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. Ph
What will the West, or America, be like without his image? Table of ContentsTopics PageIntroduction 1Creation of the Marlboro Man 1-2 Marlboro Men Models 2-3 Appeal and Image 4-5Statistics 5-6Harm and Opposition 6-7 Conclusion 7-8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. No one can dispute that the Marlboro Man is a brilliant creation and a powerful icon. 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 1960 a series of commercials and magazine ads were used featuring former football stars, g!reats like Frankie Albert and Paul Horning. Studies have been conducted which explore the effectiveness of the Marlboro Man campaign. Marlboro sales soared 3,241 percent the next year, and by 1972 it outsold every other brand in the world (Madison Avenue's Marlboro Man 1). Fed up with the deaths the Marlboro Man had caused riding across the American West, President Clinton announced rules to hide the cowboy icon from children in 1996. The wholesome image with attributes of freedom and individuality was used to addict million of Americans. Billboards, such as the one featuring the Marlboro Man on the Sunset Strip gradually became part of the American landscape (Carrier 1). Among those who reported being familiar with the campaign, only ten percent reported liking the Marlboro Man ads "a lot," while twenty-nine percent disliked them. Consequently, later in the campaign, the "Marlboro Man" became synonymous with the American cowboy - the personification of masculinity (Marlboro - You Get a Lot to Like 1). Forty-two years after his creation, the Marlboro Man came down from his billboards, scoreboards, doorways, and double-page spreads in Sports Illustrated (Carrier 2). The outdoor ads offered a large canvas and a bold impact.
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