The Rise and Fall of Joe Camel, The Cartoon Who Encouraged Kids to Smoke

The rise and fall of the Joe Camel cartoon is a lesson in disastrous advertising. As a marketing ploy, Joe was allegedly created to draw smokers away from Camel's competitors. The Joe Camel advertising campaigns utilized a masculine camel, or “smooth character,” to create an association between the brand’s cigarettes and the high life. However, when suspicions arose concerning the true audience impacted by these campaigns, attitudes about the smoking ads quickly shifted.
#JoeCamel #Cigarettes #WeirdHistory

[@edgaralanfrog]

My mom had a friend who worked for Camel Cigarettes and he gave her all the Camel Bucks stuff he got for free from his job. We still have the beach towels, lighters in the shape of cigarette packs, and the Joe Camel head coffee cups. As a little kid I never thought Joe Camel was part of a cigarette brand, I always thought it was some adult cartoon I wasn’t allowed to watch and my mom got to collect the merchandise like I collected Barney and Barbie merch. Never realized until I was a teenager that Joe Camel was created by a cigarette brand…I was one oblivious kid.

[@moriartea897]

My uncle worked for R.J. Reynolds around this time so he offloaded a bunch of that same merch to us. I even wore one of the camel shirts my mom got as a pj shirt as a kid. I never did pick up smoking but as a kid I always thought the art was cool.

[@edgaralanfrog]

@@moriartea897 me too! I wish I still had the shirts! I remember them and I really want one now lol My mom smoked, but she hated camels, she just like all the cool stuff her friend was gonna throw away (he also worked at a Pepsi factory at one time but he never got anything cool except beer cozies). I never thought about smoking or thought it was cool because a funny looking camel smoked, I really found it interesting and cool, like you said, like it was some sort of artwork, but more so as an adult cartoon because I never saw it on Nick or Disney or Cartoon Network. Just one day I saw a documentary about cigarettes and alcoholism and they mentioned how they tried to entice children with “cute cartoons” like Joe Camel or handsome models in commercials and ads in stores to become their new customers, and I was like, “WTF CAMEL CIGARETTES CREATED JOE CAMEL??!!” Again, oblivious kid. Now I’m almost 30 (3 more weeks 🫤) and drinking and smoking do not appeal to me, plus cigarettes are expensive, not gonna pay nearly $10 ruining my lungs and smelling like an ashtray every week.

[@FloppedNutZzz]

Anything for sale?? So cool!

[@MrJacobMuldoon]

Oblivious kid, or a kid raised right with good parents

[@edgaralanfrog]

@@MrJacobMuldoon very obvlious kid, my POS father is an addict, alcoholic, and loves to throw himself a pity party, and my mom is kinda mean but will give you the shirt off her back, and has been smoking since she was 13 (she’s 54 now). So maybe one good parent. But thank you for thinking so 😙

[@QueenetBowie]

I remember Joe being on the conveyor belt separators at the grocery store when I was a kid…. Ah the 90’s

[@arthas640]

I think that was my first exposure to Joe Camel, later I saw him in magazines that were aimed at kids and even as a kid i thought it was kind of weird they were making ciggerate ads aimed at kids since we couldnt buy them.

[@jjcoola998]

Holy shit this unlocked some old memory in me

[@whome9470]

I knew he was a cigarette brand and thought smoking was gross (still do) but he was slick as fuck

[@Mr.Obongo]

@@whome9470 He was a smooth character

[@frostedbubble]

I can’t find this on the internet! I’m a collector and need at least an image of this

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

I was 10 in 1987 and I used to love seeing "Joe Camel" ads in my magazines. I never once thought I was being targeted which I guess was the whole point.

[@jennyanydots2389]

Kids with down syndrome were especially susceptible.

[@WhuDhat]

what magazines were you getting?

[@zsewqthewolf1194]

@@WhuDhat what else female underware mags you get for free in the mail.

[@DSAhmed]

@@WhuDhat Joe Camel wasn't in Boys Life, MAD or Tiger Beat, typically aimed at 10 year olds, however he's probably referring to the family's magazines when he says "my" magazines. Joe Camel was everywhere. Newsweek, Time, Popular Mechanics,... etc.

[@NadrianATRS]

I’ve never thought of Joe Camel to appeal to children. When I was a kid, his ads didn’t make sense to me. Why would beautiful women be attracted to a camel smoking a cigarette? I thought it was weird. Definitely didn’t make me want to smoke.

[@ChiralSpirals]

same. Other thing did make me want to smoke, but never Joe.

[@Valerio_the_wandering_sprite]

When logical thinking beats a marketing strategy, it's obvious that the company is slowly running out of ideas.

[@jsprigz9900]

It was the giant shlong on his face that attracted the babes.

[@heathersmith8549]

It did for me and all my Camel smoking friends

[@aubreyandsarahstanfield4326]

Right!? It truly never even caught my eye, let alone make me want to take up smoking. My own stupid curiosity because a friend was smoking caused me to pick up the habit.

[@jaggerkate]

My dad used to collect Camel bucks. At one point he had a freezer bag stuffed completely full with probably 2,000 bucks in it. Happy to say he finally quit smoking a few years back.

[@noxscotchxtape]

But what did he buy with those bucks

[@michaelconran5252]

My dad smoked Camel non filtered his whole life. He smoked his last cigerette waiting on the ambulance. When the ambulance showed up, put out this cigerette, got one gurney, said bye and died. He was 59. Ironically, cigerette didn't directly kill him, my mom was an invalid, he just have up and died of a broken heart. He was buried with a pack of Camels and his Zippo lighter with all 7 kids names engraved on it.

[@zoinksxscooby]

@@michaelconran5252 man that is a shame. I hope you are doing well.

