The Marlboro Man

             He's a symbol of rugged individualism, masculinity, and the American West. In the history of advertising images, he stands alone at the top. How big is the Marlboro Man? Bigger than anybody ever dreamed up to promote a product. He was ranked number one on the top then list of icons of the 20th century, according to a special issue of Advertising Age magazine (Wilson 1). Though the choice of the Marlboro Man as the most significant icon of the century has enraged the anti-smoking brigade, the cowboy's role in establishing Marlboro as the world's top selling cigarette is without a doubt. This paper will explore the appeal of the top advertising icon of the century, as well as provide a glimpse into the history of its creation, sale and advertising statistics, and anti-smoking opposition.
             For decades, Philip Morris pitched its filtered cigarette to women, even coloring the tips rose to hide lipstick stains. The product failed, and marketing a filtered cigarette for men seemed impossible. Then advertising executive Leo Burnett took over. On a Saturday morning in December 1954, Burnett called his top creative people to his country farmhouse outside of Chicago to change the image from a ladies' cigarette to a man's. Philip Morris wanted to create a filter cigarette to deal with the rising problem of smoker's cough and lung disease, but they had to overcome the early image of filters as being for sissies. Sitting around a blank flip chart, with only days before an ad deadline, Burnett asked his men, "What is the most masculine image in the US today?" The answer resulted in the creation of the cowboy Marlboro Man. In the days to follow, Burnett's crew came up with the famous Marlboro jingle, "You get a lot to like with Marlboro: Filter, Flavor, Flip top Box!
             ," and the most successful advertising campaign in history went underway (Carrier 1-2). Sales took off. Marlb...

More Essays:

APA     MLA     Chicago
The Marlboro Man . (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 17:17, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/67809.html