More Doctors Smoke Camels Print Ad

This old Camel ad aged horribly, but the lessons still smoke (pun intended). It used social proof, authority, and science-y jargon to make people feel safe buying something that’s objectively bad for them.

Marketing analysis

• The main headline hits with authority: “More Doctors Smoke Camels.”
• Social proof: trusted professionals prefer it, so it must be good.
• Pseudo-science: “T-Zone” sounds like a medical discovery.
• Product front and center: both in words and visuals.

Why it works

• Authority bias: people trust experts.
• Social proof: “everyone’s doing it.”
• Clear product focus.
• Scientific language = instant credibility.

Examples

• Colgate’s “9 out of 10 dentists recommend”
• Neutrogena’s “dermatologist tested”
• Sensodyne’s “clinically proven relief”
• Head & Shoulders’ “clinically tested formula”