In the early 1900s, manufacturers of Turkish and Egyptian cigarettes tripled their sales and became legitimate competitors to leading brands. In 1911, The American Tobacco Company introduced Omar, a premium Turkish blend cigarette, in order to compete with other leading Turkish brands like Murad.

The cigarette was named after the medieval Persian poet Omar Khayyam, who experienced a resurgence of popularity from 1900-1930. Advertisements for Omar cigarettes referenced Khayyam's famous poem, The Rubaiyat , and focused on themes of pleasure, leisure, and luxury.