So why did you decide to paint the Marlboro man?
I had smoked 13 years previously and thought it would be an honor to Marlboro cowboy billboard ads that got me hooked. My father and brother both smoked. My father got throat cancer from smoking 15 years. I think my brother may die eventually of some cigarette related cancer.
Well, Marlboro had essentially 1% of the market, selling only to women, moved to dominate the market place as number one after the cowboy billboard ads. Later as the governments started to ban most forms of advertising, this just allowed Marlboro to be unchallenged for number one. Camel Joe is an interesting image as well since most children can readily identify him instantly. This suggests Camel may come to dominate in the near future the next generation of smokers.
Which brand dominated before Marlboro man came along?
I believe it was Lucky Strike.
So what happened to the original Marlboro man?
Four of the real cowboys that starred as Marlboro man died of related smoking diseases. This led to the name “Cowboy Killers”.
Why do you have other people in the background?
Besides tobacco companies, many other groups promoted smoking and profited it from it. One of the obvious pairings was Hollywood from James Dean to Marilyn Monroe to Madonna to Jack Nicholson to Schwarzenegger to Sharon Stone. Other groups include musicians like Snoop Dogg and Bob Marley. Other artists behind the trend include
Do you have a monthly newsletter?
Yes. I send about every 4-6 weeks at http://shawnshawn.co/Site/Contact