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The Marlboro Man, as a cultural icon, emerged in the 1950s as a marketing strategy to change the brand's image from a women's filtered cigarette to a rugged, masculine choice for men. Promoted through advertisements featuring strong, cowboy-like figures, the Marlboro Man garnered significant popularity and helped raise the brand's market share from a meager 1% to a leading position in the tobacco industry.
Bob Norris, the original Marlboro Man, depicted the quintessential rugged cowboy. However, it is Wayne McLaren's story that dives deeper into the consequences of smoking and the irony of his role. Discovered in 1976, McLaren became the face of the brand for about 14 years, a career he concluded in 1990 upon being diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer.