Camel Cigarettes

Camel is a brand of cigarettes that was introduced by American company R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in the summer of 1913. Most current Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco. Early in 2008 the blend was changed as was the package design.

The camel in the logo is of the dromedary variety. In languages other than English, a distinction is made between camels and dromedaries, so the name and image do not coincide. The Camel name and branding were chosen to evoke the perceived mystery and exoticism of the Middle East.

USA varieties:

Camel Non-filter
Camel Filters
Camal Feces Camel Filters Wides
Camel Filters 99's
Camel Blue (Lights)
Camel Blue Wides (Lights)
Camel Blue 99's (Lights)
Camel Platinum (Silver) (Ultra Lights)
Camel Platinum (Silver) 99's (Ultra Lights)
Camel Menthol
Camel Menthol Wides
Camel Menthol Silver (Lights)
Camel Menthol Green Wides (Lights)
Camel Crush
Camel Crush Bold
Camel Turkish Royal (full flavor blend)
Camel Turkish Gold (lights blend)
Camel Turkish Silver (ultra lights blend)
Camel No. 9
Camel No. 9 100's
Camel No. 9 Menthe
Camel No. 9 Menthe 100's
Kamel Red
Kamel Red Smooth Taste


Discontinued USA varieties:

Camel Filter 100's
Camel Lights 100's
Camel Signature Infused
Camel Signature Frost
Camel Izmir Stinger
Camel Basma
Camel Dark Mint
Camel Mandarin Mint
Camel Samsun
Camel Cinnzabar
Camel Twist
Camel Screwdriver Slots
Camel Rare
Camel Turkish Jade
Camel Rare Menthol
Camel Mandalay Lime
Camel Aegean Spice
Camel Bayou Blast
Camel Beach Breezer
Camel Margarita Mixer
Camel Midnight Madness
Camel Back Alley Blend
Camel Kauai Kolada
Camel Crema
Camel Twista Lime
Camel Warm Winter Toffee
Camel Winter Mocha Mint
Camel Turkish Jade
Camel Special Blend Lights
Camel Special Blend Lights 100's
Camel Signature Mellow
Camel Signature Robust

International varieties:

Camel Big Orange 100's (Mexico)
Camel Big Peach 100's (Mexico)
Camel Big Red 100's (Mexico)
Camel Big Grape 100's (Mexico)
Camel Black (South Africa)
Camel White (South Africa) Camel Super Lights (South Africa)
Camel Natural (South Africa)
Camel Classic (South Africa)
Camel Filters 100's (Mexico)
Camel Lights 100's (Mexico)
Camel Natural (Europe)
Camel Nutty Menthol (Japan)
Camel One (Ukraine)
Camel Orange (Medium) (Ukraine)
Camel Ultra Lights 100's (Mexico)


Canadian varieties:

Camel Filters (gold/brown pack - 20 cigarettes)
Camel Light (blue pack - 20 cigarettes)


Additive-free varieties:

Camel Natural Flavor 8
Camel Natural Flavor 6 *Lights*
Camel Natural Flavor 4 *Ultra Lights*


Menthol capsule varieties:
These varieties contain a small bead in the filter filled with a menthol liquid. When crushed, the liquid is released into the filter giving the smoker an increased menthol flavor.

Camel Crush - Camel Light becomes a Camel Menthol Light
Camel Crush Bold - Bold becomes menthol
Camel Menthol- Adds an additional amount of menthol flavoring to the cigarette.
Camel Menthol Silver (Light) - Adds an additional amount of menthol flavoring to the cigarette.


