Gitanes cigarettes are currently owned by a French-Spanish company named Altadis. Though Gitanes is a true French brand, these cigarettes are now manufactured in the Netherlands only, where the last Gitanes producing facility is situated. French factories have recently been closed, as Gitanes cigarettes can’t successfully compete the imported brands, after the French government has imposed laws which made Gitanes cost more than before. That is why brands like Marlboro and Winston that practice heavy marketing constantly win the bigger share of the local market.

The original name “Gitanes” means “Spanish gypsy women” and a silhouette of a gypsy woman holding a tambourine actually serves as a logo for the package. This logo was used by JJ Cale to design a cover for the "Shades" album. A gypsy woman was however substituted by a guitar player.

When Gitanes cigarettes where on top of their popularity wave, the brand actively marketed itself with the help of direct and indirect advertising methods. In 1976-1995 Gitanes was the title sponsor of one of the famous Formula 1 racing teams – Ligier.

Only the filtered version of Gitanes is now exported worldwide. They are called Gitanes Blondes as the opposite to the original dark tobacco Gitanes cigarettes, and there is also the Lights variety available. Gitanes cigarettes are also popular in Russia, where the roots of their popularity go back to the times of the Russian Empire...