Townsend Huguley - Advertisement

The advertisement I chose is composed of hundreds of cigarettes placed together and shaped like a set of human lungs. The image definitely draws the eye of the reader. On the left side of the “lungs” you notice that come cigarettes are burning and letting off smoke, seeming to burn a hole in the “lungs.” The image is so effective and eye-catching, allowing for the reader to take in the large picture before noticing the text of the layout. I think the advertisement is aimed at all humans to show the negative effects of smoking, though it might be especially aimed at smokers as a visual aid of what could happen if they continue to use cigarettes. The advertiser is clearly using cause and effect persuasion to raise awareness on the effects of smoking. Logos is used in this advertisement, because it has been proven fact that smoking can adversely affect lungs and other vital organs in the human body. Pathos is used through the image, which could create a feeling of caution, worry, and awareness in the audience. Also, through the text, which reads, “Stop consuming your body.” The text may help the audience to realize that smoking can cause toxins to, literally, eat away at your body. The advertiser probably chose to use “the scare tactic,” capitalizing on the natural human tendency to fear death, in order to effectively convey the message of severe smoking effects to the human body. Ethos works as a rhetorical tool through this advertisement because of the company that is advertising. ADESF, which based out of Brazil, is an association for smoker’s awareness. ADESF is a acronym which is translated from Portuguese to English as “association for the defense of smoking health.” With approximately 1.1 billion smokers in the world, this advertisement is definitely culturally relevant. Tobacco use is projected to take one billion lives this century unless serious anti-smoking efforts are built on a global level.