Story Behind The Design: Marlboro Cyclist T-Shirt

Images of Marlboro, Rothmans, JSP, Camel and Lucky Strike branding are still very vivid in my memory. In the late 80s and the whole of 90s, I was hooked into motorsports. Back in the day, these brands were prominent on cars, bikes and also, their racing gear. Some teams were co-branded. Even today, when I look back at the legends, I cannot see them without that branding. From an advertiser’s standpoint, this is the best visual effect ever!

I was in my early 20s when I started to smoke. The volume of cigarettes varied depending on the day of the week and the company that I kept. In my late 20s, I quit smoking because I wanted to set an example for my son.

The effects of withdrawal were taking a toll on me. To manage this, I took up bicycling because running wasn’t an option (too many broken ligaments). The first few weeks were the hardest because I could hardly pedal. My logic (don’t subscribe to it): the more I sweat, the more my lungs are getting repaired. Not sure if my lungs returned to their original state but this helped me to quit smoking. Today, I had to light one for the sake of this post!

Some of my friends can pedal for miles. They have great stamina. Their break includes tea and a cigarette. I’m not here to judge them or others but if you are wondering how to quit, then, I suggest you pick up some form of exercise. Cycling has worked great for me!

So, while brainstorming concepts for our cycle themed t-shirt collection, we spoke about this process. This concept has to feather a bicycle (because the shirt is for bicycle lovers) and also, a cigarette because that works against the lungs of a cyclist! The entire design is within Marlboro reds box to represent smoking and right in the middle, we incorporated a cyclist with “no print” to make the design breathable.

At this point, we do not design cycling jerseys. This bicycle-themed t-shirt is great for casual wear. It can be sported with jeans or cargo shorts to show your love for cycling.

Do leave a comment about the design or the story behind the design. We will get back to you.

If you wish to buy yourself a Marlboro tee, click the image.