[@TracyShead-Stamey]

We did the marlboro points thing. I got a blow up canoe, tent, sleeping bags and other camping stuff. I preferred that stuff to the camel stuff.

[@beemelonhead1]

@@noxscotchxtape probably could get a book of matches or a ballpoint pen with 2000 😆 I remember the prizes for those things being ridiculously high

[@CokinaClutch]

if they did just a art book of Joe Camel's ads i would buy it in a heartbeat

[@SICresinwrks]

Same here!

[@rafterman59]

I happen to have two copies hardback the complete history of Joe camel has every piece of advertisement ever made of Joe camel and his four friends, Floyd-Bustah Max and Eddie still in the boxes, never been opened, make me an offer I will only sell one and I also happen to have one of the largest Joe collection camels in the nation. Quite probably the largest, I kid you not .If you ever want to be amazed and asked me to post some of my photos, all my pieces are mint! not a finger print on a single piece everything still in their original boxes over 2000 pieces starting off with about 300 lighters, mostly zippo’s never been opened never been touched

[@kys812]

"A Camel Named Joe: The Illustrated Story of an American Pop Icon" you're welcome

[@CokinaClutch]

THANK YOU@@kys812

[@wjckc79]

I started smoking around 13. My group preferred Camels because they were considered cool. This was the early 90's. I quit smoking ages ago and still want a cigarette. The addiction never goes away.

[@jackdanson2]

I grew up with a mother who chain smoked around me. I took one puff when I was 13ish, that's all. I STILL crave cigarettes when I'm stressed. I don't know if it's from the second hand smoke or from "learning" from my mom who smoked.

[@scout3058]

Feed the need, boys! You're all gonna die of something so you might as well have a hand in deciding your own fate.

[@meyerj75]

It's better to quit now or ASAP then to end up being the spokesperson on the "Tips from Former Smoker" campaigns.

[@SICresinwrks]

I haven't smoked in 5+ yrs and i definitely do not want one, i smell people smoking and can't figure out how i did it for so long 🤣

[@baileywright3113]

Hardest addiction I’ve ever had to quit! And Ive been around the block with addiction!

[@NeerujSethi]

Would love to know the history of cereal box mascots, like Captain Crunch

[@marcusblackwell2372]

I'd like one on Buzz from Honey Nut Cheerios & Lucky The Leprechaun

[@dMi_mi]

Choco pops Please. 😌

[@donbasuradenuevo]

and Count Chocula, Frankenberry, the Lucky Charms Leprechaun, etc.

[@kawabonga96]

Cereals were considered poop people food and were boring. The mascots were just a way to market it to kids and make it the staple breakfast food

[@maenad1231]

I recently learned his name has always been “CapNCrunch” not “Captain Crunch”. Can’t even find an old picture with the cereal box with the latter name. Weird

[@LLYMYNT]

I absolutely remember Joe Camel from his entirety. Several friends of mine had gathered enough Camel Cash to get Jackets, backpacks and Zippo lighters. I happen to have a Camel backpack handed down to me from a friend. It was ridiculous how many Camel Cash you needed to get one of these items.

[@SlapthePissouttayew]

Yeah, I still got the engraved Zippo lighter from them. For a while they gave away t-shirts if you called a toll free number. We hit up everyone we knew , smoker or not, called in and a had a ton of those (one per household). Every now and then one of those Camel cash will show up in a drawer. Quit smoking years ago.

[@lucidexistance1]

I grew up with this mascot and never wanted to smoke because of it. It was an attempt to make my ex wife leave that hooked me. Said she would leave if I smoked but it was another of her lies.

[@SniffHeinkel]

Furthermore, being a smoker does not make one more popular or hip. Quite the reverse, in fact. I know I've been a smoker since 1989. And I didn't start because of a Camel cartoon. When I saw my father smoking, I wanted to emulate him.

[@R-Lee-]

Yeah I grew up in the '80s and I never once looked at a Joe Camel ad and thought oh I want to smoke.

[@cleverusername9369]

Why didn't you just grow a pair and get a divorce instead of picking up a disgusting habit?

[@lucidexistance1]

@@cleverusername9369 she wouldn't leave and kept spreading rumors that I was abusive. I was 18 she was 30. And actually I was puny back then. She was able to rip me to the floor by grabbing my hair. That was her main thing. She did way more

[@adelinelacroix6743]

@@lucidexistance1 I'm so sorry that you were taken advantage of like that but glad to hear she's an ex now

[@steelcurtain187]

As a kid born in the early 80s, I can attest to seeing this guy advertised everywhere. Also, I did find his look appealing lol. Luckily I never started smoking

[@KasumiKenshirou]

I can confirm. Billboards and in magazine ads in the waiting room at the doctor's office. Joe Camel was everywhere except on TV, which was the domain of Bud Light's Spuds MacKenzie.

[@tommynorthwood]

I remember saving the bucks from the packs and showed my dad how rich I was. He never saw them added up like that. The look on his face is in my mind now. Just realizing all that could have been REAL money if he didn't smoke..

[@danemassie3750]

My buddies mom worked in a smoking bar and the patrons would leave her Marlboro miles as a tip, after 3 years they had the pool table and couch which were two of the top miles

[@pamelamays4186]

Suggestion: Another cigarette ad campaign that targeted a specific demographic. The Virginia Slims "You've come a long way, baby!" ads that targeted female smokers. The gist of it was, part of being a liberated women included having the right to smoked without being judged, or restricted by a patriarchal society.

[@Lyndanet]

As much as one doesn’t want to admit having a cigarette allowed females an opportunity to have conversations and power in negotiations and conversations with male colleagues who normally would not want to speak with them otherwise.

