A Marlboro Man Lived in La Grange

I was born in the '60s, and have vague memories of the decade. One thing I do remember is the smoking. I remember every restaurant had a cigarette machine at the entrance and in addition to mints they also had books of matches with their logo on them. It was much different times. You could smoke anywhere, cough, cough.

A La Grange resident, E. Lee Stanley, ended up in one of the print ads as a Marlboro Man. The , 444 S. La Grange Road, was able to supply information about this creative man. Stanley was a longtime resident who attended Cossitt Avenue School and Lyons Township High School. He was an ad man, like the AMC series, "Mad Men". While working at Leo Burnett as vice president and art department manager, he was involved in the famous Marlboro Man campaign. He was the layout executive for the account beginning in 1954.

Stanley gave his take on the campaign in a 1957 interview for a suburban paper, a clip of which is on file at the Historical Society:

“Back in 1954, Marlboro was an established cigarette selling at a premium price to a limited class market. When the Burnett agency took over the Marlboro account these changes had just been made—A new cigarette was blended, filter-tipped and presented in the original flip-top box. All Marlboro advertising had to look was important and dominate its pages. The first campaign broke in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles dailies but has been greatly enlarged to include every type of advertising vehicle.”

According to Stanley, the Marlboro Man came about this way: “Leo Burnet saw a picture of a rugged, masculine-looking cowboy and felt such a type would prove to be a new concept for the presentation of cigarette. The picture image of the Marlboro Man is one who has achieved success the hard way—by work with his hands as a youth. The models are all real people not professionals.”

The photographer used jet pilots, policemen, naval officers, and even his own gardener to portray the successful man in his sport or hobby. While working on the campaign, Stanley found himself looking into the camera lens for the photographer.

“The only reason Marlboro is using my picture is because of my bald head. This man without hair is another first in the series of types of men introduced by Marlboro," said Stanley.

So back in October of 1957, people taking the 8:05 a.m. train into Chicago from Stone Avenue Station, returning to La Grange on the 5:35 p.m. train, or golfing at La Grange Country Club, could see a real Marlboro Man that was featured in advertisements in “TV Guide”, “Sporting News”, “The La Grange Citizen” and billboards with combined circulations and viewers in the millions. Yet, Stanley was just a regular guy who loved to golf and paint. One of his paintings is hanging in the . Stanley painted the founder of La Grange, Mr. Cossitt, from a photograph.

The next time you see the Marlboro Man in an ad, remember that the famous campaign has some roots right here in La Grange.