Do you want to be like Joe Chemo?Advertisements are what companies use to communicate with their prospective customers. They range from catchy songs in a commercial on the television to colorful, eye-catching illustrations in a magazine. The main purpose of an advertisement is to convince the audience that the product being shown is for them. What better way to do that than to include in the advertisement a representation of who their customers want to be? This is what the old Joe Camel character did for the Camel cigarette brand. An advertisement that aims to dissuade the viewer from buying the product seems completely absurd. But this is exactly what Joe Chemo advertisements attempt to do. This antismoking character was repurposed from the original advertisements of Joe Camel in order to show smokers their unfortunate and inevitable fate if their poisonous habits persist.
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Nearly the same percentage of children, only 6 years old, who could recognize Mickey Mouse Disney logo as a pair could correctly pair Old Joe with a picture of a cigarette. |
R.J. Reynolds first created old Joe Camel in 1988. The goal of the advertisement was to make smoking look more attractive to young people (Stanford). By creating this suave face to symbolize their targeted cliental, those who felt as though they fit his image naturally followed suit and those who wanted to be like him were pulled into the clutches of smoking. The advertisements were initially successful in reaching their intended audience but then criticized because they were selling to the youngest possible customers who could legally buy cigarettes. After some observation it was found that the targeted customers were not the ones who found the ads most captivating. The Journal of the American Medical Association ran a publication in 1991 showing the coercive effects to America’s youth of the Joe Camel advertisements. Nearly the same percentage of children, only 6 years old, who could recognize Mickey Mouse Disney logo as a pair could correctly pair Old Joe with a picture of a cigarette (Stanford). In the minds of children of the 90’s Old Joe Camel was on the same popularity level as the most whimsical and iconic character in childhood entertainment. |
Old Joe Camel was an immediate hit with America’s youth in the 90’s because of the fantasy life that he is portrayed to have in his advertisements. He is pictured in a variety of scenarios; if he is not on vacation he is at a casino and if he is not in a nice car he can be found riding a motorcycle. All of these situations help to convey the carefree and thrilling life of Joe Camel. When kids viewed his ad they saw what they wanted to be when they grew up, what they aspired to do, and the image they wanted to be perceived as. Due to the situations that Joe Camel is pictured implies that he lives financially sound lifestyle. He is never shown doing day-to-day activities such as working, grocery shopping, or watching TV. This implication made in his advertisements influences the audience to associate smoking with a wealthier lifestyle, which is an aspiration for young and old alike.
Joe Camel advertisements use specific details such as appearance, clothes, accessories and environment to appeal to viewers. In most of his ads he is pictured with a smirk and in a clean-cut suit or biker jacket (Fig. 3 & Fig. 4). He is always shown wearing black sunglasses, which are the quintessential symbol of “coolness”. Of course the young audience sees him as a fun-loving guy as he is pictured on a motorcycle, or relaxing on vacation, or with a nice car. Kids either wanted to be him or they wanted to be his best friend, his companion as he enjoys all of the endeavors he is pictured doing. But what the kids are naïve to notice is the sickly smokes he has in his mouth in every picture and the negative health risks that come along with this nasty habit. In some ads he even has the box of cancer near by with the brand name Camel clearly visible. His personable facial expression influences viewers to want to join in all the “fun”. It is like he is speaking to the kids through the advertisement saying “hey, come take a smoke, have some fun, live a little.”
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Old Joe Camel made his debut at the perfect time; right about the same time there was a decline in tobacco prices. According to David R. Francis, this could have influenced the increase in teenagers who smoked in the early 90’s. The kids who chose to smoke in the 90’s were experimental smokers, meaning they did not really have interest in the actual act of smoking it was just part of their many attempts to experiment throughout life. This kind of teen is exactly who the Old Joe Camel advertisements preyed on. They were easily influenced and easily pulled into the Old Joe Camel lifestyle. This is because the advertisements literally showed the life that they were craving.
There is a correlation connecting to the downfall of Old Joe Camel advertisements and young smokers in the 90’s. October of 1996, The New York Times published an article regarding a “direct link” between smoking cigarettes and lung cancer. It stated that scientists discovered that the chemical causing genetic damage in the lung resulting in tumors is identical to a chemical found in cigarettes (Stout). The search for this discovery had been brewing for a long time; many tried to show the link between smoking and cancer but were unable to come up with the scientific evidence until this discovery. Along with the release of this vital information came the consciousness of people about their health, which facilitated their decisions to quit. Just 9 months later, another New York Times article had an announcement to make about cigarettes, but this time addressing a certain culprit, Joe Camel himself. They announced the “death” of Joe Camel; the advertisements would officially cease to run after 9 years of exposure (Elliott). Joe Camel was murdered by antismoking activists who had been pining for him every since he was hot off the pressers. |
...scientists discovered that the chemical causing genetic damage in the lung resulting in tumors is identical to a chemical found in cigarettes . |
Similarly to how lower prices catalyzed the surge of teenage smokers at the beginning of the 90’s, there was an increase in tobacco prices in 1998, which then resulted in a decrease in young smokers. This was the first significant change in tobacco pricing since the beginning of the decade (Francis). Cigarette costumers, both young and old, were enlightened to quit by the realization of health risks, which I can see lead to a downfall in the tobacco industry. This decrease in sales killed Old Joe Camel and gave cigarette companies a beating.
