The Marlboro Man peers from a Denver, Colorado, billboard in June 1997. Reuters/Robb Wright/Archive Photos. Reproduced by permission.

The Marlboro Man is an American icon (symbol). The cowboy figure used to market Marlboro cigarettes (see entry under 1920s—Commerce in volume 2) captures the essence of the ideal American man. The Marlboro Man looks tough and weather-beaten like a man who values a hard day's work. The Marlboro Man wears a cowboy hat, rides a horse, and his clothes are often covered in dust.

The Marlboro Man has displayed the distinctive red Marlboro cigarette pack for almost fifty years—on billboards, in store window displays, and on the pages of magazines and newspapers. Until the government ban on cigarette commercials in 1972, the Marlboro Man could also be seen on television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3), usually accompanied by the rousing musical theme...