What does your brand mean? In the world of advertising, this is a crucial question. A logo, a product, and a name are merely vessels for a much more powerful force: the story and the vivid mental image they evoke in the mind of the consumer. Few stories illustrate this principle more dramatically than the rise and re-shaping of the Marlboro brand—an epic tale of transformation, iconic success, and tragic reality.

A Woman's Cigarette

Today, the name Marlboro is synonymous with rugged, masculine independence. It’s hard to imagine, then, that it began its life in 1924 as a product targeted exclusively to women. With a red “beauty tip” to hide lipstick stains and the dainty tagline “Mild as May,” Marlboro was positioned as a delicate, feminine cigarette. For over two decades, this was its identity. However, by the 1950s, the landscape was changing. As the first major health claims about the dangers of smoking began to emerge, Philip Morris saw an opportunity to pivot. They would reintroduce Marlboro as a filtered cigarette, and this time, they were going after the men’s market.

The Birth of an Icon

The challenge was immense: how to shed a 25-year-old feminine image and convince men to smoke a filtered cigarette, which at the time was also seen as unmanly? Philip Morris hired the legendary Chicago advertising firm, Leo Burnett. In 1954, Burnett’s team didn’t just create an ad; they created a world. They conceived of the “Marlboro Man,” a rugged, solitary cowboy set against the vast, untamed American West. This wasn’t just a man; it was an embodiment of freedom, strength, and self-reliance.

The impact was nothing short of explosive. In 1955, the year the campaign launched, Marlboro’s sales soared to $5 billion, a staggering increase of 3,241% from the previous year. Within two years, that figure had quadrupled to $20 billion. By 1972, the cowboy had galloped the brand to the number one spot in the United States. The Marlboro Man was so effective that Advertising Age magazine later named him the number one advertising icon of the 20th century. Leo Burnett had proven that you could fundamentally change a brand’s meaning overnight simply by associating it with powerful, archetypal imagery.

Subverting the Symbol

Decades later, the very symbol of Marlboro’s success would be used to challenge it. As the devastating health effects of smoking became undeniable, the tobacco industry faced a reckoning. In 1998, a landmark lawsuit resulted in a $246 billion settlement with the individual states to help cover smoking-related healthcare costs.

The state of California used its portion of the settlement to fund a brilliant counter-offensive. Ad agency Asher & Partners took the iconic imagery of the Marlboro campaign—the sweeping vistas, the stoic cowboys—and twisted its meaning. The rugged cowboys were still there, but now they spoke a grim truth. The heroic taglines were replaced with haunting confessions like, “Bob, I’ve got emphysema,” and the heartbreaking, “I miss my lung, Bob.”

The campaign was a masterstroke. It didn’t try to create a new symbol; it corrupted the existing one, linking the image of independence not to freedom, but to disease and death. Over the next two decades, this and other anti-smoking efforts helped drive per capita cigarette consumption in California down by over 40%. The tragic irony was underscored by reality, as three of the most famous actors who portrayed the Marlboro Man—Wayne McLaren, David McLean, and Dick Hammer—died from smoking-related cancers.

The Enduring Lesson

The story of the Marlboro Man serves as a powerful lesson for any business. Brands are not built on product features, but on the deep meaning and transformation they promise. Leo Burnett transformed, the same cigarette, from a “mild” women’s product into a masculine powerhouse by selling an image of rugged freedom. Decades later, public health advocates disempowered that same brand by linking its imagery to the painful reality of disease.

The takeaway is clear: Ask yourself what vivid mental picture you want your brand to evoke. What deep-seated human desire does it tap into? And what transformation—from their current state to a better future—can your brand promise your customer? The answer to these questions is the key to creating a truly iconic brand.