Information about Marlboro Friday

Marlboro is a brand of cigarette made by Altria. It is famous for its billboard advertisements and magazine ads of the Marlboro Man.

Philip Morris, a London-based cigarette manufacturer, created a New York subsidiary in 1902 to sell several of its cigarette brands, including Marlboro. By 1924 they were advertising Marlboro as a woman's cigarette based on the slogan "Mild As May".

The brand was sold in this capacity until World War II when the brand faltered and was temporarily removed from the market. At the end of the war, three brands emerged that would establish a firm hold on the cigarette market: Camel, Lucky Strike, and Chesterfield. These brands were supplied to US soldiers during the war, creating an instant market upon their return.

During the 1950s Reader's Digest magazine published a series of articles that linked smoking with lung cancer. Phillip Morris, and the other cigarette companies took notice and each began to market filtered cigarettes. The new Marlboro with a filtered end was launched in 1955. In the early 1960s Philip Morris invented "Marlboro Country" and distilled their manly imagery into the rugged cowboys known as the "Marlboro Men." Marlboro quickly gained market share and saw their sales increase 5,000 percent within 8 months of the ad campaign's premiere. It emerged as the number one youth-initiation brand.

The brand is named after Great Marlborough Street, the location of its original London Factory. Richmond, Virginia, is now the location of the largest Marlboro cigarette manufacturing plant.

Varieties

As of September 10, 2007:

• Reds (Full Flavor): Kings, 100s and 72s
• Medium: Kings and 100s (marketed as Marlboro Red & Gold in the EU)
• Lights: Kings, 100s, and 72s (marketed as Marlboro Gold in the EU)
• Ultra Lights: Kings and 100s (marketed as Marlboro Silver in the EU)
• Menthol: Kings, 100s and 72s
• Menthol Lights: Kings and 100s
• Menthol Ultra Lights: Kings and 100s
• Menthol Milds: Kings, 100s and 72s
• Menthol Smooth: Kings and 100s (new, released February, 2007) (in Finland released 2002)
• Virginia Blend: Kings and 100s (new, released September, 2007)
• UltraSmooth: Kings
• Blend No. 27
• Marlboro Blend 28 (UK)
• Marlboro Blend 29 (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy,)
• Marlboro Wides (Portugal, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Mexico, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland, Hong Kong; marketed as "Limited Edition" in Poland)
• Marlboro Mix 9 (Indonesia; mixed with cloves)(new, released July 2007)
• Marlboro Filter Plus (South Korea; extremely low tar)(released January 2006)

A U.S. District Court decision on August 17 2002 ruled that tobacco companies could no longer use terms like "'low tar,' 'light,' ultra light,' 'mild' or 'natural'", which they declared to be deceptive (since customers might think "light" or "ultra light" means a safer cigarette).^[1] Beginning in January 2007, the ruling stated, these product names would no longer be used. The companies were expected to change the names to standard "color" names: Marlboro Red, Marlboro Gold (Light), Marlboro Silver (Ultra Light).^[2] Those "color names" are already in use in the European Union, where use of potentially misleading names like "lights" was outlawed in 2005. However, in November 2006, the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia allowed sales of "light" and "mild" cigarettes to continue while Altria filed an appeal. ^[3]

Miscellaneous

• Marlboro cigarettes burn an estimated 25% faster than other top-selling premium brands such as Camel, Winston, Dunhill, and Player's. Philip Morris uses re-constituted sheet tobacco and processed stems as filler, as well as chemical additives or treatments such as formaldehyde and ammonia.^[4] All of the above are possible reasons for Marlboro burning faster.
• In the 1980s an urban myth spread throughout the United States and even Europe, that Marlboro packaging carried imagery related to the Ku Klux Klan^[5]. The myth held that the Klan owned all, or a major part of, the Philip Morris company, and that Philip Morris himself was involved with the organization. And the symbols on the sides of the Marlboro represented 'K,K,K', as well as Marlboro upside down being seen, by some, to read 'Orobl Jew'. Also, when the Marlboro pack is upside down, as you cover the top half of the letters, you can allegedly see an image portraying a man and a midget being hanged; finally, if you look between the legs of the prancing horse the white outline resembles the infamous Ku Klux Klan hood. These allegations are unfounded - to own even 1% of the company would require over $500 m, and Philip Morris was a British tobacco merchant.

