| Joe Camel |
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Joe Camel was the Cartoon Mascot for Camel Cigarettes from late 1987 to July 12 , 1997 . His cartoon figure and "cool" image caused controversy because the Advertising Campaign was widely believed to be targeted at children. HISTORY Joe Camel was conceived in the 1950's by an unknown art director in France working on a T-shirt promotion for the brand in Europe. The RJR U.S. marketing team, looking for an idea to promote Camel's 75th anniversary, re-discovered Joe in the company's archives in the late 1980's. At that time, RJR's staff found that the Camel brand had a reputation as an "old-man's cigarette." The staff wanted a new campaign to make the brand more attractive to contemporary smokers. Controversy In 1991 , the Journal Of The American Medical Association published a study showing that more children 5 and 6 years old could recognize Joe Camel than could recognize Mickey Mouse or Fred Flintstone , and alleged that the "Joe Camel" campaign was supposedly targeting children--despite RJR's contention 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 U.S. were Marlboros. Subsequently, the American Medical Association asked RJR Nabisco to pull the campaign. RJR refused, and the Joe Camel Campaign continued. In 1993 and 1994 , more appeals to end the campaign followed. Under pressure from Congress and various public-interest groups, on July 10 , 1997 , RJR announced it would voluntarily end its Joe Camel campaign and cease to disseminate all ads showing the character. A new campaign with a more adult theme debuted; instead of Joe Camel, it had a plain image of a Quadrupedal , non- Anthropomorphic Camel . RJR to this day has denied Joe Camel was intended to be directed at children; the company maintains that Joe Camel's target audience was actually 25-49 year old males and current Marlboro smokers.... Other allegations In a less directed complaint, many people claim that Joe Camel's face is suggestively Phallic ; it is often suggested that the Camel's nose and mouth are meant to resemble a human Penis and Testicles . COMPARISON AND LEGACY Anti-smoking and consumer advocacy groups assert that the Joe Camel campaign is a reminder of how easily people are manipulated by advertising and marketing. Similar groups sometimes associate Ronald McDonald of McDonald's with Joe Camel, implying that the clown, through his role in promoting his parent corporation's Fast Food , is to blame for Obesity and other related dietary problems. Scott Plous and Ron Turner , in 1996, came up with Joe Chemo to illustrate what happens to Joe Camel in his later years. JOE CAMEL IN POPULAR CULTURE
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