How Juul Leveraged Celebs and Influencers to Market to Teens | by Ecigator Vape | Oct, 2023

The controversial marketing tactics behind the rise of vaping giant Juul are explored in the new docuseries “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul.” Through exclusive interviews and insider accounts, the show examines how Juul allegedly used social media and influencers to hook underage users.

As experienced reporters covering the vaping and e-cigarette industry for over 5 years, we analyzed the key takeaways from the series and aim to provide an authoritative look at Juul’s youth marketing practices.

In 2015, Juul was a fledgling company known as Pax Labs that had created a novel nicotine vaping device shaped like a USB drive. To generate buzz, they hired Grit Creative Group to promote launch parties with cool New York and LA influencers.

Attendees recall receiving free Juuls and posing for stylized social media photos at events using the hashtag #JuulVapor. One influencer said the images “went totally viral” exposing millions of young followers to the brand.

Juul also courted celebrities like Bella Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio with free products. Hadid was later seen using Juuls on her personal Instagram at age 19.

These campaigns coincided with Juul sales skyrocketing from 2.2 million devices in 2016 to over 16 million by 2018. Meanwhile, youth vaping rates doubled from 2017 to 2019.

Juul maintained their target was adult smokers, but their tactics didn’t align. The company enlisted Steven Baillie, known for youth-focused campaigns at apparel brands, as creative director.

Under his direction, their Vaporized ads featured young models dancing and posed suggestively with Juul devices. Publications catered to millennials while times square billboards drew eyes of all ages.

Critics condemned the campaigns for making vaping look “cool” versus focusing on cessation. But the buzz was building.

The series exposes how easily impressionable Gen Z users became prime targets across Juul’s social channels. User generated content, hashtag challenges, and influencer promotions painted vaping as a trendy social activity.

Teens interviewed admit how the viral peer content swayed their perceptions. Juul was successful at generating FOMO and curiosity by making vaping feel grownup and exciting.

By 2018, over 3 million teens were active Juul users, with social media playing a central role.

Only after public scrutiny did Juul change course to combat youth vaping. They halted social media posts and ended the Vaporized campaign. New ads showed middle-aged former smokers speaking somberly about switching to Juul.

But regulators allege the company knew the risks years prior when employing these techniques. It ultimately took government action to curb the epidemic.

Juul maintains their intent was always steering adult smokers from combustibles. But their execution severely misstepped, irresponsibly exposing scores of teens to nicotine risks, per critics.

Juul ultimately paid $440 million to settle a lawsuit around youth marketing. But the brand remains controversial given their role normalizing vaping for adolescents.

The Juul story exemplifies inherent risks when viral hype marketing supersedes responsibility:

• Youth want what’s cool and barred — ill-advised campaigns can ignite dangerous peer pressure
• Social media enables exponential influence — regulations haven’t kept pace
• Fast growing brands lose sight of ethics — success shouldn’t compromise principles
• Past settlement costs are minor if brand loyalty hooks generations — prevention is imperative

For brands, restraint and consumer protection must come before profits. This case study shows what’s at stake when they don’t.

Juul offers a cautionary tale of viral marketing gone awry. While intent matters, impact does too. Brands must carefully consider the full implications of campaigns shaped for digital engagement versus simply age-gating content.

Progress has been made restricting e-cigarette ads but social channels remain an influencing loophole. More guardrails are needed, but brands must self-enforce. The model can’t begrowth above all — rather responsible growth and ethics before economics.

The “Big Vape” series provides critical perspective as online youth vaping concerns endure. There are key lessons for both marketers and regulators that we cannot afford to ignore if we truly hope to protect the next generation.