Editing Joe Camel (section)

=== Legacy and Influence of the Joe Camel Campaign ===
The Joe Camel campaign is suspected to have inspired similar advertising strategies for other products. In late 1991, Brown & Williamson tested a revival of their penguin mascot, Willie, for the Kool cigarette brand. Willie had originally appeared in Kool ads between 1933 and 1960, but the character's return was noted by ''The New York Times'' as likely influenced by the Joe Camel campaign. Anti-smoking organizations criticized the test campaign, seeing it as an attempt to replicate Joe Camel’s appeal.

Similar accusations of targeting youth were leveled at other industries. In 2004, anti-drinking groups criticized Anheuser-Busch for its "Bud-weis-er" frogs campaign, and advocates against childhood obesity targeted Ronald McDonald and other mascots for promoting unhealthy foods. Legal proceedings in these cases frequently cited the precedent set by Joe Camel’s controversy as part of their arguments.

In 1996, the anti-consumerism magazine ''Adbusters'' published a parody subvertisement titled "Joe Chemo." The illustration depicted Joe Camel as a bedridden, terminally ill cancer patient, highlighting the health consequences of smoking. The parody was developed in collaboration with psychology professor Scott Plous, who first proposed the concept, and was shared in the advertising industry magazine ''Adweek''.