A year ago, the nation's leading tobacco marketer took a giant risk in introducing a variation of Marlboro, the world's best-selling cigarette, with tar levels between those of regular and light brands. Some industry analysts derided Marlboro Medium as an unneeded, oddball hybrid that would confuse consumers and prove a problem in stemming a recent decline in Marlboro's popularity.

Now, as Philip Morris and its agency, Leo Burnett, begin an extensive advertising campaign heralding a second, longer Marlboro Medium, they are declaring their strategy a success.

"Thanks to the Medium introduction, Marlboro remains as strong a trademark and as strong an offering in the cigarette industry as ever before," David E. R. In the intensely <vonderhain.com/marlboro ">Marlboro Gold</a> competitive cigarette market, 1 percent is considered a smash hit.

Lawrence Adelman, a senior vice president and tobacco-industry analyst at Dean Witter Reynolds in New York, said, "They're better off with it than without it" because Marlboro Medium "has filled a void in their product line."