The Marlboro cigarettes brand was founded by Philip Morris in 1847 in England. It was named after the Marlborough Street which is situated in London.
In 1902 Marlboro cigarettes were introduced to the US market. Initially Marlboro targeted at female smokers, and was advertised under the slogan "Mild as May". The cigarettes had red tip, which was designed to hide lipstick marks.
In the 1950's the public attention was attracted by the articles which claimed that cigarettes produce harmful effect. That was the reason why cigarette companies began to produce filtered cigarettes. Morris decided to extend the range of customers, and therefore changed the advertising strategy. The advertising slogan "Mild as May" created a feminine image.
Eight months after the campaign was introduced,cigarettes sales had increased 5,000 per cent. Marlboro became the top selling filtered cigarette in New York.
By 1972, Marlboro cigarettes had become the most popular world-wide. Nowadays, Philip Morris' brands are in 180 markets, are the top-selling cigarettes in the world.
In 2006, a federal district court enacted the following law: the names 'Natural', 'Light' or 'Ultralight' could not be used. Philip Morris has decided to use a color naming scheme - Marlboro Lights cigarettes would be called Marlboro Golds and that Marlboro Ultralights cigarettes would be named Marlboro Silvers.
