Sing Me A Song, You're the Camel Man

Sing Me A Song, You're the Camel Man

Surface Meaning: A camel,  a lady sitting on top of a car, palm trees, the “Hollywood” sign, the text, “Smooth Character,” and a box of cigarettes.

Advertisers Intended Meaning: People who smoke Camel Lights are attractive, rich and know how to have a good time.

Cultural Meaning:

·         The Hollywood Sign:  This sign is something that resonates with practically everybody.  Everyone knows about Hollywood, California, the home of movies stars and super models.   Because the Hollywood Sign is in the background we know that the people/camels portrayed in this ad are important, rich, and cool.

·         The Car:  The car that the lady is sitting on looks like a red corvette style car.  A red sports car is also engrained in our society as a symbol of wealth and greatly attributes to the cool factor.  You smoke this cigarette and you’re as cool as a red Corvette.

·         The Lady:  The lady is an attractive leggy blonde, every guys dream come true.  The implication is that people who smoke these cigarettes are cool enough to land a dame like that, as well as virile enough to satisfy her.

·         The Clothes:  The camel man is dressed like a character from Miami Vice, which even though it has Miami in the title it still make you think of Hollywood because it’s a movie.  The clothes once again reiterate a cool vibe.  The guys in Miami Vice were cool, right?

·         “Smooth Character” :  This ad almost looks like it’s a movie ad.  It has everything you’d want from a summer blockbuster, fast cars, hot chicks, and anthropomorphic desert animals.  Smooth character not only seems to imply that these cigarettes give you a smooth character, it’s almost like smoking them will make you the lead in your own kind of Hollywood movie.

·         The Glasses:  Both of the “people” in this advertisement are wearing sunglasses.  As we all know sunglasses make anybody look cool, but it also creates some distance between the characters and the audience.  We can’t see them as well as they can see us.  It’s almost as if, even though the audience can see all these good things that smoking Camels can bring, you don’t know everything yet.  You have to smoke one to become truly enlightened.