Editing Joe Camel (section)

=== End of the Campaign ===
By March 1997, Joe Camel had already been removed from advertisements as RJR prepared for federal litigation. On July 10, 1997, RJR officially terminated the Joe Camel campaign, just weeks after the FTC’s formal complaint and amidst broader legal and regulatory pressures. This included a $368.5 billion settlement with 40 states to recover costs from tobacco-related health care, as well as a voluntary agreement among tobacco companies to cease using cartoon characters in advertising.

RJR replaced the campaign with the "What you're looking for" campaign, which returned to using the original camel illustration from Camel's packaging. As part of a settlement with Mangini's lawsuit, RJR agreed to pay $10 million to fund youth-targeted anti-smoking initiatives in California. Interest in Joe Camel memorabilia surged following the campaign’s closure, cementing its place as a controversial chapter in advertising history.