Come to Marlboro Country

The evergreen among cigarette commercials is not missing in our collection: Cowboys, horses, countryside – freedom. According to Philip Morris, manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes and owner of one of the most valuable brands, men’s paradise lies just behind the vending machine. Take your cigarettes, get on the horse and into the hills.

Marlboro Country
"Come to Marlboro Country"1975 US ad campaign

There is more than the scent of freedom and cigarette smoke blowing over the hills. Since 2005, you may also feel the warming aura of real comradeship. What cinema visitor hasn’t experienced it: As soon as Marlboro Man is riding into view, pictures from “Brokeback Mountain” force themselves into the head. Ennis’ and Jack’s hopeless love couldn’t be more tragic than what is happening since to advertising strategists. Marlboro Man, the embodiment of male toughness, is now associated with cuddling cowboys. Cigarettes? No way, José – even though the two of them were smoking quite a lot. Marlboro Country? A real dilemma. I am curious, how Philip Morris and Marlboro get out of this. To anybody who wants to learn more about Marlboro-Man and the machinations of the tobacco industry, I recommend reading “Thank you for smoking” from Christopher Buckley. Clever, funny, hilarious – the book, not the movie.

Maybe you’ll also like another smoking post: Marloboro Man is musing