The
Marlboro Man is a figure used in
tobacco advertising campaigns for
Marlboro cigarettes. In the United States, where the campaign originated, it was used from 1954 to 1999. The Marlboro Man was first conceived by
Leo Burnett in 1954. The images initially featured rugged men portrayed in a variety of roles but later primarily featured a rugged
cowboy or cowboys, in nature with a
cigarette. The advertisements were originally conceived as a way to popularize
filtered cigarettes, which at the time were considered feminine.