Who among us is not familiar with a small tutu on which the white color, like an arrow, crashes into the red? Marlboro cigarettes – this brand appeared at the beginning of the last century, when a young entrepreneur Philip Morris opened a factory for the production of cigarettes. Initially, these tobacco products were intended for women who were wealthy and self-confident, they were placed in a paper pack, were light (in terms of the strength of tobacco), and the red filter was invented specifically so that there were no noticeable traces of lipstick on it. At that time, women’s smoking was perceived by society very negatively, and such cigarettes appeared only thanks to the efforts of women who fought for equality with men, and they received it.
However, despite creative advertising and assurances of manufacturers about the softness and femininity of Marlboro cigarettes, the brand did not enjoy much success – from smoking, teeth turned yellow, breathing deteriorated, and a dry painful cough appeared. Sales of cigarettes of this brand in the middle of the last century did not exceed 25% of the total sales of tobacco, which made their manufacturers think seriously.
The Marlboro cigarettes brand change affected the target audience. It was decided to radically change its direction and present cigarettes as a symbol of masculinity, risk and thirst for adventure. To this end, brutal men are involved in the advertising campaign – pilots, sailors, cowboys, they smoke strong cigarettes, preferring only those in a red and white pack. Of the large number of prototypes of masculinity and strength, it was decided to leave only the tamer of the prairies – the cowboy – the embodiment of the truly American spirit. Cowboy Marlboro conquered everyone – men, women, whites, Latinos, and blacks, he embodied the image of a real hero and proved that the filter of a cigarette in no way affects the taste of tobacco itself.
The next change affected the appearance. Marlboro cigarettes were the first to use flip-top packaging – a cardboard box with an opening lid in which cigarettes were not crumpled, and in order to get one of them, you had to take the pack out of your pocket, thereby demonstrating the brand of cigarettes consumed. And this, in turn, attracted the attention of others and was a good advertising move of manufacturers.