Merchandising the Myth

D’Artagnan and the three musketeers have been everywhere. Ever since decorative plates bearing their image first appeared in the 19th century, the recycling of these four heroes in the most unexpected forms has never stopped. From d’Artagnan cheeses and beers, Three Musketeers chocolate bars, board games, collectible tokens, dolls, toys, stamps, medals, and coins — there really is something for everyone and advertisers have been all too eager to capitalize on their popularity. As there are four of the musketeers, the mere inclusion of one of themin a product is enough to link it to them. The “triple customer service” of the French postal service, La Poste, references the three musketeers, as does the fourth model of Remington’s electric razor. Even more noteworthy are the collectible advertising cards from the early 20th century distributed mainly by chocolate brands, which often illustrate the novel’s plot highly artistically.