The Historical Significance of Joe Camel

Abstract

The Joe Camel advertising campaigns had little or no effect on smoking by youths or adults beyond shifting brand shares among younger smokers. The advertisements appear to have wielded substantial influence on the larger political and legal environment, however. This influence was transmitted first through the lens of pronouncements by the public health community, including the Food and Drug Administration, which helped shape public opinion toward the view that cigarette advertising causes smoking. This, in turn, provided essential support for the unprecedented wave of litigation that engulfed the industry and has relied primarily on nonpublic industry documents rather than market data. The extent of Joe Camel's indirect influence has not been quantified but appears to have been substantial.