Camel Cigarettes has been working for over a year now to make it possible for you to smoke your favorite corporate cigarette while listening to some of your favorite independent bands! It's an "indie band and label-focused" promotion called "The Farm," which has already sponsored club concerts by the likes of the Flaming Lips, Dinosaur Jr., the Black Keys and Band of Horses.
The catch?
The Farm gets to set up merchandise booths at these "Camel Signature Event" shows, give out free tickets on the Farm website and hire Camel girls to run around the venue taking marketing surveys from concertgoers in exchange for free cigarettes, lighters and drink tickets. The Daily Swarm reports that at one Dinosaur Jr. tour this year, "30 minutes of non-stop Camel ads," were played on a video screen before the band took the stage. And while it may be illegal to smoke in most clubs these days (I'm pretty sure you can still drink, right?), the Farm would like to remind you that it is not illegal to smoke in buses. That's why you'll find several lined up outside Camel Signature Events to be used as "deluxe smokers' lounges."
In addition to these promotions, the Farm is also making an attempt to reach people who might not be too familiar with indie music¾ people who read Rolling Stone.
The magazine is catching some heat for their 40th Anniversary issue, which includes a fold-out poster entitled the "Indie Rock Universe." On this poster, you will begin a magical visual journey through a collage of indie bands sprinkled across various images of planets and animals.
That is, if you can find it between the five pages of advertisements for the Farm, which it is being argued contain such a nearly identical theme, editorial content and complimentary color scheme that they can barely be distinguished from the poster.
In fact, Matthew L. Myers of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids was quoted by the New York Times as saying, "This is one great big cigarette ad . . . The fact that Rolling Stone produced the content, but displayed it in such a manner that it is indistinguishable from the Camel ad, only makes them an accomplice."
As usual, Camel contends that these promotions are merely to reward current smokers and not to attract new ones.
It's an honor just to be nominated.