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The demise of Joe Camel was just the beginning of antismoking activists’ efforts to save smokers from the same fate as their old smoking pal. Joe Camel advertisements, which encouraged young people to smoke, were insulting to those who struggle with or whose loved ones struggle with cancer. Especially to those who had no control over the disease that took over their body the thought of willingly taking part in an activity that could damage your health is disgusting. Scott Plous, a Wesleyan University psychology professor, created Joe Chemo as an antismoking spokesperson. Instead of an advertisement being designed to make money from the sales of a product, the goal of these ads was even more important. The goal was to save lives by dissuading teens and young adults from smoking. Not only does this save prospective smoking customers money, because they will not be wasting it on cigarettes, but it will also save them from serious health risks. Joe Chemo first debuted in the 1996, issue of Adbusters magazine (Joe Chemo website). Since then in has been featured in many other big name publications spreading the word of the deadly outcomes of smoking |
They seek to make fun of the things that dominate life in our culture in order to shed light on the need for people to be less focused on physical objects and more focused on interactions with other people. |
Joe Chemo advertisements were released to the public through an especially unique medium. Adbusters magazine is a non-profit organization that prints magazines consisting of anti-consumerist content. They are known for presenting parodies of well-known advertisements, which encourage consumers to evade the materialistic world. It is a magazine that spreads “awareness of the need for a better balance between ecology and the economy” (Credo). They seek to make fun of the things that dominate life in our culture in order to shed light on the need for people to be less focused on physical objects and more focused on interactions with other people. The Joe Chemo advertisements were included in an issue of Adbusters titled Tobacco. The issue is full of other advertisements that have the same sense of dry humor as the Joe Chemo ads. The presentation is meant to be light hearted but the deeper meaning to each image reveals a gruesome truth about smoking. |
In comparison to the Joe Camel ads, Joe Chemo advertisements have a completely different vibe and appearance. He lost his smirk and shades and is shown with a sorrowful look on his face and deep eye sockets. He no longer has on a leather biker jacket or a sharp suit; he now opts for a hospital gown and robe. Also, instead of always being pictured with the stick of death in his mouth he is accompanied by his trusty fluids bag. Joe Chemo illustrations do not seek to glamorize the life of their character like Joe Camel advertisements did. In Figure 5, Joe Chemo is shown in a hospital bed he is even shown looking at his sunglasses in a regretful manner, retiring the shades, and retiring the lifestyle that put him in that bed. His posture is slouchy and his muscle tone has withered away.
If that picture did not put the intended message across, Figure 6 is an illustration of Joe Chemo in a casket. This image does not even dwell on the negative affects of health and appearance as the others do; it aims to make one point, death. There is also a group of other camels in the background that are dressed just as Joe Chemo in the casket. The caption reveals that the group of camels is Joe Chemo’s family members, which makes a strong appeal to ethos. The emotional impact is due to the fact that the scenario in the advertisement evokes a sense of guilt for not only harming oneself by smoking but also negatively effecting the lives of loved ones.
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An element of both the Joe Camel and Joe Chemo ads that almost goes unnoticed is the captions in the white box in the lower corner of the advertisements. The captions in the original Joe Camel ads are there because of the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of 1969, which requires cigarette packing to be labeled with a warning from the Surgeon General stating the serious health risks of smoking (Legislation). The captions range from generally stating that quitting smoking reduces health risks to specifically naming harmful substances in cigarettes or negative outcomes that can result from smoking. This was an element that was required by law to be on the Joe Camel advertisements. These captions are also on the Joe Chemo ads, but in this case law does not require them nor do they state a hard fact about smoking. As stated earlier, related to Figure 6, the caption works to make an appeal to the ethos, the captions of Figure 4 and 5 work similarly and actually appeal to all three modes of persuasion. Reusing the part of the captions from the original ads, “Surgeon General’s Warning” shows the credibility of the statement. The message of each caption is both logical and emotionally appealing. For example, in Figure 1, “cigarettes are sold by corporations who don’t care if you live or die” makes sense because the corporation knowingly sold a product that put Joe Chemo in the hospital. The caption also appeals to ethos with the word choice of “don’t care” and “live or die”. The use of methods of persuasion in the captions coupled with the images themselves makes the Joe Chemo ads both visually and linguistically striking.
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After seeing a Joe Chemo ad the hope is that the viewer will not trust cigarette companies with their lives, waste potential, risk fatal regret, or cause a family reunion. |
There is a clear dichotomy between Old Joe Camel and Joe Chemo. Joe Camel, the smooth character of Camel cigarettes, embodies the charisma and displays the appearance that the young aspire to have. With careful attention to details like facial expression, accessories and implied lifestyle, Joe Camel advertisements captivated the youth of the 90’s. Joe Chemo advertisements repurposed Joe Camel ads in order to attempt to undo the negative influences of the original ads on young consumers. Joe Chemo advertisements used visual and linguistic elements to reverse any thoughts or beliefs that condoned smoking. Plous made Joe Chemo’s appearance contrast that of Joe Camel’s in almost every feature. From the lack of muscle tone, frown and deep eye sockets to the hospital gown, robe and fluids bag; Joe Chemo depicts the opposite of Joe Camel’s look. Using the caption boxes to appeal to the viewers emotions allowed the advertisements to use every method of persuasion possible to save the lives of young prospective smokers. After seeing a Joe Chemo ad the hope is that the viewer will not trust cigarette companies with their lives, waste potential, risk fatal regret, or cause a family reunion.
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