Marlboro (cigarette)

Marlboro (,  or ) is the largest selling brand of cigarettes in the world. It is made by Philip Morris USA (a branch of Altria) within the US, and by Philip Morris International (now separate from Altria) outside the US. It is famous for its billboard advertisements and magazine ads of the Marlboro Man.

Motorsport sponsorship

Formula One 

Marlboro is also known for its sponsorship of auto racing. This started in  with its sponsorship of Formula One teams BRM and Iso Marlboro-Ford.

For  season Marlboro ended its sponsorship of both teams. Marlboro became associated with the McLaren team. Marlboro ended their sponsorship of McLaren in , which ended the famous red and white McLaren livery.

Marlboro also sponsored Scuderia Ferrari as secondary sponsor starting in 1980s Ferrari company president Enzo Ferrari refused to allow "outside" sponsor brands to appear on his team cars. After Enzo Ferrari's death in 1988, Marlboro began to take over as the primary sponsor. Later the team was officially named Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.

In September 2005, Ferrari signed an extension of their sponsorship arrangement with Marlboro until 2011. This came at a time when tobacco sponsorship was being banned in many location. It had become illegal in the European Union, including F1 races. Other major teams have withdrawn from relationships with tobacco companies. In April 2008, the Marlboro logo was displayed on the Ferrari for the last time.

Marlboro then replaced the logo with a variety of barcodes. Leading health officials called for a review of the barcode advertising.  The Ferrari team claims the barcode is part of the car design, not an advertising message. The controversial barcode designed was recently removed by Ferrari for the start of the  Spanish Grand Prix.

Marlboro also sponsored the Alfa Romeo Formula One team between  and .

Other racing series 
Since their start in Formula One, Marlboro has also sponsored numerous teams and races.

Marlboro sponsorship in Champ Car (also known as 'CART' and 'IndyCar' at that time) dates back to 1986. The Penske cars in the Indy Racing League (IRL) currently run in Marlboro's distinctive red and white colors. In 2006, a Marlboro-sponsored car won the Indianapolis 500. For the 2007 season, Marlboro had ended their sponsorship of the Penske Cars. The Penske team will retain the color scheme. Where 'Marlboro Penske' appeared on the side of the cars, 'Team Penske' replaced it.  Although Marlboro does not sponsor Team Penske, Philip Morris USA is still Team Penske's main sponsor.

Marlboro also sponsored the Australian Marlboro Holden Dealer Team from 1974 through to 1984. The Marlboro branding gave rise to some of Australia's most prominently recognizable race cars such as the L34 and A9X Torana, as well as the VK Group C "Big Banger" Commodore.

In Motorcycling Grand Prix, Marlboro sponsored the Yamaha team in 500cc and 250cc class. Marlboro currently sponsors the Ducati MotoGP. As of the 2009 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, they are only allowed to put the Marlboro brand the bikes in Qatar.

Marlboro also has a long history in rallying sponsorship, including with the factory World Rally Championship teams of Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Peugeot. During the 2007 GP2 Series Season, ART Grand Prix was also sponsored by Marlboro.

Marlboro are generally credited as being among the most important of sponsors to the world of Formula 1 (and motor racing in general) in terms of the amount of financial backing given to various competitors. In mid-2006, special "racing editions" of Marlboro Red were sold in the UK, with a Ferrari-inspired design, although the Ferrari name and badge were not used.

List of Marlboro brand varieties 

US varieties

 Marlboro Red Pack
 Marlboro Red Pack 72's
 Marlboro Red Pack 100's
 Marlboro Red Label (Medium) 
 Marlboro Red Label 100's (Medium) 
 Marlboro Gold Pack (Light)
 Marlboro Gold Pack 72's (Light)
 Marlboro Gold Pack 100's (Light)
 Marlboro Silver Pack (Ultra Light)
 Marlboro Silver Pack 72's (Ultra Light)
 Marlboro Silver Pack 100's (Ultra Light)
 Marlboro Blend No. 27
 Marlboro Virginia Blend
 Marlboro Virginia Blend 100's
 Marlboro Special Blend Red
 Marlboro Special Blend Red 100's
 Marlboro Special Blend Gold
 Marlboro Special Blend Gold 100's
 Marlboro Menthol
 Marlboro Menthol 72's
 Marlboro Menthol 100's
 Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack (Mild)
 Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack 72's (Mild)
 Marlboro Menthol Blue Pack 100's (Mild)
 Marlboro Menthol Gold Pack (Light)
 Marlboro Menthol Gold Pack 100's (Light)
 Marlboro Menthol Silver Pack (Ultra Light)
 Marlboro Menthol Silver Pack 100's (Ultra Light)
 Marlboro Menthol Blend No. 54
 Marlboro Menthol Blend No. 54 100's
 Marlboro Menthol Smooth
 Marlboro Menthol Smooth 100's
 Marlboro Black
 Marlboro Black Menthol
 Marlboro NXT
 Marlboro Edge
 Marlboro Slate
 Marlboro Slate 100’s

Snus
 Marlboro Rich
 Marlboro Amber
 Marlboro Spearmint
 Marlboro Peppermint
 Marlboro Windmill (Netherlands)

Non-US varieties
 Marlboro Black Menthol Edge 8 (Japan)
 Marlboro Black
 Marlboro Black One
 Marlboro Black Menthol (Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & New Zealand)
 Marlboro Blend No. 9
 Marlboro Bright Leaf (UK)
 Rooftop Red (Canadian Marlboro Filter)
 Rooftop Gold (Canadian Marlboro Light)
 Rooftop Silver (Canadian Marlboro Extra Light)
 Marlboro Cold Mint (Spain)
 Marlboro Compact (Europe) - slightly shorter than standard cigarettes
 Marlboro Crisp Mint
 Marlboro Filter Plus (Russia and Bulgaria)
 Marlboro Filter Plus One (Russia)
 Marlboro Flavor Mix (Egypt)
 Marlboro Flavor Note (Germany)
 Marlboro Flavor Plus
 Marlboro Fresh (Sweden)
 Marlboro Fresh Mint
 Marlboro Frost
 Marlboro Gold (in countries where "light" is not allowed)
 Marlboro Gold Advance (Sweden, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, New Zealand)
 Marlboro Gold Edge
 Marlboro Gold Touch (Europe) - slightly thinner
 Marlboro Ice Mint
 Marlboro Ice Blast (Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong)
 Marlboro Ice Chill (Australia)
 Marlboro Ice Fresh (Brunei)
 Marlboro Intense
 Marlboro Kretex/Mix 9 (Indonesia)
 Marlboro MX4 Flavor (Europe)
 Marlboro Medium  (Jordan)
 Marlboro Night Fusion
 Marlboro Wides (Europe, Japan)
 Marlboro Touch

References

Other websites 

 Phillip Morris USA
 Philip Morris International

Smoking