Business & Marketing History: The Marlboro Man: The Greatest, Deadliest and Deadest Pitch-Man of All-Time.

 

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Business & Marketing History: The Marlboro Man:

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The Greatest, Deadliest and Deadest Pitch-Man of All-Time.

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In terms of Advertising and Marketing, he was the figure behind what just might have been the greatest and most successful campaign in modern Business history.

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Measuring by profit and income generated, his effect was STAGGERING! In 1955, the Philip Morris Corporation, owner of the flagship-brand Marlboro, had sales of $5 Billion. 

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Then came the Marlboro Man, a creation of the advertising firm Leo Burnett Worldwide. By 1957, just two short years later, sales had skyrocketed to $20 Billion! Yes, a 300% increase!

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Need more proof regarding the vast appeal, allure and power of the Marlboro Man? He is ranked #1 in Allan Lazar’s brilliant book "The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived." Yup, ahead of Santa Claus, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, Mickey Mouse and all the rest. The Marlboro Man! #1!

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Who was the Marlboro Man?

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He was a cowboy. He was rugged. Tough. Strapping. Healthy. Macho. The epitome of masculinity. He roamed the plains lassoing cattle. He lived life on his own terms. He represented freedom…

…and yes, he smoked. Marlboro, of course, was his brand of choice.

While the risks of smoking were already evident, it was decided that the best marketing path was to present a healthy image. Hey, look at this tough hombre! Does it seem like smoking is hurting him? 

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Business Branding:

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In Business, it is something that each and everyone of us strive for. Marketing appeal. Advertising value. And BRANDING! We seek to make ourselves and our businesses stand for something. Quality. Value. Health. And the list goes on.

We associate our businesses with products, services, logos, jingles, catch-phrases, faces, icons and the like…all in an effort to make ourselves recognizable and identifiable. The ultimate goal? To stand for something. To represent ourselves as the reliable go-to people in our industries.

If it’s computers, make yourself and your products seem advanced, state-of-the-art and reliable. If it’s tobacco, make your products seem, yes…cool!

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The REAL Marlboro Man (R.I.P.):

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Actually there were quite a few Marlboro Men. Wayne McLaren, David McLean and Dick Hammer were among them. All three were models. All had rugged good-looks…

…and each and every one of them died of lung-cancer.

Suddenly Marlboro cigarettes developed a most unwanted nickname: "Cowboy Killers!"

One year before his death at the age of 51, already terminally ill, Wayne McLaren testified before Congress on behalf of proposed anti-smoking legislation. Imagine a pitch-man, ultimately testifying against the product he had originally endorsed!

A film entitled "Death in the West" aired on British television in 1976. It documented the deadly effect of smoking on the Marlboro Man. Phillip Morris sued. The movie was yanked and all copies were destroyed. Yup, suppression and cover-up. It took two more decades for the film to be released.

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Business Outcomes, Profits and Ethics:

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In Business, we are all looking for those extra profits. We watch that bottom-line, always looking for the next image, pitch-man, catch-phrase and coup which will give us the edge over our competition.

In the Marlboro Man, Phillip Morris found their pot-of-gold.

In the world of Business, it is essential, critical, to convey the proper message. A message which instills consumer confidence, appeal, charisma and flair.

Sometimes, however, we as businesspeople must bring two more factors into our mindset as we strive to earn the business of clients and customers: Ethics and Morals.

Profit yes…it is the backbone of every business. But along with it we sometimes have to ask ourselves: "At what price?"

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Dear Reader, Thanks for stopping by! If you’ve enjoyed this original article, or found it to be useful, educational or informative, please consider giving it a Re–Tweet below! Thanks!

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Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.

From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing, he provides the highest level of quality at a very reasonable price.

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