[@VoidNull9222]

I agree, there’s a really interesting history of tobacco companies piggybacking on feminist movements to try to get women to smoke. All the way back to the Torches of Freedom campaign in 1929

[@peoplethesedaysberetarded]

Sure. But they’re smelly losers who chase trends. So I’m not sure that juice is worth the squeeze.

[@jackxiao9702]

Effectiveness of ads show how little free will er have

[@AG-iu9lv]

I recall seeing those ads as a cynical, cigarette-hating child, looking st my mom, and asking "come a long way? Where exactly are they insinuating that you started out, mom?"

[@iBeTruckin]

This narrator is great. Delivery, humor & tone are great. Reminds me of the actor, Marc Evan Jackson. PS... today is my 1 year anniversary of being smoke free

[@bettysmith4641]

congratulations 👏

[@deboralee1623]

¡first year -- and manyyy morrre!

[@iBeTruckin]

@@deboralee1623 thank you for the support!

[@itsmeyourfriend]

Keep it up! 🙌🏻

[@iBeTruckin]

@@bettysmith4641 thank you!

[@IRgEEK]

I was already a smoker in my early 20s, and these campaigns did convince me to switch to Camel Lights and they were actually good cigs. It appears to have been an incredibly successful ad campaign in retrospect. But for me, it was just the ads and Camel Bucks. One thing that was left out of this post is there were experts also complaining that it was that they were selling underage sex because the character's depiction was very 'penis-like'. True. At the time, I found all the outcry silly. You can't force kids to smoke. Kids like I was, have always been drawn to that dangerous habit. Sure, during that time more were starting with Camels instead of Marlboro reds like I did in my teens, but that was just great marketing, plain and simple. Isn't that what America all about? (sarcasm) I haven't smoked actual cigs for 10 yrs thanks to something else people complain about. Vaping. If you don't know, you don't know, but I can say for a fact switching to vaping almost certainly saved my life. My morning ritual before then was to wake up sick and cough up God knows what into the sink before work where we would hotbox cigs in the most difficult of weather because workplace restrictions got tighter and tighter. I never want anyone to pick up this terrible habit and a bunch of ya'll might call me an idiot, weak, etc., etc. But was/is a different time, and knowing is half the battle! GI Joe!

[@brad3042]

Joe Camel did look vaguely like a penis. There was a band that released a song called "Touch My Joe Camel".

[@buckhutton7697]

Vaping saved my Dad's life. It irritated his throat. Told his doctor about it...doc ordered up a chest xray just as a precaution...eventually found out he had stage 4 lung cancer...couple years later and he is currently cancer free. Without vaping the smooth camels/reds would have tricked him into not knowing about his lung cancer.

[@IRgEEK]

@@buckhutton7697 I am very happy your Pops on the recovery Friend.

[@levisguy53]

indeed, Camel Lights were so much better than any other flavour. Now, Camel non filters, those are really rough, for professional smokers only!

[@robertdebarge276]

Quit smoking eight years ago after twenty years thanks to vaping. I was a Camel Filter/ Marlboro Red guy who'd quit once for a year, but was hooked harder when I started smoking again after a breakup. May have vaped a year or two at most. Without that option, I'd likely never have quit. I'm certain vaping will have saved years of my life when all is said and done.

[@TheZinger14]

I remember my parents and a lot of people smoking growing up. It’s insane to think now all of my social circle at 30 do not smoke, yet younger people are huge fans of vapes. I feel grateful that maybe my decade just missed the nicotine rush (though it could just be my environment)

[@chrisstyles5955]

Idk about that. Im 34, and still smoke. Everyone I knew growing up smoked. Easily 95% of everyone I associated with smoked. Different areas of the country operate differently I'd imagine.

[@zoinksxscooby]

I too fall in between the smokers and vape crowd and I too find it odd that we got so lucky to not get hooked on cigarettes nor vapes. It really seems vapes have taken off where I live and I wonder what horror stories we'll hear as those kids start to get sick and pass away.

[@nmm5214]

And in a few short years we would be hearing that vaping is even worse than smoking as all the evidence would be out. Then many shall quit vaping as they see all the suffering associated with it.

[@sandrastreifel6452]

Nicotine is highly addictive, smoke or vape. I was born in 1960, when all adults smoked. My Mum started, in Med School, to fit in. My Dad eventually quit, but she was hooked, using nicotine gum until she died.

[@thenoblepoptart]

Being born in the 21st century I saw quite a few youths vaping growing up, but I think things are beginning to settle now. I know many who now smoke only weed and reject the poison of nicotine.

[@furbyflubby]

Born in 84, I’m a total Camel kid. Long car rides were rewarded with a sighting of Joe on a billboard along the way. Although I only dabbled is cigarettes, I smoked camels and years later I bought some fun merchandise off eBay. Those posters and cool! 😁✌️😮‍💨

[@Derek-no8fu]

I'm a Marlboro man myself. Born in 82.

[@mr.onethirtyeight5088]

In all seriousness, please proofread your postings ahead of time. Writing or typing the English language is really quite easy despite what non-English speaking ppl will tell you. Thanks! Have a great evening.

[@johnbyrne3402]

I remember in high school people talking about how the cigarette company had hidden visuals in the original camel on the pack and that they got in trouble for making Joe’s face look like a man’s genitals. Yeah I never smoked in my life and that cartoon only made me not want to even more.

[@negativeindustrial]

That’s weird, because I always thought his lips looked like a vagina.

[@IRgEEK]

True. There was the additional claim that in the original package art there was a dude standing with hands on hips and an erect penis.

