The Marlboro Man

We all know what Marlboro's are, but why? I believe that it is time to pay tribute to one of the earliest and most successful guerilla marketing campaigns in Americas advertising history.
Before the whole cancer scare and negative light that cigarette's now have today, Marlboro cigarettes had high status as a real American brand. This high status came from the introduction of "The Marlboro Man" in 1955 by Leo Burnett Co. Before the rough cowboy image was introduced, Marlboro brand was ranked 31st but once this great marketing tactic went national they reached the number 1 cigarette brand in America. Marlboro sales rose to $5 billion, a 3,241% increase from the previous year, 1954. The Marlboro Man stands worldwide as the ultimate American cowboy and masculine trademark, helping establish Marlboro as the best-selling cigarette in the world.
Before Burnett introduced Marlboro Man, the cigarettes were positioned to ladies. They had a very week image with little exposure. This new character that they slide into American culture broadened the target market by enticing both genders. In simple terms he was an American idol; guys wanted to be like him and girls wanted to be with him.
During this time, the American people were not educated on the effects of smoking. Society welcomed cigarettes into their homes. Smoking on planes were even legal and the concept of limiting cigarette advertising was unheard of. Marlboro struck at the right time. Even when the first article in Reader's Digest that linked lung cancer to smoking in 1957 was released, Marlboro ads kept bringing in the big bucks ($20 billion that year).
Research finally caught up to the Americans bad habit and in 1971 cigarette ads were banned from television. This didn't stop The Marlboro Man though. The handsome cowboy posed on horseback smoking a cigarette continued to increase sales and by 1972 Marlboro became the number 1 tobacco brand in the world.
Placing the legal aspect of cigarette advertising to the side, The Marlboro Man is and was one of the greatest advertising tactics ever used. Marlboro created a desirable lifestyle, which is a concept that many successful brands continue to use, such as Starbucks and Polo Ralph Lauren. Although society continues to strike harder against cigarettes, The Marlboro Man will always represent one of the great advertising icons.