Friday, April 30, 2010

March 2010
South by South west SXSW a music and movie festival

Source: http://www.eventmarketer.com/article/sxsw-sampling-report

“Camel
A bit of mystery goes a long way. Camel’s windowless blue tent leveraged it well, intriguing passersby in the area around the SXSW music venues. At the entry to the tent, a bouncer checks IDs and opens the door ever so slightly to let people in. The line to enter runs about a block long, and grows longer by the minute. Once inside, IDs are scanned by a brand ambassador who also requires a phone number before providing a sampling of Camel’s SNUS tobacco pouches (no spitting required) and a free pack of cigarettes (the main reason for the long line outside). Folks also walk away with other free tobacco products and a gift of their choice, like a bandana or sunglasses.”














Camel’s windowless blue tent intrigues passersby in the area around the SXSW music venues. The line to enter was about a block long and grew longer by the minute.

March 2010 NX35

Source: http://www.checkitbro.com/2010/03/camel-snus/

Snus is not a product I would ever consider buying on my own, but this past week saw the NX35 music festival here in Denton, and Camel joined the festivities as a sponsor. They flooded the clubs with reps, and set up a rave tent where all you had to do was show proof that you were 18, and you could literally have as much free tobacco as you wanted. The catch was, most of the free product took the form of Snus, which NO ONE wanted. With good reason. But I decided to try it, in the name of science. It's a baffling product, on several levels.

November 2009, at the fun fun festival

Source http://www.avclub.com/austin/articles/fun-fun-fun-fest-2009,35178/


“Worst product placement
The creepy blue Camel tent covered in cancer warnings and "No Cameras" signs lured smokers with the promise of free cigarettes, but something about its windowless facade suggested that it hid something far more sinister—like some sort of alien probe program, or free Snus. But at least it had intrigue going for it, which was more than could be said for the overbearing campaign for The Men Who Stare At Goats. The camouflage tent, street team decked out in fatigues, and free “No Goats No Glory” T-shirts were fairly standard shilling, but did you really need to bring in a live goat and tie him to a tree for the duration of the festival? Not only does that movie look kind of shitty, but now we associate it with a sad goat stuck standing in the rain while jackasses try to feed it beer cans.”

Huntsville Alabama September 2009

Huntsville Alabama September 2009
Source: http://blog.al.com/goguru/2009/09/blue_tent_is_mysterious.html

Go Guru
Big Spring Jam, Music
Blue tent is mysterious
By Chris Welch
September 26, 2009, 8:31PM

HUNTSVILLE, AL - A blue tent that was up in Big Spring Park during the Jam this past weekend was just plain mysterious.
It was called the SNUS Showcase and had Camel logos plastered all over it. There was also a sign outside that said no photography or video inside and a lady at the door checking ID's and asking if you use tobacco products.

What the heck was inside with all this secrecy?

It had all the feel of entering something mysterious and sinister. A smoking lounge? Nope, no smoking was allowed.

So what was it? Well, once inside, it was very cold, like a meat locker. And workers were talking to people at tables with little, hand-held machines, kind of like the ones you see at stores or concert events. Anyway, once again, you were asked for your ID, if you use tobacco products and a couple other questions.

Finally, they input your information into the machine, along with your phone number, and you were given samples of Camel's newest tobacco product called SNUS. It's smokefree tobacco that comes in small pouches, Camel's answer to Skoal. You put it under you lip, but unlike Skoal, as the label says, it's spitfree.

The workers gave you two samples of SNUS and a pack of cigarettes. And, before you left, you got to take a photo with a very young-looking model in front of a picture of fans waving their hands.

It was just real sketchy.

Bobby Pannone, a Skoal user, said it tasted real minty, like candy, and he didn't particularly lilke it.

And, here's the funny part. Two young ladies came out and one spit the tobacco out of her mouth. Nope, it wasn't really spitfree.

- Chris Welch

July 2009 Asheville North Carolina

Source: http://www.downtownasheville.com/index.php/1046
BELE CHERE 2009: HANDING OUT BAD INFORMATION * MediaBear / BB















BUT WHAT IN GOD'S NAME were city officials thinking when they allowed the likes of Camel and Skoal to become a part of Asheville's greatest annual public party?

BELE CHERE 2009: SECURITY GUARD WHO TOLD DOWNTOWNASHEVILLE.COM IT WAS "ILLEGAL" TO PHOTOGRAPH THE CAMEL TENT * MediaBear / BB














GOOD GAWD ALMIGHTY... might not some clear-headed Asheville city officials be wiser to look into banning the promotion of cancer-inducing products at all city-sponsored events, not to mention arresting overly aggressive security guards who intimidate unsuspecting snapshooters?

May 2009 Memphis Tenn

Source: http://www.interference.com/9688-memphis-in-mud-weathering-the-storm-with-elvis-costello-george-clinton-snoop-dogg-many-more/

“Once I left Lee, I went and grabbed a free pack of cigarettes form the Camel Snus tent and then made my way to the best known rap group to come out of Memphis, Three Six Mafia.