Snus:

Camel Mellow
Camel Robust
Camel Frost
Camel Winterchill
Camel Mint
Camel Original Portion (Sweden/Norway only)
Camel White Portion (Sweden/Norway only)


Dipping Tobacco:

Camel Dark Milled (fine cut)
Camel Wintergreen Wide Cut (long cut)
Camel Wintergreen Pouches


History

In 1913, R.J. Reynolds developed an innovation: the packaged cigarette. Most tobacco users who smoked cigarettes preferred to roll their own, and there was thought to be no national market for pre-packaged cigarettes. Reynolds worked to develop a flavor he thought would be more appealing than past products, creating the Camel cigarette, so named because it used Turkish paper, in imitation of then-fashionable Egyptian cigarettes. Reynolds undercut competitors on the cost of the cigarettes, and within a year, he had sold 425 million packs of Camels.

Camel cigarettes were originally blended to have a milder taste in contrast to brands that, at the time of its introduction, were considered much harsher. They were advance promoted, prior to official release, by a careful advertising campaign that included "teasers" which merely stated that "the Camels are coming" (a play on the old Scottish folk song, "The Campbells Are Coming"). This marketing style was a prototype for attempts to sway public opinion that coincided with the United States' entry into World War I, and later World War II. Another promotion strategy was the use of a Circus camel, 'Old Joe', which was driven through town and used to distribute free cigarettes. The brand's catch-phrase slogan, used for decades, was "I'd walk a mile for a Camel!"

The most famous historical style of Camel cigarettes is the soft pack of the regular, unfiltered variety (generally known as Camel Straights or Regulars). These were the first blend of Camels to be released. Camel regulars achieved the zenith of their popularity through personalities such as news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, who smoked up to four packs of Camel regulars per day, in effect using a Camel cigarette as his trademark.

In late 1987, RJR created "Joe Camel" as the mascot for the brand. In 1991, the American Medical Association published a report stating that 5- and 6-year olds could more easily recognize Joe Camel than Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, Bugs Bunny or even Barbie. This led the association to ask RJR to terminate the Joe Camel campaign. RJR declined, but further appeals followed in 1993 and 1994. On July 10, 1997, the Joe Camel campaign was retired and replaced with a more adult campaign which appealed to the desires of twenty-somethings to meet—or be—beautiful and exotic women in 1930s attire and themes.

In Europe, Camel is also a brand of cigarette rolling papers and cigarette roll-your-own tobacco. It maintains a top 20 level brand of RYO tobacco and papers in Northern Europe with yearly expansion into Southern and Eastern Europe according to the European Subsidiary's annual report.

On July 1, 2000, The cigarette known as the "Turkish" variety of Camel cigarette appears on the market. In 2000, Reynolds Tobacco introduced Camel Turkish Gold, a nonmenthol cigarette. In the summer of 2001, the company introduced Camel Turkish Jade, a menthol cigarette.

In 2005, Camel implemented new changes to the Turkish flavors by adding the name on the cigarette paper and changing the filter color and design. Also in 2005, Turkish Silvers were introduced. These serve as the ultra light version of the three Turkish blends. Turkish Royal serves as the "full flavor" version, and Turkish Gold serves as the "lights" version. A menthol version, Turkish Jade, was also part of the Turkish Blends but has since been discontinued. After burning, the text on the paper is often still visible on the ashes which is also seen in Camel straights.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the city where R.J. Reynolds was founded, is nicknamed "Camel City" because of the brand's popularity.

The Turkish tobacco that is used in Camel cigarettes has a much more distinctive odor when burned as compared to other cigarettes. It generally has a darker, browner smell to the smoke.[clarification needed] Filtered Camel cigarettes sold outside the US by JT International do not contain Turkish tobacco, instead they are produced in Romania with local tobacco.

As of 2012, Camel is no longer R.J. Reynolds' most popular brand, now replaced by Pall Mall.

As of June 2012, Camel filters have been discontinued in the United Kingdom, with the exception of one store on Sidney Street in Cambridge due to continual record high sales since 2008.But Camel Blue the lights version in the light Blue pack are available from Tesco.

The tobacco is mostly a blend of Samsun and Izmir Turkish tobacco and Virginia tobacco.