In Zippo’s early years (1930s–1960s), the brand gained popularity through strong ties with the tobacco industry, producing lighters featuring cigarette logos like Marlboro and Camel, which were used as promotional items. These collaborations effectively turned Zippos into mobile billboards for tobacco brands. However, by the late 1990s, U.S. regulations — especially the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement and the 2009 Tobacco Control Act — banned tobacco advertising on merchandise, effectively ending official production of tobacco-branded Zippos in the U.S. Meanwhile, Zippo Japan continued producing licensed tobacco-themed lighters into the 2000s, often for domestic brands like "Hope," under customization agreements. In recent years, Japan Tobacco Inc. has remained active in patenting smoking-related technologies, though these are not directly linked to Zippo.