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

Posted by yoni67 under Marketing
From http://jobshuk.com 4891 days ago
Made Hot by: techfordummies on December 6, 2010 11:12 am

This iconic, rugged, healthy Marketing figure brought billions upon billions in profits. He's considered one of the greatest Pitch-Men of all-time.

Yet many who portrayed him died of lung cancer.

A look at history, Marketing, Advertising and profits. And asking the question..."At what price?"

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Comments

Written by andrea.chensten
4890 days ago

Another very interesting facts and ideas Yoni! I wonder why there are really things happening like this. It is very simple and easy to advertise this products and promote lung cancer than to promote health instead.

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Written by yoni67
4889 days ago

Thanks,

Profits sometimes trump well-being.

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Written by Jerusalem Post
4890 days ago

At the risk of sounding reduntant Yoni, another wondeful story. Fans we are of your blog,

The JPost Staff

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Written by yoni67
4890 days ago

Thanks JPosters,

I will be off of work for the next six weeks or so, hopefully that will give me extra time to think up some more posts!

Yoni

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Written by ronika
4891 days ago

There is a brilliant scene in the first episode of "Mad Men" where Don Draper etc. are discussing how to brand Lucky Strikes cigarettes, whose sales have started to suffer after the issuance of the Surgeon General's warning about the danger of cigarettes. After going through the different options they settle on "it's toasted", an essentially meaningless statement, which goes on to become a massively successful campaign.

Thanks for another enjoyable post, Yoni.

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Written by yoni67
4890 days ago

Ronika,

Here's mine: "Cigarettes Don't Kill People...Lungs Kill People!"

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Written by yoni67
4890 days ago

Ronika,

I'm a fan of the show. It seems that a good catch-phrase (even quite meaningless) can go a long way in getting some extra customers aboard. Even if aboard is deadly!

Yoni

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Written by businessavante
4891 days ago

Ronika, Mad did Lucky Strike, too - they called it "Likely Strife". They did a whole series panning cigarette ads - full page.

businessavante

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Written by businessavante
4891 days ago

I still remember a Mad Magazine fake cigarette ad from the '60's. It was a shot of a grave yard w/lots of marble headstones. Title: "Marble Row". I never thought I'd live to see the day when big tobacco would fall - insider whistle blowers made it happen.

businessavante

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Written by yoni67
4890 days ago

Duncan,

Fall it did. And the gravestones? At least as far as the Marlboro Men go...they are all to real! Sad.

Yoni

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Written by ronika
4891 days ago

Would love to have seen that. I imagine it was pretty subversive at the time...

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Written by yoni67
4891 days ago

Alan,

No doubt whatsoever that personal responsibility is a huge issue. Thank you for bringing it up!

The issue here, as I'm glad you agreed, is that of the enticement. The Marlboro Man seemed to do the job, at least according to financial figures. I guess in some regards it was his coolness and machismo which flipped the balance for many and dragged them into the fray. It testifies to the power of advertising and marketing along with the resonsibility which must go along with it.

Best regards,

Yonatan

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Written by alinisrael
4891 days ago

Yonatan, as a four decades long smoker who quit in 1992 I find this article interesting. Part of me says there is personal responsibility. People who know the danger and continue to smoke ask for trouble. But long ago, the dangers were not well publicized. The tobacco companies did their best to gloss over the issue and cover it up. There were no warnings on cigarrette packs. And as you so aptly mention there was the image they presented. I remember the Marlboro man, Joe Camel and others. I also remember doctors being spokespersons for smoking. Each company did their best to glamourize smoking and to entice new customers. They spent millions and made billions. I agree with you wholeheartedly though, despite personal responsibility that there is a time and place for corporate responsibility. Apparanetly with billion dollar judjements against the big companies the courts agree too.

Alan

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