[@justinking3127]

I was born in 96 and knew who he was as a kid. Neither parents smoked but I still saw him EVERYWHERE. And this was several years after it was ended

[@robswystun2766]

Coors did something similar in the '90s. They had a mascot called the beerwolf; basically a cool werewolf that drank Coors. He became popular among teens. Lots of kids at my school (including myself) had beerwolf t-shirts.

[@nightshadehelis9821]

In fifth grade we would constantly talk about the Budweiser frogs and chameleons. I was a huge fan of reptiles and critters, so naturally I was drawn towards these ads. Interestingly enough, I now own a panther chameleon probably due to those commercials. Long story short, never hire a ferret to do a weasels job.

[@nameless1016]

kids gotta start somwhere.

[@Dratchev241]

@@nightshadehelis9821 Bud Weis Er

[@quinneyjones]

Red dog beer had branded stuffed red bulldogs you could win at my local amusement park in the late 90’s. Super popular with us teens back then.

[@joshabreu1156]

While bad, it's still more of a visceral reaction to see a kid smoking than it is to see them sneak a sip of beer

[@pamelamays4186]

Another weird ad campaign was when McDonald's tried to appeal more to young adults. There was one TV ad where Ronald McDonald is shown partying and dancing in a night club. Ronald was really getting his groove on. I guess he was tired of hanging out with crazy cartoony puppet characters and talking puppet menu items.

[@fishflake1209]

There’s a reason the Arch Deluxe flopped.

[@Dratchev241]

remember mac tonight?

[@nignamedmutt7270]

Ciharette companies new ad campaigns: Reverse psychology, and making non-smokers look cringey as fuck. Look up any of the "truth campaign" ads of the last 15-almost 20 years, specifically the ones that try to tap into "MeMe CuLtUrE!!!! ErRrR MaH GoD ReMeMbEr CaTs GuYs?!?!?" Type humor. Cigarette companies are required by law to invest %XX of their profits into anti-smoking campaigns. So this is what they do. They make the commercials so loud, obnoxious and unfunny, the only reaction you can possibly have to ask yourself "how can I set myself apart from the assholes depicted here?" And the easiest answer to that is..... SMOKE A CIGARETTE! Fucking genius if you ask me. Hell, I got in trouble in middle school for commenting on how stupid the ads were, and how condescending it felt that it was supposedly done with my demographic in mind. I wasn't trying to defend smoking AT ALL, just comment on the terrible execution being done, and here the teachers were practically telling me I had it all wrong, while simultaneously telling us "smoking is so bad the companies have to campaign against themselves, also those campaigns aren't bad at all and totally true" and didn't see the stupidity in their thought process.

[@ferociousgumby]

Did they show him smoking?

[@ferociousgumby]

Tobacco, I mean.

[@sakurakitsunestar]

My dad despised Joe Camel (he's a oncologist) and I remember he was thrilled when they retired the character

[@ebogar42]

I remember my mom bringing me a bunch of Joe content home since she worked in a store that sold cigarettes and even getting things in the mail, but it didn't make me want to smoke.

[@Himesua]

When I was little, like kindergarten age, Joe Camel was my "imaginary friend" Told a friend about it in high school, and that's when she realized, how impactfull that campaign was on children.

[@renaecarpenter8137]

Every time I see camel cigarettes I think of being shown the ‘naked man’ on the camel’s shoulder/leg by a middle school classmate. Now I can’t unsee it 😂😂😂

[@pheebsbee1280]

I didn’t smoke Camel as a kid because of Joe - I smoked them because of the smooth, toasted flavor…

[@hblackburn5580]

This makes me want to revisit a film called "Thank You For Smoking". But in all honesty, as a non-smoker, for novelty purposes, I kinda dig the Joe Camel merch; I bet it'd be considered collector's items from a weirder non-existent era.

[@pamelamays4186]

I remember Joe Camel. This is how old I am: I was s kid when the "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" ad campaign was a thing.

[@bigimskiweisenheimer8325]

I'm 56 in May, so you must be ....? I'm not rude, my Mother taught me better then that!

[@nitronamous]

I had just about everything I could get my hands on in the Camel cash book that was released at one time. Of course I couldn’t get the outdoor ultimate patio set with hot tub and grill for 200,000 camel cash but all of the lighters, jackets, shirts, ash trays etc. I had just about every person I knew that smoked giving me their camel cash. I was only 13 at the time and it was easy to just lie about your age on the mail in ordering form. At one time you could even order cigs by mail. But the whole point is, yes kids were driven and enticed by cig companies to smoke and be rewarded for doing so. Remember Marlboro miles? Those were a big hit as well!

[@arthas640]

As a kid I always wondered why so many of those programs where you have to buy or sell a product to earn points you redeem for prizes always had that 1 prize no sane person could ever get. When i was a kid our school had us all selling magazine subscriptions and the top prizes were so insanely expensive the top seller of our school of 700+ kids couldnt even afford it. I remember seeing rewards programs for things like Camel Cash that would have things like cars that you'd need to spend like $500k to be able to win it. I'm surprised my dad never got into Marlboro Miles, he used to smoke 4-6 packs of those a day. We could have gone to Hawaii once a year!

[@zzzz-sf5lr]

Alot of people's lungs remember Marlboro miles...

[@JohnSmith-rw2yn]

As an ex smoker, who has never even heard of the camel cartoon until this video, I can hand on heart say, when I was abroad on holiday or wanted to treat myself to a good packet, I'd smoke camel, in my 30s now and smoke free for 2 years but god not a day goes by 😂🐫

[@tyronekracht461]

As a nonsmoker but born in 1988 I sure remembers Joe Camel. On my way to church there was a huge billboard with a camel ad with old famous Joe Camel. This was in 1996 one year before he retired.

