Joe Camel

Joe Camel (officially Old Joe) was the advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes since the end of 1987 to 12 July, 1997, contained in the magazine advertisements, billboards and other print media.

History

In RJ Reynolds U.S. marketing, is looking for ideas to promote camel 75 years, reopened in the company of Joe archives in the late 1980's.

Quote from The New York Times:

"Joe Camel was actually born in the United States. In caricatured camel was created in 1974 by a British artist, Billy Coulton, for a French advertising campaign that subsequently ran in other countries in the 1970's. In fact, Mr. O'Toole recalled a visit France for many years, during which he glimpsed Joe Camel wearing a Foreign Legion cap. The impetus for Mr. Price was a cartoon camel, Old Joe, who has appeared on all Camel packages with the brand's initial appearance in 1913. "

Joe Camel first appeared in the United States in 1988 in materials created by the 75 th anniversary of the brand by Trone camel advertising. Trone is a medium-sized agency in Greensboro, NC, that Reynolds used on various advertising and promotional projects.

Disputes

In 1991 in the Journal of American Medical Association published a study shows that more children, 5 and 6 years old could recognize Joe Camel than could recognize Mickey Mouse or Fred Flintstone, and claimed that "Joe Camel" campaign, ostensibly directed for children - in spite of the RJ Reynolds' that the campaign had been researched only among adults, and was directed only at the smokers of other brands. At that time, it was estimated that over 30% of all cigarettes sold in the United States were Marlboros. Subsequently, the American Medical Association said, RJ Reynolds Nabisco pull campaign. RJ Reynolds refused, and the Joe Camel campaign was continuing. In 1991, Janet Mangini, the San Francisco-based attorney, brought a lawsuit against RJ Reynolds, challenging the company to target minors with its "Joe Camel" advertising campaign. In its complaint, Mangini claimed that adolescents smoke was US $ 476 million sales of Camel cigarettes in 1992. When the Joe Camel advertising began in 1988, this figure was only $ 6 million ", implicitly suggesting that the advertisement had caused damage to a lot of teenagers by involving them in the widespread use of and addiction to tobacco."

RJ Reynolds to this day denies the Joe Camel was to be aimed at children, the company contends that the Joe Camel target audience of 25-49-year-old man and current smokers, Marlboro. In response to criticism, RJ Reynolds instituted "Let disinfecting smoking" campaign for a full page magazine advertisements, consisting entirely of text, usually in large type set, denying the accusations and said that smoking is an adult custom. "

Internal documents produced to the court in Mangini v. RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, San Francisco Superior Court number 959516, indicates the interest of industry in the interests of children in the future smokers. The importance of the youth market has been demonstrated in the 1974 presentation of RJR Vice President of Marketing, who explained that "young adult market to represent ... [S] tomorrow's cigarette business. As this 14-24 age group matures, they will be key for the proportion of total volume of cigarettes - at least for the next 25 years. " In the 1974 memo by RJ Reynolds Research Department shows that capture the young market is vital, because "virtually all [smokers] to begin with 25 years of age and the majority of smokers start smoking regularly and select a usual brand at or before age 18."

In July 1997, under pressure from the impending Mangini Court, Congress and various public interest groups, RJR announced it will be resolved without a trial and voluntarily cease its Joe Camel campaign. New campaign with more adult debut theme: instead of Joe Camel, it is simply an image of the quadruped, not anthropomorphic camel. This image is still used in advertising for Camel today. Under that agreement, RJR also paid $ 10 million in San Francisco and other California cities and counties that have intervened in the Mangini litigation. These funds were allocated primarily to fund anti-smoking efforts aimed at young people.

In less serious contradictions exist in the form of allegedly "hidden" image within the Joe Camel face. According to a popular urban legend, the camel is designed to resemble male genitalia. This situation lamented in heartsease Division song "Touch My Joe Camel." In its lead singer, asserts, "The company denies all the \ say that this is not a cock and balls \ small children, even they understand, \ This is not a camel in the face, but the sexual glands"