Editing Joe Camel (section)

== Trivia ==

* Joe Camel was initially created for a French advertising campaign in 1974 before being adapted for the U.S. market in 1988.
* The character's suave appearance in the U.S. campaign was inspired by James Bond (Sean Connery's expressive eyebrows) and James "Sonny" Crockett from ''Miami Vice'' (Don Johnson's hairstyle).
* Joe Camel's original design lacked camelid traits such as humps, hooves, or a tail, emphasizing his anthropomorphic and "cool" human-like qualities.
* RJR once offered promotional merchandise through "Camel Cash," where customers could redeem points for Joe Camel-branded items, including watches, mugs, and even shower curtains.
* Critics accused Joe Camel's nose of being drawn in a phallic shape, implying subliminal messaging about smoking and virility. This claim was denied by the character’s designer, Mike Salisbury.
* Joe Camel became a frequent target for parody, including ''Adbusters''' "Joe Chemo," which reimagined him as a bedridden cancer patient to critique the health impacts of smoking.
* Joe Camel's campaign was controversial enough to be cited as legal precedent in cases against advertising mascots perceived to target children, such as Anheuser-Busch's "Bud-weis-er" frogs and Ronald McDonald.
* Following the campaign’s end, Joe Camel memorabilia became sought after by collectors, gaining a nostalgic yet controversial legacy.
* The campaign's closure led RJR to revert to the original plain camel design featured on Camel cigarette packaging.


[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Male Characters]]
[[Category:Mascots]]
[[Category:Advertisement Characters]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Camels]]
[[Category:1970s Characters]]
[[Category:1974 Character Debuts]]
[[Category:Mixed Alignment]]
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