[@brendoncole5671]

Ahhh the 80s! A time when Joe Camel and Spuds MacKenzie could run wild with their coolness. They both debuted in the US at about the same time funny enough.

[@starladoss3787]

Spuds MacKenzie! I forgot about that dog until you mentioned it. What a crazy time to be alive.

[@MrIslandman59]

I still have a Joe Camel pool cue that was endorsed by Steve Mizerak! And it's not a piece of junk, it's a two piece and it shoots well!

[@tonyderrow5241]

I still have the same one to this very day.

[@collwood9524]

I remember as a kid we would go on walks with my dad to find Marlboro packs to get the points off of them. It was a lot of fun and we got some cool stuff for it. My dad is not a smoker, nor is my sister or I. In fact, I never even tried. Either my dad was really good at telling us how bad it is or their promotional tactic did not work on us.

[@tlacahetl]

I moved to the US from Mexico in 2004 and they still had the adds in magazines and the cash points. If I ever smoke again, I'll smoke camels for the nostalgia... thanks for making this video, now I want to smoke cigarettes.

[@pureruckuspower2165]

Smoke shop down the road still has a huge Joe cardboard display 😆

[@michiganmaxedout6248]

And their next genius move was to make the whole thing so controversial that we'd be talking about it for years to come. No such thing as Bad Publicity.

[@GratitudeGriot]

talking about it for years to come means nothing to the company if it doesn't translate to sales. Cig sales been down for 20 years and just went up last year bc of the panini press...

[@punawelewele]

Edit: Unless you're Michael Jackson, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

[@SICresinwrks]

This was all done so they can play the fucking master settlement game, states get tons of money every year now for smokers, that's why states started banning flavored vape juice, it was causing adults to quit smoking. States took loans out against this money and now they get less when vaping helps people quit, the state will most certainly want a cigarette in the mouth of citizens if it means they still get that money flowing in.

[@michaelheskett3119]

Im not saying it wasn't advertised to kids, but why cant adults have cool shit too? Why must children turn in their colorful pool loungers for grey pool noodles on their 18th birthday? Why must adults be forced to drink exclusively from plain mugs and wear only buttoned shirts?

[@No-sv6mu]

I do remember all the ads, the points you can use for merch, and how it was very obvious it was geared towards children.

[@ryanparrott6866]

Joe Camel was a few years gone by the time I was born, but there was still quite a lot of him around in my early childhood in the form of merch. The t-shirts are the main thing I remember. Even though my dad didn't smoke camels, I think he had at least one shirt. It's still hard for me to believe that even after all that evidence emerged on how the ads were attracting children, some governing body didn't step in and pull the ads.

[@iNCoMpeTeNtplAyS]

Of course, you don't bite the hand that feeds you

[@morganschiller2288]

Everyone in the 90’s walked around in Camel shirts at school. Camel and Marbs.

[@karjoletounisiou]

Yes! You're right. I remember seeing Joe Camel in early 2000s on magazines since smoking ads were relevant in Greece even in 2018. Yeah full smoking ads in billboards and everything baby!

[@Drewggles]

Does reality not serve enough evidence that money will always be more valuable than human lives?

[@Alverant]

"some governing body didn't step in and pull the ads" That would be "big gument taking away mah rights!"

[@bashmore1977]

I remember going to Disney with the entire family wearing Joe Camel T shirts except for my brother was only two. Apparently they didn't make them small enough. And the yellow rain jacket was like wearing a sweat suit made out of a plastic bag.

[@WadeLife]

Being 41 years old I remember all the cigarette campaigns the Marlboro man Joe Camel and the Newport aids were everyone was hanging out on a beach etc etc I don't remember them making me think oh smoking is cool cause a camel is lighting up or some younger people hanging and smoking on a beach my own family was more of the negative impact then commercial tactics... Great upload

[@mikeyloveshousemusic]

Camels used to be my brand, but they reformulated the cigarette and added a thick paper liner to their cigarettes that completely changed the flavor and sensation of the smoke. I switched back to Marlboro after a 5 year hiatus from smoking.

[@redlady8296]

I remember Joe Camel 🐫from the late 80s. Sadly all of us kids that were born in the late 70s to early 80s though he was cool. I saw commercials, billboards, and advertising in magazines. As an adult I know now it wasn’t cool. All that definitely helped me inevitably become a smoker. I’m glad I’ve been off cigarettes since 2015.

[@plawson8577]

Congratulations!

[@snuggery6486]

Leave it to the Weird History channel to remind me that I'm getting old.

[@glennso47]

Just like Recollection Road Channel.

[@PeterC-up9ue]

As a High school smoker hanging out on the school field in the 80s, whenever a kid pulled out a packet of Camels, we all took a look at it's cool package. Strong but harsh and no filter 20s.

[@joyceneville9214]

I was an adult when Joe Camel appeared, because I was an adult non smoker, who had just watched my mother endure the process of quitting I wasn’t about to start. I’m glad I didn’t, as I have ADHD and it would have been hell to quit. My mom later said that she felt guilty for smoking as long as she did, because it hurt me, told her that she shouldn’t, because she presented a VERY powerful anti smoking model.

[@devonhill9099]

“The advertising strategy shift examined that musty old logo and boldly asked: what if the camel was vaguely sexy?” And thus a cigarette company would go forth to litter the world with copious amounts of softcore furry camel art for confused teens everywhere.

[@alexanderchin2147]

...cool. I never got the whole "it looks like a man's genitals" controversy. Joe's nose looks more like a giant cuttlefish. No one has ever compared those to a man's junk.

[@Scorch1028]

Every American who chooses not to smoke, is replaced by a "migrant smoker". So, there was no point in removing Joe Camel for advertising purposes.

