Is it “Roc-A-Fella,” “Rockafellar,” “Rock-E-Fellar” or “Rock-A-Fellar Cigars?”
If you have ever typed “Rock-A-Feller Cigar,” into Google you will notice that it immediately changes the name to show results for “Rockefeller cigars.” So which is it? Despite Google’s changes, the correct spelling is in fact “Rock-A-Feller Cigar.” While a seasoned cigar smoker will know how to spell the name of one of their favorite cigar brands, many consumers, including spouses will not know the difference. So why does this matter? My wife recently pointed this out to me. After Google changes the name and shows the results for “Rockefeller cigars,” you may notice a humidor showing in your search results. In observing a humidor for sale, my wife approached me and asked doesn’t Frontline Cigars sell the humidor made by “Rock-A-Feller Cigar.” She made a good point, that the humidor is beautiful and many seasoned cigar smokers would enjoy it.
In response, I decided to call Kevin Schweitzer, owner and CEO of “Rock-A-Feller Cigars,” to inquire about the price of the humidor. During this phone call, Schweitzer informed us that Rock-A-Feller Cigars does not produce or manufacture any humidors. While humidors by “Rockefeller,” are in fact beautiful, they are in no way associated with the Rock-A-Feller brand. Perhaps my wife said it best when she compared it to buying a knock off purse. Instead saying Prada, they say Pradi or Prado. Although the differences are subtle and many consumers may be unaware, cheap knock-offs have penetrated almost every industry. With that said, the cigar industry is no different. Even though the humidor by Rockefeller sounds legit and has a clean modern look, it is another story of buyer beware. Customers purchasing “Rockefeller’s humidor” are not obtaining a classic piece made by the infamous “Rock-A-Feller Cigar” company. Instead, it’s a humidor made by another company meant to use the “Rock-A-Feller” name to trick consumers into buying something else.
Perhaps the better question is whether to have the awkward conservation of whether to tell your loved one that they did not in fact buy a humidor made by your favorite cigar manufacturer. Regardless of how you decide to proceed with that conversation, know that humidors by “Rockefeller,” have saturated the market, making it easy for your loved ones to become confused. Yet with the holidays rapidly approaching, it’s easy to wonder, how many seasoned cigar smokers will receive a “Rockefeller” humidor from loved ones attempting to purchase a gift for their Rock-A-Feller cigar smoking loved ones.