The Marlboro Atari Lynx

Hey kid, wanna try a cigarette?

Console variations, while not as popular today, were always a really cool way for companies to release special versions of their video game consoles. You want an Xbox 360 themed after The Simpsons? You got one. You want a pink, translucent Hello Kitty themed Dreamcast? We got you covered. You want a Marlboro cigarette branded Atari Lynx? Weird request, but don't worry, because I have just the thing for you!

This rare, exclusive variant of 1989's Atari Lynx not sports not only a bright red coat of paint, but also a "Malboro Abenteuer Team" label above the screen. What does that mean, and why does this exist?

Marlboro Abenteur Team, translated to Marlboro Adventure Team, was a line of Marlboro branded merchandise that was offered to people through the "Marlboro Miles" loyalty catalogs. Marlboro Miles were little strips on the sides of Marlboro cigarette packages that you could tear off and mail to the company in exchange for rewards from regularly released catalogs. These catalogs included a variety of gear, including clothes such as jackets, shirts, watches, and hats, as well as tons of outdoorsy stuff. Lanterns, tents, switchblades, frying pans, GPS, lighters, mugs, bags, inflatable mattresses, the list goes on...

Included in this selection of offerings were also occasional tech products, such as portable CD players, radios, and walkie talkies. The strangest inclusion, by far, is the "Marlboro Abenteuer Team" branded Atari Lynx game console.

With only around 50 of this console being produced for German Marlboro smokers, it's an exceedingly difficult variant to get your hands on.

They didn't stop at the console variation, either, as there was also a Marlboro-themed Lynx game titled Marlboro Go!, a pretty blatant Excitebike clone where you control a red-clad biker on a red bike, trying to beat a fairly linear dirt race track under the time limit.

This game supposedly came bundled with the console variant, although it never seemed to have gotten a proper cartridge shell, leaving its PCB board exposed. At the end of each race course, an inspiring message such as "Respect! That's pretty tough!" and "Super! You're doing well!" appear on screen to congratulate you.

The main question on my mind is: Did Marlboro make this game and console variant as part of their ongoing effort in the 80's to get kids addicted to cigarettes?

Duh

Sure, the console and its games weren't sold in stores, effectively only being accessable to people who already smoked enough Marlboro cigarettes to be participating in their loyalty program, but I think it's naive to claim that Marlboro weren't purposefully attempting to gets kids to start buying and smoking cigarettes for the chance at a brand new video game console. Even if a parent who smokes Marlboros were to redeem their miles for a Lynx as a gift for their child, kids are extremely influencable by the brands that are present on products that they own. Having a Marlboro branded console, as well as a Marlboro themed video game, seem like an obvious attempt at getting children familiar and comfortable with the Marlboro brand.