[@devonhill9099]

@@Scorch1028 yeah, i am definitely missing part of the conversation. I see the third comment but not one and two, is something wrong with my settings?

[@johntaranto29]

@@devonhill9099 No KZbin just deletes comments to a ridiculous extent unlike any other time on this platform.

[@devonhill9099]

@@johntaranto29 oh, in that case…how the hell did my comment of implied camel furry porn lead to migrant Mexican smokers?

[@nunyabusiness752]

I had a friend in high school whose dad worked at RJ Reynolds. I lived in Pinnacle, NC which was 20 min from Winston Salem where the RJ headquarters was. He brought us a huge box of Camel cash he "took" from the factory. We got so much camel merchandise with those! I was 16.

[@chypearce8457]

As a joco native, I had no idea this was so close to home. It also explains the Joe Camel clock by grandpa bought in the 70s

[@herbalheroine1184]

My dad has all sorts of cool camel collectables. The poker set is my favorite. Never opened it any of the cards or chips but gosh it looks cool

[@SW2799]

I’m glad you mentioned former congressman Henry Waxman. His legislation to ban all cigarette advertising was among the multitude of Consumer related legislation he sponsored. Maybe he’s not a national name, but well known to those of us in Southern California. He has a great replacement in Congress (Ted Lieu) but mr. Waxman’s impact will long be remembered.

[@tonyderrow5241]

Sure do remember Joe Camel, I was a teenager during the 90s. I had several items bought with Camel cash. My favorite item is a pool cue that I still have to this day. Never smoked a Camel cigarette in my entire life. All of the Camel cash I saved was through friends and family or found on discarded cigarette packs.

[@hankthepatriot3733]

I started smoking camels in the late 80's, I stopped in 2021... they're not kidding about brand loyalty... and had so much Joe Camel swag! Most of my high school pictures has me wearing a Joe Camel hat (Camel Bucks)... graduated in '93...

[@Myriako]

Thank you for this video ! 😊🌺

[@JK-uj9hs]

I chose my first brand of smokes based on the the display and seeing the colourful boxes. But here in Canada it became illegal to show off the smokes and finally made it so the companies had to use a plain brown box regardless of brand.

[@nightshadehelis9821]

Looking back, I smoked as a teen and was angry that anyone would want to take my right to smoke away. Now that I'm an adult, I can see that cigarette companies were downright predatory and downright evil. I still remember stealing a Virginia Slim from my mother around four years old and trying it behind our shed. I immediately coughed and my mom caught me, she was absolutely horrified.

[@iLikeMyOwnPosts]

bro at 4 years old... you were already corrupted before the cigarette companies even got to to you.

[@catsberry4858]

It's good to have leaned from this 🙏🙏 you have evolved! Glad you understand now that it isn't always about what you think it is.

[@MsNooneinparticular]

Hopefully society feels this way about the junkfood industry in a few years. America's the fattest nation on Earth & obesity is the #1 preventable cause of illness & death now that tobacco use is down. I'm all for personal freedom (I'm pro-legalization of all drugs) but corporations shouldn't have the right to peddle poison without any oversight whatsoever. No lying or unethical practices. My mom smoked 3 packs a day while I was in the womb which I'm pretty sure set me up for ADHD & a tendency to substance abuse that my siblings don't have (she quit before having them).

[@ArcherSuh4721]

The company also strategically placed large Joe Camel ads in convenience stores across the front counter where the candy was usually kept. This way the kids would be sure to see him and be conditioned to associate the brand with buying candy as they grew up. That's comic-book supervillain-level of an evil plan right there!

[@kevinlowman2808]

😂😂

[@MichaelWH]

I still have some Camel Joe merchandise :)

[@Quirky_QF]

I remember the magazine ads. But, the convenience store I work at is so old that they still have a bunch of hand baskets in the back that have Joe Camel on them.

[@bigferd4534]

The Camel Wides advertising with Joe Camel was the coolest to me. Having a couple of relatives who worked at the Tobaccoville plant for 30+ years, they always brought home everything that had just came out. My two favorites are the Joe Camel dartboard (with matching darts) and the poster that had him leaning on what resembles a 1957 Plymouth.

[@robertbeckman2054]

I remember being a high school senior and drew Joe Camel in art class. I didn’t smoke, and come from an LDS family. My mom was a bit worried, but when she showed it to one of our high priests, he said it was a good drawing. 😄

[@ItsJustJessOkay]

I had to read this comment 3 times, trying to figure out what an LSD family would look like: Dad's in the den rolling a doobie and listening to Jefferson Airplane on the 8-track, Mom's baked and baking cookies in the psychedelic kitchen, and the kids are encouraged to paint on the floors and certain walls of the house to enhance their creative sides.

[@matthewgonzales9517]

@@ItsJustJessOkay this is great

[@LegendStormcrow]

@@matthewgonzales9517 it's terrible. I did it too.

[@chrisfurniss02]

@@ItsJustJessOkay 🥴🤯

[@questfortruth665]

Oddly enough, today is my 11-year anniversary of quitting smoking cigarettes! I owe it to a book: "Alan Carr's Easy Way To Quit Smoking".

[@zoso1up]

Hello Alan Carr lol jk

[@donHooligan]

congrats.

[@questfortruth665]

@@zoso1up I only wish! The guy has sold millions of these books!

[@deboralee1623]

¡keep goin'!

[@zoso1up]

@@questfortruth665 lol I was just joking with you.

[@MagdaleneDivine]

I used to remember wondering what Joe would look like as a human. But He was pretty cool. I smoked Camels since I started at 15. And then got priced out and settle for PalllMall reds.

