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1954—1962
During the early 1950’s there were six filter cigarettes on the market: Winston, Kent, L&M;, Viceroy, Tareyton and Parliament. Many American men considered filter tips effeminate, and together, these six brands totaled just 10% of all cigarette sales. Philip Morris had been making their non-filter tipped “Mild as May” Marlboro since 1924. The brand name had been picked from early trademarks that the original English firm had registered. Marlborough and Poland streets was the location of the first Philip Morris factory in London. In 1936 a red ‘beauty’ tip, meant to hide those tell tale lip stick smears, was added to the line. This “beauty tip” line extension was advertised with the slogan: “to match your lips and fingertips.” Men thought Marlboro a brand for women or sissies, and in 1954 sales were less than one quarter of one percent–a brand with a dim future. With little to lose, Philip Morris decided to name a new filter tip cigarette Marlboro. Beginning May 1954 filter tipped Marlboros were test marketed in Texas. Packaging was the new crush proof flip-top box, which looked pretty much like it does today, except that a solid red color wasn’t used. Leo Burnett was the head of the advertising agency that was awarded the Marlboro account in November 1954, and he thought that the red and white stripes looked pink, and that the pack had an effete look. At Burnett’s request, Philip Morris switched to a solid red chevron. Burnett had asked his employees to identify a masculine image, and one of his copy writers suggested a cowboy. A stock photo of a cowboy was dug out of their files, and the phrase “Delivers the goods on flavor” added. This first Marlboro Man ad was used in the Dallas/Fort Worth test beginning January 1955. Burnett decided that men other than cowboys, men who were tough but with a polished air about them, could also be rugged Marlboro Men. With a simple military tattoo inked onto the back of his hand, the hunter, gardener, sailor or pilot became Marlboro Men. The tattoo supposedly signifying an adventurous past, became the Marlboro Man’s signature until replaced by a “Marlboro Country” cowboy in 1962. |
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