Trivia: Marlboro Was a Woman's Cigarette

Posted by Alex in Advertising, Medicine on April 19, 2008 at 3:53 pm


Marlboro was originally branded as a woman’s cigarette.

Filtered cigarettes were considered feminine as reflected by Marlboro’s original slogan "Mild as May." In the 1930s, Marlboro even changed the cigarette tips from ivory to red so they wouldn’t smear ladies’ lipstick.

In 1955 Philip Morris & Co. tried to change Marlboro’s feminine image with the "Tattooed Man" campaign, where a rugged cattle rancher, a Navy officer, and a flyer (all with muscular, tattooed hands) were shown holding a cigarette. Supposedly the tattoo was suggestive of "romantic past." Later, ad genius Leo Burnett used the image of a cowboy to prove that the cigarettes weren’t for sissies, and thus "The Marlboro Man" was born. (Source)

There were many Marlboro Men, but two of them – Wayne McLaren and David McLean – died of lung cancers. The original Marlboro Man, David Millar, Jr., died of emphysema. McLaren became an anti-smoking activist before he died, and Philip Morris denied that he ever appeared in a Marlboro ad. Later, the company admitted that he indeed appeared, but not as a Marlboro Man.


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COMMENT

13 comments to "Trivia: Marlboro Was a Woman's Cigarette"

  1. Ali S.
    April 19th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    Well, I'll be... *shifts Cowboy hat*

  2. clinton robert labombard
    April 19th, 2008 at 6:20 pm

    I knew something was a little too faggy about that brand_ Winchesters are for men_

    And periods are for women, too_ Underscores are for men_

  3. Alannah
    April 19th, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    Takes guilty drag of Marlboro. What?! These things cause cancer?! I had no idea.....

  4. Tim
    April 19th, 2008 at 10:07 pm

    I'll smoke anything as long as an ad campaign backs it...

  5. stacyj
    April 19th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    It is kind of interesting to see how effectively we can all be led around by the nose just because some ad tells us to regard a product in one way or the other ... gee, I wonder if I can get some ad company to start shilling for -me-? Man, I'd be ten kinds of successful if only the Stacyj Man were out there telling everyone how awesome I am!

  6. Thomas
    April 20th, 2008 at 10:18 am

    Cigarettes... Bad? World... confusing... Brain hurt!

  7. jessleigh
    April 20th, 2008 at 11:30 am

    The only people I know who smoke Marlboros are my gay guy friends.

  8. XuYu
    April 20th, 2008 at 11:44 am

    I wish I knew how to quit you.

  9. SenorMysterioso
    April 20th, 2008 at 12:32 pm

    re:XuYu

    Ha!

  10. Dan
    April 20th, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    re:XuYu

    Heroin helps greatly with with nicotine withdrawl.

  11. ted
    April 20th, 2008 at 11:33 pm

    More gay-bashing, eh?
    Real classy.

  12. fsmarch
    April 21st, 2008 at 9:07 am

    LOL @ Thomas

  13. Amazonca
    May 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 am

    Yes, every woman wish to have such sexy macho at her cigarettes pack


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