Articles for Business Professionals

Branding Death Cigarettes

How can you create a powerful brand? Follow the advice of UK entrepreneur BJ Cunningham. This is so good.

BJ created a company called The Enlightened Tobacco Company in 1991, selling a cigarette called “Death Cigarettes”. It was presented in a black package emblazoned with a white skull and crossbones logo. Just imagine how this might appeal to the rebels.

His premise was to take a position that none of the other cigarette companies was taking. Great advice and at the time all the tobacco companies were denying any ill effects of smoking tobacco. The branding in the cigarette business was all about life style cowboy, sophisticate, artist, debutante imaginary stuff, and all lies.

So why not be different from the crowd and admit the truth. Come on smokers today know that tobacco smoking is bad for you. Tell a smoker that cigarettes can kill you and they will tell you, “Hey, it’s my life.”

So here are the words of ‘branding brilliance’ that resonated with me.

There are two ways you can create a brand either with oodles of money or creative positioning.

Nike does it with oodles of money.

Death Cigarettes did it with creative positioning as Cunningham explained in his three rules

1. Take a polarized position.
2. Make enemies.
3. Create tension.

Examine your position. How creative is it? If you have oodles of money like Nike then spend it on your brand. Otherwise, the only way you will build your brand is by creative positioning.

Take a position away from the crowd. Stand where no one else is standing.

Be bold. Be prepared to disagree with the status quo and make enemies along the way. Pick your market and be willing to annoy others.

Create tension. Make people choose. Create a controversy. Coke vs. Pepsi. Windows against Mac.

Who else can you think of that has created their brand by following these three rules of creative brand positioning?

Harley Davidson jumps to mind immediately. People love them or hate them. That is powerful branding. Remember, branding is about creating powerful emotions.

Are you ready to create your brand?

If so, follow these three rules for creative brand positioning

1. Take a polarized position.
2. Make enemies.
3. Create tension.

You will need to be bold. You will upset some mainly your competition and those who never buy from you. Can you live with that?

Have you noticed that the strongest brands have lots of enemies? Pick your friends and enemies and watch your brand soar.

George Torok is the coauthor of Secrets of Power Marketing the first guide to personal marketing for the non marketer. Claim your free copy of “50 Power Marketing Ideas” at
Arrange for George Torok to speak to your people or work with your team at or call 905 335 1887.

Marlboro cigarettes – name origin of the brand – high names agency

Snopes.com: the marlboro man died of lung cancer?

One of the products that reach people from all ages (at least all that are of age) without a lot of advertising is the cigarettes. At least nowadays they don t need ads. People just smoke them not for the ad, but for the quality they offer. All this is combines somewhat with the price of the pack of cigarettes or the bag of tobacco. And ads can t really make you switch from one brand to another, unless you re looking for a new one. However, names are the identity of the cigarette brands, and regular customers are the best ad possible. This naming article is about Marlboro the largest selling brand of cigarettes in the world. Indeed they are widely popular based on their old ad with the cowboy. The ad was created in the 1950 s to convert male smokers to buy Marlboro cigarettes, which were being sold as feminine until then. And the manly cowboy did the trick.

But we re talking about naming here. One may assume the name originated from the town the founder was born in and that wouldn t be unexpected. Many companies are named based on similar ideas (see IKEA post). Furthermore, there are many places called Marlborough all over the world England, Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand etc. How original must it have been to simply change Marlborough spelling to Marlboro? Well, the real story is not too far from the suggestion. Phillip Morris, the founder of the company, opened a shop in which he was selling tobacco and rolled cigarettes. This was in 1847 and the location was Bond Street, London, UK. However, after his death, relatives took care of the business, and eventually it grew enough for a first factory to be opened. The factory was located on Great Marlborough Street, London (you can see what the street looked like around that time here). The owners, a company called Phillip Morris Companies Inc. at the time (the name is Altria Group nowadays), decided to go for a simple name Marlboro. A name that has proven though the years and is the most popular cigarette brand.

If you’re interested in reading more stories on company and brand naming you can check the related naming article on the popular Zippo lighters or something not so related like the naming of the Visa bank cards.

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