, one goal - to keep the Zino Nicaragua Half Corona glowing for as long as possible.

The photos were taken Christian Schmid.

10 Minutes

Cigars are natural products that contain nicotine and are for enjoyment. Please be mindful as smoking can be harmful to your health.

The video behind the scenes

The 3-minute story. Watch the video 💨

We were superbly looked after by: Nicole Kaufmann (Director Corporate Communications), Linus Mattisson (Junior Product Development Manager & Brand Ambassador) and Nicole Righetti (Assistant to the CMO & COO).

Senior Product Manager and Key Account Manager Enrico Gunde would have loved to be there. But it's the season of coughs, colds, sore throats and whatever else the season brings. He had to call in sick. His colleagues helped out so that the event could take place. Many thanks at this point for the great cooperation!

1 hour 22 minutes to beat

That's how the idea for the competition came about: Enrico Gunde tested with Linus Mattison how long this cigar could be smoked. He then discussed the idea with me and I was enthusiastic. I announced the competition for a small group of participants.

But before we get to the climax: A little anecdote in passing. Enrico Gunde, the product wizard at Oettinger Davidoff, fought a duel with the Zino Nicaragua Half Corona beforehand. Result: an astonishing 1 hour and 22 minutes! I, no less ambitious, also took up the challenge in my smoking den in Liestal - 1 hour and 23 minutes! Ha, take that, Enrico! Officially, however, the goal was to beat the 1 hour and 22 minutes.

Achieved 1 hour and 6 minutes

The last cigar went out after 1 hour and 6 minutes.

But now to the exclusive event on a small scale in Basel. The rules were as simple as they were challenging: once lit, the cigar had to do without another flame. In this highly exciting smoking arena, Thomas Kobel showed that he can not only smoke, but also stretch time - a whole 1 hour and 6 minutes! His prize: a hefty CHF 200 voucher for Dürr branches. Not bad, Mr. Kobel!

We talked about whether slow smoking alone leads to better results than in a group? We couldn't find a scientific explanation, although we really tried!

But let's start from the beginning: What did the participants experience? Impressive hospitality from Oettinger Davidoff and a cozy smoke

Nicole Kaufmann (Director Corporate Communications at Oettinger Davidoff) gave the participants a tour of the company.

Which almost made the cigar fall out of the mouths of the participants and me: The incredible hospitality at Oettinger Davidoff. For a large company, they took an amazing amount of time for the glorious four. There was not only the competition, but also a tour of the company and an aperitif that made you feel like royalty.

The exclusive group of participants enjoyed a guided tour of the famous Maison Oettinger Davidoff in Basel.

Nicole Kaufmann spoke about the history of Oettinger Davidoff and the Crop-to-Shop philosophy.

After the house tour, the competition rules were explained. You were allowed to light the cigar once and then no more. Whoever smoked the longest won. Ashing was allowed. Left: Linus Mattisson is the Junior Product Development Manager & Brand Ambassador in Global Marketing / Right: Vasilij Ratej from Zigarren.Zone.

The cigars are distributed. Who will win?

Now it's getting serious, no more fun! The cigars are lit.

ZINO Nicaragua Half Corona PRE-CUT

In 2023, Oettinger Davidoff continued the reorientation of the Zino brand with another innovation: Zino was the first brand in the world to launch a long-filler cigar with a pre-cut.

The new format is tailored to the needs of aficionados and can be enjoyed spontaneously anywhere and at any time. The launch underscores the claim "Live your life from A to Zino".

"Customers value spontaneity in their hectic lives, with our pre-cut cigar they can enjoy our blend when and where they want - no cutter is necessary," explains Edward Simon, CMO at Oettinger Davidoff.

Cozy smoke without competitive pressure

After the lighting, the stopwatch was started. In the background you can see Nicole Righetti (Assistant to the CMO & COO), who also supervised the participants.

The pairing was Grimbergen beer. There was a choice of Ambrée and Blonde. Of course, there was also a choice of water and wine.

The participants enjoyed the smoke together in a convivial atmosphere.

The participants enjoyed the Half Corona from Zino Nicaragua.

The aperitif was great! These pieces with the strawberry were not good at all. At least that's what I said and that's why I was able to eat most of them myself 🤣

mmmm.... can you smell that?

The winner

The winner is Thomas Kobel.

His cigar went out after 1 hour and 6 minutes.

In this envelope is the voucher for CHF 200.00 for all Dürr branches.

Each participant also received a goodie pack.

CALL to all cigar connoisseurs

Now, dear smoking buddies, it's your turn: how long can you keep the Zino Nicaragua Half Corona alive? Time yourself, share your result in the comments section below and let us in on your heroic smoking moments. Every minute counts!

I look forward to your feedback and to many exciting stories.

Smoke slowly and enjoy the moment - HAPPY SMOKE!

Resources on the topic

Find Zino Nicaragua Half Corona PRE-CUT on Google

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I hope you enjoyed my latest article and found the information it contained interesting. I am very excited to hear your views and look forward to reading your comment 🤗