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Locals Trash Camel's 'Burg Butts
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 12, 2010
Modified Nov 12, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 12, 2010
Modified Nov 12, 2010
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The tobacco industry has had many targets over the year, and their latest: The Hipster. Sorry, young creatives. Whether you live in Williamsburg, or aspire to, their latest campaign is aimed to get you smoking their cigs. Wait, what, why? Well, company spokesman David Howard says, "We believe that [Williamsburg] represents a lot of the belief of the Camel brand. It helps illustrate the break-free attitude that Camel is about, breaking free to be your own person." He's right. When we suck down a pack of Camel-branded cigarettes all we can think about is how it's like we're on our own personal L train to an early grave. Breakin' free, y'all!
Today the Daily News has some reactions from locals and city officials. Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told them, "It's cynical for a tobacco company to launch a branding scheme that tries to exploit the life and energy of our streets to market an addictive product that kills roughly a third of its users." Yesterday, Marty Markowitz clarified to the tobacco pushers: "Williamsburg and Brooklyn are smokin’, we mean smokin’ hot—not smokin’ cigarettes!”
For good measure, let's cue up the ironic hipster, who told the paper: "I'd probably buy them once to show people how stupid it is." For more cringe-worthy reactions, head to The Post, where one young man says: "This is so cool. Williamsburg's own cigarette! Smoke them if you got them."
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brand
brooklyn
Burg Butts
camel
cigarettes
williamsburg
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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