Existing comment:
Philip Morris:
Philip Morris owes much of its success to two phenomenally successful advertising campaigns. One was "Call for Philip Morris," inspired by John Roventini, a bellhop at New York's Manhattan Hotel. One of his uniforms is shown here. Marlboro cigarettes were a minor brand until the image of the Marlboro Man as a rugged westerner took hold. By 1977, Marlboro (manufactured in Richmond) was the nation's best seller, Philip Morris was the largest cigarette producers, and the company had 8,640 employees.
Radio and Television:
Virginia's first radio station, WTAR in Norfolk, began in 1923. A few years later, Richmond and Roanoke also had stations. Early radio was commercial-free and depended on volunteer musical talent, but rising operating costs led to reliance on advertising revenue. Radio was at the height of its popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. By 1952, Virginia had fifty-eight stations.
In April 1948, WTVR in Richmond became the South's first television station. WTAR Norfolk came two years later, and in 1952 the industry employed 1,016 Virginians. That year, two stations opened in Roanoke. Television, too, depended on advertising income. Stations employed salesmen as well as on-camera talent, cameramen, sound technicians, electricians, accountants, and office workers. |