'Uncooling' Joe Camel

(http://www.joechemo.org/about.html)

Joe Camel, the fictional character of Camel cigarettes, had become a recognisable icon of the smoking brand. Presented in advertisements as being smooth, successful and popular Joe Camel was used to make smoking appear 'cool' and appealing. In 1996 Adbusters used a subverted image of Joe Camel to Joe Chemo, the previously fun-loving cigarette character was now facing the realities caused by smoking.   

'Joe Chemo was developed as an antismoking character by Scott Plous, a Wesleyan University psychology professor, after his father nearly died from smoking. The idea was to present a more honest image of smoking than the Joe Camel character used by R. J. Reynolds.' 

After being published in an edition of Adbusters the image of Joe Chemo appeared in many media outlets including television, in the press and on billboards. Joe Chemo became a well known symbol of anti-smoking. Advertisements which used Joe Camel were stopped in 1997 due to targeting or appealing to the under 18's market, whilst Joe Chemo was being distributed as posters around schools. The impact and attention which the Joe Chemo campaign had makes me think about whether this is a good example of culture jamming succeeding and consequently 'uncooling' a brand.  

(note: could use semiotics to compare the advert and subvertisments response, researching Saussure, Barthes, Baudrillard.)