‘Acceptable rebellion’: marketing hipster aesthetics to sell Camel cigarettes in the US

Abstract

Objective The aim of the present work was to understand why and how RJ Reynolds and other tobacco companies have marketed tobacco products to young adult social trendsetting consumers (termed ‘hipsters’) to recruit trendsetters and average consumers to smoke. Methods Analysis of tobacco industry documents and industry marketing materials. Results Since 1995, RJ Reynolds developed its marketing campaigns to better suit the lifestyle, image identity and attitudes of hip trendsetters (so-called ‘hipsters’), and Camel’s brand identity actively shifted to more closely convey the hipster persona. Camel emphasised in-venue events such as promotional music tours to link the brand and smoking to activities and symbols appealing to hipsters and their emulating masses. Conclusions To reach this targeted and socially valuable trend-setting population, public health advocates must tap into hipster psychology and expose to the targeted community the tobacco company’s efforts to infiltrate the hipster community to turn hipsters into tobacco-using role models.

Qualitative analysis of Camel Snus' website message board—users' product perceptions, insights and online interactions

“…Additionally, message boards are only one of many features on tobacco brand websites that might work to cultivate tobacco use and brand loyalty. These brand websites may include games, creative online contests, sweepstakes that can be entered daily for ‘improved’ chances at winning, entertaining videos or photo galleries and free gift and coupon offers 26 27. Continued surveillance of these current and dynamic forms of tobacco advertising is warranted.…”

Peer crowd affiliation as a segmentation tool for young adult tobacco use

“…Tobacco companies have long used categories defined by psychographic factors or cultural affiliation (such as Hipster or Hip Hop culture) for targeted marketing campaigns. [23][24][25] Peer crowd affiliation is one innovative way to approximate psychographic and cultural segmentation to identify high-risk subgroups among young adult bar patrons. 14 'Peer crowds' are the macro-level connections between peer groups with similar values, interests, lifestyles, styles of dress, media consumption habits, influencers and social tendencies (eg, Hipsters).…”

“Gone are the days of mass-media marketing plans and short term customer relationships”: tobacco industry direct mail and database marketing strategies

“…Our findings document name generation efforts and strategies utilised to collect names and targeting information for the databases, and add to the literature concerning targeting of individuals in priority groups. Previous research has shown direct mail campaigns targeting women, 48 young adults, 49 hipsters, 50 older smokers 51 52 and low SES females. 52 It has also been utilised to facilitate viral marketing of Eclipse cigarettes 53 and promote menthol cigarettes to young urban Blacks.…”