Juul's Epic Downfall: Unveiling the Real Story Behind the Catastrophic Crash

Editors Note: Providing you with the latest updates, Culture Queue presents a continuous collection of suggestions for compelling literature, captivating films, engaging podcasts, and captivating music.

With the sudden rise in popularity of Juuls in 2016, the slender e-cigarette shaped like a USB drive swiftly infiltrated the scene, enveloping the surroundings with billows of vapor and the distinctive sound of a satisfying inhalation.

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, surrounded by secondhand smoke in homes and restaurants, the rise of Juul may not have been as alarming. Many long-time smokers were swapping cigarettes for vapes to quit, although they ended up more addicted to these new devices, which claimed to be less harmful than tobacco but still contained high levels of nicotine. However, for teenagers, the impact of Juul was immediately noticeable and unsettling for their parents, as explored in a new Netflix docuseries called "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul." Directed by R.J. Cutler, the docuseries examines how attractive product design, influencer marketing, and questionable corporate decisions led to the widespread use of Juul among underage users and eventually resulted in the downfall of its parent company, Juul Labs. Once a rapidly growing startup valued at $38 billion, the company has lost 95% of its value and has settled $3 billion in lawsuits related to its marketing practices in the US. Many of its flavors have been removed from the market, and the device itself was temporarily banned by the Food and Drug Administration, although that decision is currently being reviewed.

Juul was compared to the Apple iPhone, thanks to its streamlined design and clean packaging.

Juul's Desirability Explored in Docuseries: Eight years after its debut, a new docuseries delves into why Juul became so coveted. It suggests that Juul's founders, James Monsees and Adam Bowen, made a significant misjudgment by regarding nicotine as a problem that could be addressed through technology, rather than public health initiatives. The Juul quickly gained popularity and even garnered comparisons to the iPhone of e-cigarettes due to its sleek design and irresistible allure.

Murky motives

Misleading from its initial purpose of rendering cigarettes obsolete, the deviation of Juul Labs is not a straightforward matter. Pierce stated in "Big Vape" that the company's objective was not to help individuals quit smoking but rather to prompt them to embrace Juuling.

According to "Big Vape," Juul's launch campaign aimed to position the device as a desirable item for individuals in their twenties, drawing inspiration from the nostalgic cigarette ads of the past that are now prohibited. Jamie Ducharme, the author of the book that inspired the docuseries, mentioned that James and Adam, the founders, had a vision for Juul as a sophisticated and luxurious product that people would be proud to use, in contrast to other vaping products that were considered geeky and uncool.

Victoria's Secret and Jeffrey Epstein's troubling connections are exposed in a new documentary. However, Juul's "Vaporized" campaign initially did not gain much traction, despite being prominently displayed in Times Square and at pop-up events across the United States. The e-cigarette may have faded into obscurity if it weren't for word of mouth and celebrity endorsements from notable figures like Bella Hadid, Dave Chapelle, Adele, and Jennifer Lawrence, as revealed in the documentary. This propelled Juul into the mainstream, particularly capturing the attention of Generation Z, inspiring countless memes, hashtags, and creating a new nicotine-driven social phenomenon both inside and outside of school. For many, it potentially became a lifelong habit.

"Juul definitely did create a newfound sense of unification for the generation that I grew up in," Chase Amiratta, who began using Juul as a teenager, said in the docuseries.

{{img_placeholder_1}}

Juul has settled cases with New York, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and Washington D.C. over its marketing strategies, including its upbeat "Vaporized" campaign.

Juul Labs' company spokesperson stated in an emailed statement to CNN that over the past years, their commitment has been to rebuild their relationship with stakeholders and regain trust. They also mentioned that the use of Juul products by individuals under the age of 21 has decreased by 95%. The spokesperson expressed hope that the documentary can contribute to a more balanced public discussion regarding the potential for reducing tobacco harm through the use of effective alternatives like Juul products.

A stroke of genius: The captivating story of how the iMac G3 became an irresistible must-have.

"Big Vape" fails to fully address Juul's challenges or uncover the true motivations behind the company. While some former Juul employees and board members were involved in the documentary, it remains uncertain whether their massive financial blunder was driven by profit or by sheer unawareness of the fact that Juul's appeal to adults, including its flavors, would also attract minors.

Erica Halverson, a former marketing manager at Juul, expressed disbelief at the notion that adults do not enjoy mango flavor as much as children. "I find that completely untrue," she stated passionately.

The documentary "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul" is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

Add to Queue: Big tech, big fails, big vices

Read: "Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul" by Jamie Ducharme (2021). Time journalist Jamie Ducharme's book serves as the source material for the Netflix documentary, exploring the transformation of a well-intentioned thesis project by two Stanford grads into the Juul we are familiar with today.

Watch the documentary "WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn" (2021) to understand the downfall of the once-thriving co-working company. This film explores the external perspective on the warning signs, including reckless spending and potential conflicts of interest among the founders.

In the black comedy "Thank You for Smoking" (2005), directed by Jason Reitman, Aaron Eckhart portrays Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for Big Tobacco. Naylor expertly manipulates the narrative to benefit his industry, while dealing with the challenges of balancing his job with being a parent to a 12-year-old.

Listen to the podcast episode titled "From Sock Puppet to Flop: The story of Pets.com" (2020). Pets.com was a marketer's dream in 1999, featuring a sock puppet mascot that became instantly recognizable through appearances in Superbowl ads and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. However, behind its multimillion-dollar advertising budget, there were deception and illusion. This podcast delves deep into one of the most infamous failures of the dotcom era.

Read the book "Dopamine Nation" by Anna Lembke, MD (2023). According to neuroscientist Dr. Anna Lembke, we are currently experiencing an era where constant pleasure stimulation is easily accessible, ranging from traditional vices to our incessant use of phones and social media feeds. Her new book offers insights on how to negotiate with the reward-seeking aspects of our brain in order to achieve a more balanced life.