Camel cigarettes were originally blended to have a milder taste than established brands. They were advance-promoted by a careful advertising campaign that included “teasers” simply stating “the Camels are coming”, a play on the old Scottish folk song "The Campbells Are Coming". Another promotion was “Old Joe”, a circus camel driven through towns to attract attention and distribute free cigarettes. The brand’s slogan, used for decades, was “I’d walk a mile for a Camel!” The iconic style of Camel is the original unfiltered cigarette sold in a soft pack, known as Camel Straights or Regulars. News broadcaster Edward R. Murrow’s usage of them was so heavy and so public that the smoking of a Camel no-filter became his trademark.
In 1999, Japan Tobacco International gained ownership of the rights to sell Camel outside the United States. The tobacco blend of the non-American Camel contains less Oriental tobacco and a higher proportion of Burley. In 2012, Camel was surpassed by Pall Mall as R. J. Reynolds' most popular brand.
Camel sponsored various Formula One teams since 1987, beginning with Team Lotus. In 1989, Camel sponsored AGS, with logos placed on the side of the cars and on the drivers’ helmets. Camel also sponsored Benetton Formula 1 from 1991 to 1993, with logos prominently displayed on the cars. In races where tobacco sponsorship was forbidden, the Camel name was replaced with blue gaps, the Camel logo, or the “Benetton” name. Camel also sponsored Larrousse F1 (1988-1989), Minardi (1988), and Tyrrell Racing (1988-1989). In 1988, Tyrrell Racing had Camel logos displayed on the top of the car, on the front of the nose, and on the drivers’ helmets, but became the main sponsor in 1989. In races where tobacco sponsorship was forbidden, the Camel name was replaced with the Camel logo.
Camel sponsored Williams F1 from 1991 to 1993, with logos on the car and drivers’ helmets. In races where tobacco sponsorship was forbidden, the Camel name was replaced with either the Camel logo or with “Williams.” Camel’s involvement in motorsport also extended to Grand Prix motorcycle racing, sponsoring Pons Racing from 2003 to 2005 and the Yamaha MotoGP Factory Team in 2006. In 2006, Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rode motorcycles with the Camel Yamaha Team titles.
Camel also sponsored the Camel Trophy, a vehicle-oriented off-road competition held annually between 1980 and 2000, best known for its use of Land Rover vehicles over challenging terrain. The photograph used for the Camel design was taken on September 29, 1913, by Andrew Jackson Farrell, a Winston-Salem based photographer. The original artwork, commissioned from Fred Otto Kleesattel, shows a single dromedary standing on desert sand, with pyramids and palm trees in the background. The signature scene on most Camel cigarette packs shows a dromedary, the smallest of the three species of camel, standing on desert sand, with pyramids and palm trees in the background.