Daily Doc: PM, Jul 15, 1992: The Marboro Man Eats Veggie Fajitas
Daily Doc: The Marboro Man Eats Veggie Fajitas
Title: A Vision of the Future for Marlboro: A New Myth of the West
PM, Jul 15, 1992
Bates #:2048360916/0937
November 14, 2000
When tobacco companies aren't busy creating pop culture, they are hurrying to keep up with it.
In the early 1990's, around the time that John Gray's wildly popular pop-psychology book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus was taking hold and Robert Bly started running his drum-and-chest-pounding nature retreats to the woods to "help men get in touch with their masculinity," Philip Morris sought to re-make the image of the Marlboro Man into a new-age, sensitive pop icon that would appeal to these new-age sensitive guys of the 90's. They sought to alter the cowboy-icon's image from
"Cowboys are outlaws. Cowboys are brutal. Cowboys eat pork and beans."to
"Cowboys are kind. Cowboys eat grilled vegetable fajitas...Cowboys dance with wolves."In short, they sought to change the cowboy from a "John Wayne" image to a kinder-gentler "Kevin Costner" image.
Of course, the marketing and promotional potential of this re-make was unlimited: promotional tie-ins could include piggybacking on the causes of land preservation and the environment, adding expensive silver and turquoise Indian jewelry to the Marlboro Gear catalog, offering "soft adventure" vacations where smokers could go rafting and hiking at the Marlboro Ranch... And oh, the appeal to women!
CITATION
Title: A Vision of the Future for Marlboro: A New Myth of the West
Type of Document: Report, other
Author: Organizational
Author Brain Reserve
Recipient: N/A
Date: 19920715
Site: Philip Morris Tobacco Company document site: http://www.pmdocs.com/
Page Count 22
Bates No. 2048360916/0937
URL: http://www.pmdocs.com/getallimg.asp?DOCID=2048360916/0937
Litigation Usage: None yet.
Found Using Search Criteria: "Brain and confidential" (a brilliant combination recommended by Miroslaw Kulowski of Poland--thanks!)
QUOTES
The Cowboy, as American icon, has never been hotter.
The emergence of a new trend we call "Wildering" demonstrates that the impulse that drives the cowboy myth has never been more compelling to consumers.
WILDERING: A new appreciation of ourselves as primal beings, returning to nature to test ourselves, physically and spiritually.
TREND SUPPORT: In fact, 5 of the 10 BrainReserve Trends support the appeal of the Cowboy Myth of today:
THE APPEAL OF THE COWBOY:
Cashing out: returning to nature, a "simpler" life Down-Aging: Recapturing the cowboy "fun" of childhood Economics: Expression of individuality
Fantasy Adventure: Identifying with frontier heroics S.O.S.: A reverence for the land
But the Mythic Cowboy that speaks to the American imagination today is not the dusty figure of old TV westerns, shoot-outs and cow-poking.
A NEW "MYTH OF THE WEST" IS SHIFTING THE "COWBOY PARADIGM"
"The New Myth of the West"
Old Myth:
Cowboys are macho and simple-minded.
Cowboys are "men against nature."
Cowboys kill Indians.
Cowboys leave women at home, wringing their hands. Cowboys are alone on the range.
Cowboys are outlaws.
Cowboys are brutal.
Cowboys eat pork and beans.
Cowboys dress for function.
Cowboys shoot wolves.
New Myth:
Cowboys are sensitive.
Cowboys are advocates of the land.
Cowboys are Indians.
Women are cowboys.
Cowboys ride the range with their wives.
Cowboys have principles.
Cowboys are kind.
Cowboys eat grilled vegetable fajitas.
Cowboys dress for functional style.
Cowboys dance with wolves.
SHIFTING THE COWBOY PARADIGM:
John Wayne ----> Kevin Costner
Rough and dirty ----> Real and Hip
Middle-aged man on a horse ----> Young man on an Indian-Chief Motorcycle
THE OPPORTUNITY for MARLBORO: Recapture the excitement that built the brand by re-casting the Marlboro Man as the 90's Cowboy. . .
Promotional efforts should work hard to communicate "The New Myth of the West" :
A Marlboro catalog with Native American jewelry and art, feather-and-fringe fashion, fabulous silver and turquoise. "Cause marketing" promotional efforts to help save the land, support women and Native [Americans].
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Anne Landman, Regional Program Coordinator
American Lung Association of Colorado, West Region Office
Grand Junction, CO
(970) 245-2120
afoxland@gj.net
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