The brand dwindled in popularity when the health effects of tobacco became more widely known; few shops sell them today.

Various advertising posters were made for Capstan cigarettes, including one to encourage female workers in factories during World War II to smoke Capstan to relax at the end of a working day.

[9][10] A few celebrities advertised this brand, such as English actress Evelyn Laye and British star David Niven.

[11] The song "Saturday's Kids" from The Jam's 1979 album Setting Sons features the lyric "Their mums and dads smoke Capstan non-filters/Wallpaper lives 'cause they all die of cancer".

[12][13][14] Capstan was one of the tobacco companies to include advertising cards in their packs of cigarettes.