http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ugyh_commercial-marlboro-cigarettes-filt_shortfilms

Marlboro. One of the most iconic companies of the 20th century. Though we all know today that cigarettes are harmful to your body, in the mid 1900's, it was less known. As you can see in the ad, Marlboro's slogan is "Come to where the flavor is." Nowadays, you would usually find a saying like this on the side of a Dr.Pepper can or a Snickers bar. But here, the Marlboro company (or maybe even the Marlboro man in the background) is ordering you to purchase their product. This shows that they are firm and confident in their product, which boosts the buyer's confidence in buying their product.

Since the Marlboro company knew about what was being put in the cigarettes and knew that they were bad for human health, they had to find ways of concealing this. So, the TV ad begins with the announcer talking about Marlboro country, or "the high country," and how there is good hunting around there. This appeals to much of the average american male in the 1960's, when hunting was very common. Seeing the open country, the viewer assumes that Marlboro cigarettes come straight from the ground. Though tobacco is organic, we know today that much of what is in cigarettes is not. We also see a cowboy riding his horse through the open country. Almost every american young boy has the dream to become a cowboy. So, if they see this cowboy promoting the sale of Marlboro cigarettes, when it comes to be their time to smoke, they will probably chose Marlboro. Also, the American female would definitely describe this cowboy using one word: hunk. He is very handsome and charming, and he makes smoking Marlboro cigarettes look glamorous. So, if a female were to chose a cigarette brand, chances are that they will chose Marlboro.

As you can see on the ad above, there is a Surgeon General Warning. This suggests that they're was some public knowledge that cigarettes are unhealthy. Marlboro accounts for this by ending the commercial with their theme song, "...Filter, flavor, pack or box." By saying that Marlboro cigarettes have filters in them, many of the worries of the American public go away, and more people are apt to purchase Marlboro.

Though Marlboro was one of the more controversial companies of the 20th century, and still is today, it was a brilliant company when it came to advertising their product. They knew which audiences to target and how to do it. They had their iconic "Marlboro Man" and their theme song. When I showed my mother (who has never smoked a cigarette in her life) the video ad that I was going to use for this assignment to see if it was a common ad, she sang along with the theme song; she knew every word. Marlboro's slogan "Come to where the flavor is" is also very clever. While it is a command (as mentioned earlier), it is also very welcoming. You can almost see the Marlboro Man saying it at the end while beckoning the audience to jump right into the screen and ride away with him.