Riding Into The Sunset

One of the original "Marlboro men" died in Wyoming earlier this week.  Darrell Winfield of Riverton, Wyo., died at home on Monday, Jan. 12, according to Davis Funeral Home, the AP reports.  The 85-year-old was born on July 30, 1929, in Oklahoma, and later moved to Wyoming in the 1960's with his family, according to his obituary.  He was discovered by the Leo Burnett Advertising Agency when he worked on Quarter Circle 5 Ranch in western Wyoming.  Winfield's obituary says, "He loved horses, rodeo, especially team roping, ranching, and the cowboy way of life."

The "Marlboro Man" was almost a caricature of masculinity. The rugged cowboys were used in magazine and television advertisements from the 1950's to late 1990's in an effort to make filtered cigarettes more appealing to men.  Leo Burnett’s creative director was awed when he first saw Winfield: “I had seen cowboys, but I had never seen one that just really, like, he sort of scared the hell out of me (as he was so much a real cowboy).” Winfield’s immediate authenticity led to his 20-year run as the Marlboro Man, which lasted until the late 1980s.