By the 1960s. it looked as though kretek was a dying breed. Western cigarettes had become more popular, especially the international brands, which lent the smoker a certain prestige. However, the 1970s saw a revolution in the kretek industry, which ensured its success until the present day. In the mid-1970s. an oil boom attracted foreign investment to Indonesia. President Suharto invested this money in the development of indigenous industries. and offered low-interest loans to kretek makers, thus fueling the industry.
Furthermore, licenses were issued to companies to allow them to begin automated production of kretek. The uniform si7e and shape of this new breed of clove cigarette became a favorite with upper classes, and by the late 1970s kretek was competing directly with foreign brands. The clove cigarette was reborn as a sophisticated smoke, an indulgence for the middle and upper classes. High-end packaging designs and advertising campaigns transformed the kretek from a peasants pleasure to a sought-after luxury.
Finally, the governments policy of compulsory transmigration in the 1970s ensured that kretek spread to every corner of the Indonesian archipelago. This attempt to relieve overpopulation in Java by forcibly uprooting families and moving them to other parts of the country encouraged kretek companies to expand their distribution to cover the whole of Indonesia.