Get your translators ready. The pack seen here, now empty, was a gift from Samantha during her vacation back down to Mexico City in December. When I looked further into Faros – which means lighthouse – I found an intriguing story about the power of tradition and the deep roots brands can push down into the social soil. In the end, though, it's just an interesting story about Mexican cigarettes.

Faros, a 90 year-old brand, is one of most well-known in Mexico. Its long and storied history begets a product intimately entangled with Mexican culture – the most salient evidence of which is a widely-used idiom, "Ya chupó faros," indicating that someone has smoked his/her last Faros. Apparently, it originated during early-20th century Mexican wartime; facing the firing squad or other undesirable death scenarios, those held captive were offered one last cigarette before they were executed. It pops up everywhere, from blogs on the day Michael Jackson died to Twitter updates to expressions in song lyrics.

A more interesting tidbit, however, concerns the illustration on the pack. A worldly man stands contemplating the seaward view before him: two lighthouses, firmly anchored in the foreground and background, casting rays of light onto the busy harbor under their guard. It's a nostalgic scene, one complemented by the bucolic rope border and red/white checkered pattern wrapping the sides. If you look closely, however, you'll notice a strange inconsistency on that central ship – the flags atop her masts are flying in one direction, while the smoke from the smokestacks drifts the opposite direction.

The story goes that back in the 50s, when the brand's ownership had changed hands, a designer noticed the mistake and Faros decided to correct it. When the new packaging had hit the market, however, merchants and cigarette smokers rejected the new product, sending it back to the shipper because they took the altered illustration as a sign the product was a fake. You know, like $20 Louis Vuitton bags. They changed it back – and that's how it stands today.

In 2005, the brand underwent a respositioning phase wherein it was repackaged in tins rather than the soft pack. Faros also introduced several sub-flavors – tropical fruit, chocolate, and menthol, among others – which, just like in the States, are probably short-lived ancillary products (cool-building fodder) rather than an actual long-term brand extensions. The strategy here is to push the classic Faros look – still true to its history – toward the vintage-chic adoration of youth.