Creating an eye-catching print ad doesn’t just entail
casting the most attractive models, writing the most grabbing headline, and designing
the most pleasing lay-out—it sometimes involves finding the right setting for
the print ad narrative. These three
products—TANDUAY Rhum, FILPRIDE Gasoline and MARLBORO Cigarettes
used the picturesque, age-old Banaue Rice Terraces as relevant backdrop for
their product messages.
The first ad for TANDUAY Rhum immediately makes a
strong association with the “8th wonder of the world” with
the “matchless quality” of the product. Just as the Banaue Rice Terraces
stand in the forefront of the country’s scenic wonders, so does the TANDUAY standard
of quality which leads all others wherever rhum drinks are served.
FILPRIDE Gasoline "GO PLACES' AD, 1962
The FILPRIDE GASOLINE ad of Fil-Oil, reminds
the readers of the scenic wonders of the country, like the Banaue Rice
Terraces, 351 kms. from Manila, then gently urges them to use power-packed
Filpride gasoline when motoring to these places. If you are going to see
the Philippine pride that is Banaue, wouldn’t it be fitting if you fill
up your car with Filpride gasoline? That’s one smart connection!
MARLBORO COUNTRY "Banaue Country" Ad, 1965.
The last ad for MARLBORO Cigarettes went one step
further by describing the famed Banaue
Rice Terraces as evoking the same Marlboro Country imagery-- rugged
independence, adventure, self-reliance—an untamed place where men find flavor.
Thus, the iconic, "Marlboro Man" cowboy scanning the vast grandness
of the terraces—that seem to invite men of the same spirit to “Come to where
the flavor is. Come to Marlboro Country”.
Today though, when one refers to the Marlboro Country
of the Philippines—two sites are top-of-mind recalls: the Racuh Apayaman
on Batan Island, Batanes which features rolling green hills, grazing
cattle, and dramatic cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean; and the Marlboro
Hills in Sagada, Mountain Province, famous for its pine-clad mountain trails
, "sea of clouds" during sunrise and grand vistas of limestone peaks.
THE PHILIPPINES IS MARLBORO COUNTRY. The local adaptation of the immensely-successful Marlboro advertising campaign featured familiar scenic spots like lakes in exotic Zamboanga, Banaue Rice Terraces, Taal Volcano and Manila's skyline--instead of rugged Western frontiers. 1965.
Marlboro Cigarettes of Philip Morris gave the advertising world the most iconic
brand image of the century—the Marlboro Man—the macho and rugged American
cowboy that catapulted the cigarette brand as the best-selling cigarette in the
world.
The Marlboro Man campaign was a sharp detour from the 50s
beginnings of the brand, when Marlboro was advertised to appeal to women
smokers with a taste that’s as “mild as May”.
The agency Leo Burnett, in its attempt to expand the appeal
of Marlboro, created the masculine icon accompanied by the slogan “delivers the
goods on flavor”.
The campaign was an immediate success, and the Marlboro Man
was rolled out nationwide in the U.S. in 1955, resulting in sale of over $5
billion, an astounding 3,124% increase from 1954.
The agency then shifted to other manly types—from tattooed
men, devil race car drivers and ball players—all of which proved to be
effective.
WATCH VINTAGE MARLBORO COUNTRY
COMMERCIALS HERE.
The cowboy character however,
came back in 1964—in a new mythical environ---the Marlboro Country, where these
virile men in white hats rode their horses into the sunset, sat quietly before campfires,
with flames crackling, an open Marlboro pack in their hands. The slogan was an
invitation to "Come to where the flavor is”. The memorable soundtrack music was actually from the 1961 movie "The Magnificent Seven", composed by Al Caiola. The version of Oscar award-winner HenryMancini became very popular.
MARLBORO MAN trailblazing in Taal. Print Ad. 1966
The Marlboro Man in Marlboro Country was launched in the
Philippines at the beginning of 1965. It made use of images of the American
cowboy considered by Leo Burnett as "an almost universal symbol of admired
masculinity.”
The Marlboro Country settings, however, were localized,
perhaps to connect with Filipinos. Instead of
America’s wild frontiers, the Marlboro Man was seen marveling at the
world’s smallest volcano in Taal , viewing the vintas of Zamboanga, contemplating the
wonders of Banaue Rice Terraces and watching the high rises of modern Manila.
MARLBORO MAN at the World's 8th Wonder-Banawe Rice Terraces,1966
The print ads were obviously re-composed, but the bizarre
visual anachronisms did not matter to the Filipino consumer—the local
adaptation of the U.S. campaign was a blockbuster hit, sending hordes of consumers huffing and puffing Marlboro sticks.
The ominous health care warnings against cigarettes as a
cause of lung cancer were publicized in 1957. But even when cigarette
advertising was banned from TV in 1971,
the Marlboro Man continued to fuel the growth of the brand, By 1972,
Marlboro was the No. 1 tobacco brand in the world.
MARLBORO MAN gets lost in the concrete jungles of Manila. Print ad, 1965.
But more upheavals were coming as anti-smoking movements
spread all over America. A Master Settlement Agreement in the 1990s abolished
outdoor advertising for cigarettes. Then
, the Food and Drug Administration won regulatory control over the tobacco
industry that led to the limiting of sale of branded merchandise, the banning
of sports and entertainment sponsorships, and youth market targeting.
It was just a matter of time that the Philippines followed
suit. On 23 June 2003, Republic Act 9211
or the "Act Regulating the Packaging, Use, Sale Distribution and
Advertisements of Tobacco Products and for Other Purposes" was by Pres.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In 2007, TV,
radio, movie theaters and outdoor advertising were banned, and in 2008,
event sponsorships. The law also prevents celebrities from endorsing tobacco
products in advertising. Promotion is limited to point-of-sale and sari-sari store
and in select establishments like
restaurants, bars and billiard halls.
MARLBORO MAN RETURNS, Back Cover, April 2000 issue of LIFE Magazine.
The Marlboro Man – a commercial icon both revered and reviled
and revered—continues to make its presence felt
in the U.S. today, albeit not in traditional mainstream channels but in
direct-to-consumer communications.
A sad postscript to the campaign were the deaths of models David Millar (d.1987, age 81), Wayne Mclaren (d.1992, age 51), David McLean (d.1995, age 73), and Eric Lawson (d.2014, age 72) who all appeared as Marlboro cowboys in countless Marlboro Country ads. They all passed away from cigarette-related lung diseases.
ERIC LAWSON, Marlboro Man from 1978-1981, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by smoking. Picture source: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-marlboro-men-20140127-story.html
