Camel Singer

A powerfully thematic ad that stands out in my mind is when Joe Cool Camel is placed on a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Joe is dressed head to toe in biker gear wearing a traditional motorcycle jacket, T-shirt, jeans and black sunglasses. While posing in this tough guy gear, Joe is sitting on the bike smoking a slick cigarette for pure rebellious enjoyment, symbolizing the epitome of a bad boy image. This ad is strategically enduring to teens in that again, they look up to icons that look tough, self-confident, and rebellious because they want to be what that image represents. Camel Cigarettes target this insecurity of teens and in the process they reel them in to smoke cigarettes. Rock and Roll music is most popular among the teenage group. They admire bands for their rough image, style and music. R.J. Reynolds focuses on this phenomenon by creating an ad where Joe Camel features as a rock star. He is place on stage in the spotlight, smoking a cigarette while playing the guitar. The fans are faded in the background, cheering this stud-camel on for his great music. This ad is appealing to the teenage audience because it displays Joe Camel as an icon, a role model that fans adore from their assigned seats at a concert hall. When teens observe this ad, perhaps they will think if the image of Joe Camel looks cool smoking on stage, than they will look cool if they do it too.