[@btetschner]

My preferred cigarrettes were Camel Lights before I quit (though my next favorites were Camel Special Lights then Camel Turkish gold). It was so difficult to quit, they engineer them to be so addictive.

[@Merylstreep1949]

I smoked Winston's in grade school as a kid because of the old cartoon ad of the Flintstones from the 1960s plus started drinking beer because the Flintstones did it first Plus bought a rocket powered pair of roller skates and 50 miles of train tracks because of Wile E Coyote

[@foxmccloud7055]

How are you still alive after all that?

[@pchound5962]

75 years and still smokin'? Dang, Joe's an old man and immune to cancer!

[@arthas640]

I met someone like that, they died eventually but they started smoking in grade school all the way into their 70s. My uncle started smoking regularly when he was around 8 or 10 and by high school he was smoking a pack a day and after he turned 18 it turned into a 4+ pack a day habit. Once he turned 60 he "cut back" to 1-2 packs a day and somehow he avoided cancer until 65 but even that didnt get him to quit. He's in remission now but still smoking. I was lucky enough to get cancer at 15 and I'll tell you what: there's few things as surreal as seeing someone in their 70s or 80s needing the nurse to wheel them and their IV machine outside so they can smoke while they're getting chemo pumped into their veins. I saw a woman who looked older than my grandma (like mid 80s but cancer/chemo ages you) and she was sitting in a wheelchair when it was cold and raining, sitting under the awning smoking a cigarette with multiple bags of chemo going into her.

[@bufordmaddogtannen5164]

He eats an entire pack of bacon per day and drinks a gallon of coffee too.. some people be like that. 🤷‍♂️

[@homedeezyfasheezy5662]

My stepdads grandmother smoked everyday from the time she was 15 until she was 98.

[@ChrisBrown-pu8sm]

This is why I enjoy learning, you must listen. Which means you have to be quiet and stop talking in order to hear completely.

[@jasonwilliamson8416]

In 1995 me and and one of my college friends saved enough Camel Bucks to get a Camel kayak... which never touched the water. As of 2022 it's still hanging in my parents garage.

[@slightlycrippled2]

I remember the ice cream trucks in the 90's Sold candy cigarettes ... Yaaaa for real . The tip I believe had even a hint of red like it being lit. It sort of had a chalk taste or like the stick to the " stick N Dip " candy. .....had myself a two pack a day habit. Till my mom found out her change jar was getting pretty light. Nevertheless, don't smoke kids

[@principalmcvicker6530]

Anyone else smokin a cig rn lol

[@Ottophil]

Nicotine pouch and nasal snuff

[@mokogom]

What honestly got me interested in smoking were the Virginia Slims adds when I was young! They looked so glamorous! Advertising definitely works!

[@btetschner]

A+ video! LOVE IT! It is such an interesting pop culture phenomena!

[@OriSnori]

He only came up in the US in 87? I'm shocked!

[@jinxedjosie5934]

Yeah to me it feels like the kind of thing that would be around since like the 50s or 60s

[@plawson8577]

Yes. RJ Reynolds created him because during the 80s, Cigarettes were extremely unpopular with youth.

[@Jamieaaronball03]

I remember him, my grandpa smoked camels, never inspired me to smoke though. I actually paid attention in health and that was enough for me not to smoke.

[@plawson8577]

I remember Joe Camel. He wasn’t shut down until 1996. In fact, The William Jefferson Blythe Administration held RJ Reynolds accountable for their Illegal subliminal campaign.

[@jgallardo7344]

I am glad you didn’t smoke. I didn’t realize how bad the nicotine gets on household items, the walls, and even your ice maker. And for that, I refuse to eat from my cousin’s house. It’s so bad she has an ash tray where she cooks and does laundry

[@slcRN1971]

@@jgallardo7344 : when I worked as a hospital maternity nurse, a grateful family member brought in a big potion of Rice Krispie treats - as a thank-you. Not long after she brought them, we all grabbed one (hadn’t eaten that day)....... but...... they were so very disgusting because they tasted like a full ashtray smells‼️😱🥴🤢 We all spit out the portion we had stared to eat and threw the rest in the dirty utility trash can. The person was pleased to see that they were all gone and offered to make us more‼️ We assured this person that we just didn’t need anymore treats.

[@jgallardo7344]

@@slcRN1971 🤮🤮🤮 that is so disgusting. To think of all the nicotine that collected on the mixing bowls and baking pans. Thank God, you all threw that in the trash. I learned the hard way about nicotine when my cousin was trying to be a nice soul. She gave us a bag of ice from her ice maker to help us thaw a turkey. My roommate was weary about using it knowing my cousin’s house is a smoker’s house. I thought she was crazy making me smell the ice, but i smelled it - it reeked of nicotine. To think of all the nicotine that was in food at grocery stores and restaurants when it was legal to smoke indoors. As my cousin is downsizing and trying to sell her house, she’s learning the hard way, that more people don’t smoke and it’s greatly condemned. People don’t want items like clothes and furniture from a smoker’s house as it’s damaged from nicotine and ash. She’s also going to have trouble selling her house

[@angiesunnie8469]

I had teenage friends who switched from Marlboro to Camel when the bucks came out. They had tons of free stuff and I said to my boyfriend hey maybe we should smoke? To get the free stuff. So I agree the campaign worked..eventhough we didn't smoke.

[@EternianSaiyaJin]

I drew Joe Camel for my 8th grade art project, and my teachers allowed me. What a time back then

[@mikeholmes1313]

Not to be that guy, but totally to be that guy.... penguins actually *DO* live in the desert......

[@3rdFloorblog]

Despite the negative effects on the children, one does have to admit the ad campaign was successful. There are most definitely pros and cons of Joe Camel.

