Camel Advertisements

Camel Advertisements

It's no big secret, the producers of the Jerry Springer talk show knew exactly what would happen when they put the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Panther Party on the same stage. The two groups started fighting and much of the nation tuned in to watch it. In the same manner, Camel Cigarettes Company released an advertisement that parodied that kind of TV program. The advertisement, titled "Bizarre Bigfoot Love Triangle," shows the kind of scene that would be typical in a Jerry Springer episode. The characters consist of Bigfoot in the middle, two women fighting with bouncers attempting to hold them back, a host who pretends to look confused, and a cheering audience. "viewer discretion advised" label that is put on Camel advertisements. This is also a parody in itself of the new rating system that has evolved for TV, movies, and music recently. One of the abbreviations listed is BR which stands for "Big Ratings," another comment that applies to Jerry Springer.

Anybody who has seen "Jerry Springer" knows the true reaction of most of the audience. Many people think that the show is funny, outrageous, and sometimes obscene. Sometimes, it is even considered comical, and that is what this ad is doing; it is appealing to people who are familiar with Jerry Springer and his show. When people see this ad they immediately think about the show, and that is what makes it work. It has little to do with the cigarettes; and except for the fact that Sasquatch is smoking one, there is no relation between the Jerry Springer show and the experience of smoking Camel cigarettes. There just isn't a correlation. One thing it could be implying, however, is that if one smokes Camel cigarettes, that person will have scantily clad women fighting over him.

As for the target audience, it is directed primarily at men who like to watch or see stuff like the Jerry Springer show. In reality, this includes the age group that are younger than 18. In fact, this age group is indeed a big part of the target audience whether or not cigarette companies would like to admit. Many teens like Springer's show and since this ad is similar to that, it causes the reader to be amused. In a way, this amusement causes the reader to not think about all the negative aspects of smoking. Yes, there is a warning from the Surgeon General, but most people read it and don't think about what it is really trying to say. People don't think about what it would be like to have lung cancer, or emphysema, or heart disease. They see Bigfoot and the Jerry Springer Show,