The history of Marlboro: from a 1924 women’s brand to the world’s biggest cigarette
Marlboro is the best-known cigarette brand in the world, but it did not start that way. Philip Morris launched it in 1924 as a premium cigarette marketed to women, complete with an ivory tip to keep lipstick off the filter. It struggled for three decades, was repositioned in the 1950s around a masculine cowboy image, and became the flagship of the global tobacco industry. In Australia today, every trace of that imagery has been removed by law.
| Check | What to expect |
|---|---|
| 1924 | Launched by Philip Morris as a women’s cigarette with an ivory tip |
| 1950s | Relaunched with the “Marlboro Man” cowboy campaign |
| 1960s–90s | Global expansion; motorsport and event sponsorship era |
| 1990s–2000s | Australian advertising and sponsorship bans |
| 2012 onwards | Plain packaging — no logo, colour or imagery on Australian packs |
The repositioning that changed the industry
The cowboy campaign did something no tobacco marketer had achieved at scale before: it attached a product to a fantasy of independence rather than a claim about the product itself. That template — image over attribute — became the industry standard until advertising bans removed the channel entirely.
What remains in Australia
A legal Australian Marlboro pack is drab brown with graphic health warnings covering at least 75% of the front and 90% of the back. No logo, no cowboy, no colour coding. The brand survives as standardised text and as a blend.
Before you order — four checks that never change
- Price against the excise floor. Duty is $1.55274 a stick from 1 September 2026 — about $31 in a 20-pack and $310 in a carton. A carton of Marlboro carries about $310 of excise — any “discount carton” below that price is untaxed stock.
- The pack in the photo. Legal Australian stock is drab brown (Pantone 448C) with graphic warnings covering at least 75% of the front and 90% of the back — no logos, no brand artwork.
- Age and delivery. Distance sellers must verify you are 18 or over, and somebody who can sign and show ID has to be at the address. Lockers and unstaffed addresses can be refused.
- State rules. South Australia prohibits mail and online tobacco orders outright; everywhere else requires an age-verification system.
Related reading
- how to judge brands yourself
- the 2026 packaging and health-warning rules
- what a 20-pack really costs in 2026
This article is general information, not medical or legal advice. All tobacco products are harmful and state rules change — check your state or territory regulator before ordering. For help quitting call Quitline on 13 7848.