Marlboro brand in Canada

As of July 25 2006, the Rothman, Benson and Hedges company released a similar proprietary brand of cigarettes into the Canada market under the label Rooftop, distinguished by the use of the Rooftop package design found in Canada in the 1950s. The Rooftop design is presently owned by a predecessor company to Philip Morris USA and now owned in Canada by Philip Morris Products SA.

The company is unable to release the product under the Marlboro brand as neither Philip Morris Products, SA, its affiliates or Rothman Benson Hedges has any rights to use the Marlboro brand name in Canada. (There is already a brand in Canada called "Canadian Marlboros", which is owned and manufactured by the British American Tobacco company).^[6]

The cigarette was available in three varieties: Rooftop Reds (rebadged Marlboro Reds), Rooftop Gold (Marlboro Lights) and Rooftop Silver (Marlboro Extra Light). All cigarettes were issued in King Size.

Marlboro Friday

Marlboro Friday happened on April 2, 1993 when Philip Morris announced a 20% price cut to their Marlboro cigarettes to fight back against the bargain brand competitors who were increasingly eating into their market share. As a result, Philip Morris's stock took a major dive, along with the share value of other household brands including Heinz, Coca-Cola, and RJR Nabisco. Fortune magazine deemed it "the day the Marlboro Man fell off his horse"

Investors interpreted the price slash as an admission of defeat from the Marlboro brand, that Philip Morris could no longer justify its higher price tag and now had to compete with generic brands. Since the Marlboro man was an image that stood since 1954, it was considered one of the biggest marketing icons, investors reasoned that to see the Marlboro icon give into a price war, the marketing itself must be ineffective. As a result of plummeting stock value in major American brands, 1993 marked a slight decrease in U.S. ad expenditures. Companies began investing in promotions rather than advertising. In 1983 in the U.S, the average expenditure on marketing was 70% advertising and 20% on promotions, by 1993 it had made a complete turn around, to 70% on promotions and 20% on advertising.

It was the only decrease to occur since 1970. At the time, this event was regarded as signifying "the death of a brand" and the advent of a "value-minded" consumer generation who pay more attention to the real value of products and not the brand names. This view soon proved to be incorrect, with the rest of the decade's economy being dominated by brands and driven by high-budget marketing campaigns.

Advertising campaigns

"Mild as May" was the advertising campaign used by Marlboro brand before they added a filtered tip to their product. The product was endorsed by Mae West and marketed towards women.

One of the features of Marlboro cigarettes at the time was a red tip, which hid lipstick marks that women would leave while smoking.

This campaign was dropped in favor of a more masculine Marlboro Man campaign. In the early 1960s Philip Morris (with advertising director Thomas Hutzler) invented "Marlboro Country" and distilled their manly imagery into a rugged cowboy known as the "Marlboro Man." Television commercials included Elmer Bernstein's theme for the classic western "The Magnificent Seven." Marlboro quickly gained market share and saw their sales increase 5,000% within 8 months of the ad campaign's premiere.

Through the years, Marlboro ad campaigns have been represented by reddish colors, American Western landscapes and a rugged cowboy. These three elements, either combined or separate, are well recognizable and known as Marlboro Country, even without mentioning the brand name or slogan. The image embodied by the Marlboro ad campaign has become an immediately and universally recognizable icon embodying an idealized and appealing American lifestyle.

As a tie-in to the new "Marlboro Man" advertising campaign, Philip Morris began including "Marlboro Miles" above the barcode on each pack of Marlboro cigarettes. These Miles could be redeemed via a mail-order catalog for a variety of merchandise emblazoned with the Marlboro brand and logo, running the gamut from cooking implements and camping gear to apparel and lighters. This promotion--similar to the "C-note" redemption system for coupons found on packs of Camel cigarettes--was phased out in 2006. The redemption campaigns were referred to at various times as "Marlboro Country Store" and "Marlboro Gear".

In the US Outwit the West is an annual promotional competition first run in 2004. It is a targeted campaign to selected adults on the Marlboro mailing list. Four-member teams receive 100 questions which are cryptic clues to locations in the American West. The 20 teams who submit the largest number of correct answers by the deadline (December 18, 2006 for Outwit the West 3) win a trip to the Marlboro Ranch. Once at the ranch, the top group is revealed and awarded the $1,000,000 prize. The campaign aims to build a brand community.

Motorsport sponsorship

Marlboro is also well known for its sponsorship of motor racing, starting with its sponsorship at Formula One with BRM and the less successful Iso Marlboro-Ford in 1972, which the former took one win at the rain-trodden Monaco Grand Prix. It wasn't until the 1974, Marlboro dissolved sponsorship of both teams and became famously associated with McLaren, which it took its first constructor champion and its drivers title for Emerson Fittipaldi, the team became successful through to 1978, which it went through its dry patch until under its new owner, Ron Dennis, it started to become successful again in 1981 through to 1993, with the departure of Ayrton Senna. Until its split in 1996, Marlboro sponsored McLarens has dominated F1 with Niki Lauda and Alain Prost as well as Senna taking drivers' championship each year between 1984 to 1991, with the exception of 1987.

As well as this Marlboro sponsored Scuderia Ferrari as secondary sponsor from the mid 1980's as a result of company president Enzo Ferrari, who refused to allow "outside" sponsor brands to appear on his team cars. After his death in 1988, Marlboro began to take over as the primary sponsor which they would be later officially branded as Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Marlboro also sponsored the Alfa Romeo Formula One team between 1980 and 1983, although unable to match up to its pre-war and 1950s heydays, the team only achieving one pole position, one fastest lap and four podium finishes.

Since their start in Formula One, Marlboro has also sponsored numerous teams and races, from Joest Racing in Group C in 1983 to Toyota at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999 (despite a tobacco ban in France) and Marlboro Masters Formula Three race in Zandvoort.

Marlboro sponsorship in Champ Car (also known as 'CART' and 'IndyCar' at that time) dates back to 1986. The Penske cars in the Indy Racing League (IRL) currently run in Marlboro's distinctive red and white colors. In 2006, a Marlboro-sponsored car won the Indianapolis 500. However for the 2007 season, Marlboro have ceased their sponsorship of the Penske Cars, their place being taken by Kodak. The team will retain the colour scheme, but the Marlboro Red replaced by a more orange-like red. Where 'Marlboro Penske' appeared on the side of the cars, 'Team Penske' replaced it.

Marlboro also sponsored the Australian Marlboro Holden Dealer Team from 1974 through to 1987. The Marlboro branding gave rise to some of Australia's most prominently recognizable race cars such as the L34 and A9X Torana, as well as the famous VK Group C "Big Banger" Commodore of Peter Brock and Larry Perkins Bathurst winning fame.

As well as this, in Motorcycling Grand Prix, Marlboro sponsored the Kenny Roberts run Yamaha team in 500cc as well as one of his former rider, Wayne Rainey's team in the 250cc class. As a result of their sponsorship, Marlboro decals on race replica bikes became one of the most popular decal kits that were available. Marlboro nowadays sponsors the Ducati MotoGP team whom Casey Stoner rides for.

Also with a long history in rallying sponsorship, Peugeot World Rally team as well as previously to that Mitsubishi and Toyota, run with the iconic Marlboro livery, and in some GP2 rounds on the back of the ART cars Marlboro logos can be seen. Marlboro are generally credited as being among the most important of sponsors to the world of Formula-1 (and motor racing in general), having provided financial backing to countless young racers who may not have otherwise been given the opportunity to compete. In mid-2006, special "racing editions" of Marlboro Red were sold in the UK, with a Ferrari-inspired design, although the Ferrari name and badge were not used.

References

See also

• Scuderia Ferrari
• Don Tennant
• Cigarette
• Tobacco smoking

External links

• Snopes - Article Discussing Marlboro's association with the KKK
• Philip Morris International
• Marlboro Friday at Investopedia.com
• Marlboro Cigarettes packs from Encyclopedia of Cigarettes