What you know today as the Camel cigarette was indeed the brainchild of the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and saw the light of day in 1913. The Camel cigarette picture on the pack itself depicts a dromedary, Egyptian pyramids and a few palm trees, and the original goal of the new Camel cigarettes was to cash in on the Victorian craze that identified all things Egyptian as being most desirable. As such, the Camel Cigarette Company advertised its wares to contain not only the well known tobacco hailing from Virginia plantations, but also the exotic Turkish tobacco that was considered to be a hallmark of foreign allure.

Of course, the Egyptology craze eventually died down, and Camel cigarettes needed to find new hooks to keep the paying customer interested, and to find new customers that would take up smoking the types of Camel cigarettes versus the competitors’ brands. It helped that stellar newscaster and highly respected journalist Edward R. Murrow made Camel cigarettes his brand of choice, yet sadly Mr. Murrow died at the age of only 57 from lung cancer, to which Camel cigarettes had heavily contributed.

Not to be deterred by any connection between the broadcaster’s death and its product, the company continued to produce a number of different products, such as Camel No. 9 cigarettes which are available in menthol, and also Mandarin Mint Camel cigarettes which were discontinued. By adding more Camel cigarettes to their product lineup, the manufacturer reasoned that it would be easier to attract consumers who were looking for the latest products. Additionally, with generous Camel cigarettes $5 off coupons for Camel No.9 cigarettes, even the thrifty shoppers were now being enticed to give Camel cigarettes another look, since suddenly this guilty pleasure became quite affordable.

Not afraid of controversy, Camel cigarette packs and advertisements in 1987 suddenly began sporting Joe Camel. Cigarettes were now for the first time advertised by a cartoon character that seemed to be everywhere. The Camel cigarettes catalog which permitted smokers to collect Camel cigarette coupons found on different packs and then turn them in for merchandise suddenly sported t-shirts, hats, stickers, and a host of other items that displayed the popular cartoon. Parents and consumer organizations cried foul but it would take 10 years before R.J. Reynolds would voluntarily pull the ads.

While on today’s Camel cigarettes home page, the company’s online presence, you will not see Joe Camel advertising anything, you will be able to download Camel cigarettes coupons and also peruse the various offerings. The company would not have remained such a long time and major player in the tobacco industry if it were afraid of controversy, and in a search for new smokers, it has shown that it is a highly successful powerhouse.