How Marlboro Became Marlboro
The Digital Journalist published a teaser album of the 100 most famous pictures ever. These pictures are the landmarks of last century, they’ve changed the public opinion or influenced it in such a way that they triggered a social revolution. One picture is this one from Clarence Hailey Long (in 1949). This is the origin of the Marlboro cowboy.
Description from the gallery:
This is C.H. Long, a 39-year-old foreman at the JA ranch in the Texas panhandle, a place described as “320,000 acres of nothing much.” Once a week, Long would ride into town for a store-bought shave and a milk shake. Maybe he’d take in a movie if a western was playing. He said things like, “If it weren’t for a good horse, a woman would be the sweetest thing in the world.” He rolled his own smokes. When the cowboy’s face and story appeared in LIFE in 1949, advertising exec Leo Burnett had an inspiration. The company Philip Morris, which had introduced Marlboro as a woman’s cigarette in 1924, was seeking a new image for the brand, and the Marlboro Man based on Long boosted Marlboro to the top of the worldwide cigarette market.
All it takes is one good idea. I’m not going to lobby for the tobacco industry, but Leo Burnett made a brilliant decision when he thought this would save the brand. Look where the brand is now, and look at it’s image… all of that because of a simple farmer and a keen marketeer with one good idea.
Robin Wauters said
on June 15, 2006 around 9:29 am
I read an interesting book called ‘Brand Sense‘ by Martin Lindstrom earlier this year (which in my opinion, every marketeer should read by the way:) ).
In his book, Marlboro is found to be one of the top-5 brands worldwide that display excellent ‘Sensory leverage’, meaning that the brand is consistently leveraged trough multiple sensory points (visual, smell, sound,etc.). Marlboro therefor reflects an innovative sensory mind-set that sets it apart from its competitors.
The top-5 consisted of:
1. Singapore Airlines (96.3 %)
2. Apple (91.3 %)
3. Disney (87.6 %)
4. Mercedes-Benz (78.8 %)
5. Marlboro (75.0 %)
Just thought I’d share :)
Coolz0r said
on June 15, 2006 around 10:46 am
Thanks Robin! I’ll order my copy on Amazon :)
JOHN K. said
on July 29, 2006 around 4:26 am
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY KNOWS THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THE MARLBORO MEN???I MET A FELLOW IN TEXAS THAT SAID HE WAS A MARLBORO MAN ;;HIS FIRST NAME WAS OTTIS;;DO YOU KNOW IF THERE’S ANY TRUTH TO IT;;;THANKS FOR ANY HELP
JOHN K.
The Origins of a Historical Brand Image | brandXpress blog said
on November 3, 2006 around 3:40 pm
[…] Via the excellent Coolz0r - Marketing Thoughts Tags: brand image, cigarette market, Famous Brands, interesting story, leo burnett, marlboro, marlboro man, milk shake, new image, philip morris […]