[@ruiqiqiu8661]

Love the video. It would be better to put some reference tho lmao🤣really need it for my school paper

[@slickbonz]

2 things: I live in Winston-Salem NC, home of RJR, and our awesome little town is also known as Camel City. There are many references to it in local business brands. Second thing: I also remember when I was in my early 20's (height of the Joe Camel campaign) that part of the criticism/controversy of Joe Camel was that his face was symbolic of phallic symbols and vulva, to add a sexualized component to the ads.

[@Benni777]

This video gave me flashbacks to when I was in my middle school health class, where there was a PLETHORA of both vintage smoking and anti-smoking posters and the Joe Camel poster was one of the biggest one. And that same teacher also smoked Camel. Coincidence? I think not! 😬🤦🏻‍♀️

[@nightshadehelis9821]

It's so crazy how different our world feels now. Admittedly, it feels nicer not having two sections in restaurants. I also used to fly an airplane that was made in the 1950s and it still had ashtrays. Being said, I don't know how people can afford to smoke anymore. This was the #1 reason I personally (and thankfully) chose to quit for good. I'm still bitter because I didn't know anything about health and nutrition when in high school and struggled with losing weight. I couldn't stop drinking Coke because there was a machine around every corner. Sure, I made my own decisions, but while opportunity may knock only once, temptation leans against the doorbell.

[@theboyisnotright6312]

It's not really a better world

[@BOABModels]

It's funny you included Poochie the Dog in this video (or perhaps intentional) as he describes himself as 'part Joe Camel' in his introductory song.

[@toonman361]

I was a teen in the 1970s and looked at quite a few Playboys, Penthouses, and Hustler magazines. I saw a LOT of liquor and cigarette ads. None encouraged me to start smoking or drinking.

[@jlshel42]

Remember seeing so many restaurants in the 90s with Joe Camel posters. Now we have Don Draper as the best smoking ad man.

[@vaughngordon1095]

Indeed the ad campaign was intended for as young a target market as possible. It was the early 90s and unfortunately for 6 years prior I had been a smoker. The most popular brand among my peer group was Marlboro. Light cigarettes targeted us like deer in the headlamps. By 91 I had switched to Camel Wides which were the Joe Camel cigarettes. I was definitely going to smoke Wides from then on...

[@TheMormonPower]

I use to Love those wife's.... Especially the "25 Packs" yummy 😍

[@arthas640]

my dad started smoking Marlboros when he was around 12, partially because of the Marlboro Man ads making it seem like the Manly Man cigarette and since all boys at the time idolized westerns and the ads had a strong cowboy vibe.

[@csvtvChrist]

We had Joe Camel salt and pepper shakers when I was little. Except my parents made me call him "Camel Joe." Neither one of my parents smoked camels. They smoked USA Gold 100s, I think.

[@tristinkirby]

I grew up seeing him on TV and at every gas station in the 90's. The camel bucks were everywhere Camel had the best merch

[@kevinbaker6168]

Joe Camel, Spuds Mackenzie, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, the Hamm's Bear. Some of the advertising characters of my lifetime.

[@HighestIQ]

I think the study involving 3 and 6 year old's was heavily biased against the cigarette makers. They probably just saw the cigarette and knew what it was because a family member of theirs smoked.

[@Troy-McClure81]

And 25 years later I still stash my weed in my Smoking Joe racing tin,quit smoking cigarettes 4 years ago but get my memories everytime I crack open my stash...thanks for the memories Joe

[@AgedRaver3572]

This is fascinating. OK - I was 20 in 1988 and picked up smoking various brands and menthols vs. regular and ultimately choose Camel Lights. I don’t really recall Joe Camel, but I am sure he influenced my brand decisions. I did get lighters from the camel bucks. I loved the taste of camels and finally quit 2.5 years ago. GenX guy here.

[@DrewberTravels]

I remember growing up in the peak Joe Camel era. I thought he looked so cool in those magazine advertisements. I never smoked myself so the campaign didn't work on me. I just thought Joe was doing all the cool stuff that I would get to do when I was an adult.

[@AllanAdamson]

Before "millenials" were 18 big tobacco settled with the government despite addicting them all...

[@Bozar069]

I miss Joe Camel. I wasnt a Camel smoker until well after he was gone though. I started on Marlboro and Kools in the 90s.

[@benwil1715]

I like the way you tell a story..... You keep things interesting!!!!!

[@tjbogoje233]

This calls for a video about Edward Bernays who got women to start smoking for the first time in history. Millions of women have died of lung cancer as a result of his skillful propaganda.

[@TheConservativeHippie]

He was even hired by the US government to sell wars to the public

[@donHooligan]

tip of iceberg. you justify torturing children in GITMO with your taxes because "being poor is gross." just ASSuming you to be a US taxpayer...

[@dvdv8197]

A cartoon that encouraged kids to smoke? Can't imagine why it fell! 😅🤣

[@spriggansiedeutsch6817]

My siblings and I loved looking through the Camel Bucks catalog, and we were super stoked when my dad had saved up enough bucks to get the poker chip set. Lol

[@xerothedarkstar]

Those chips were actually nice.

[@75aces97]

I never knew just how effective Joe Camel was as a mascot, but the Camel Cash and Marlboro Miles were incredibly successful. I didn't smome, but some friends and coworkers did.. Any time I saw a discarded pack I grabbed the UPC's. Lucky for me, smokers were reliable litterbugs. Between my parents' and my scavenging we got an inflatable raft, a travel bag that I still have (good quality!), and some sweatshirts. Only complaint was I had a gallon bag of proofs that I failed to send in before the promotion ended. 1990s were a good time to be a smoker. 😉