Anti-smoking Advertisements - Assignment Example

In-depth textual analysis Name Institution Date PART A Research by Sloan (2003) reveals that approximately 20% of adults in the US smoke cigarettes. Notably, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of death that can easily be avoided. Significantly, Anti-smoking advertisements rarely pop up all over the country, habitually showing the detrimental impacts of tobacco such as graphic pictures and startling images (Sloan, 2003 p.p 65). The advertisement of my choice is a picture, showing a horrific figure of cancer emanating from a cigarette. The growing tumor is a reflection of how cancer forms in people's lungs. It is worthwhile noting that the picture is an anti-smoking advertisement aimed at parents of youngsters. The picture is generally plain as well as simple. It delivers its message without much interpretation from the intended audience. It is an ingredient of the Government's most recent endeavor to get myriad people to stop from smoking. Considerably, through its image as well as its implied meaning, the advertisement has utilized three critical rhetorical appeals namely; logos, ethos, along with pathos. Consequently, the image can easily communicate a stunning logic of danger; hence, promoting consciousness of the fatalness of smoking. The image aims at inducing a reaction from its target audience (smokers as well as non-smokers). Notably, to the non-smoking audience, the image either will augment their dislike of smoking along with its pessimistic health effects, or will make them apathetic due to its insignificant influence in their well- being. The advertisement will appeal significantly to the audience who intensely oppose smoking, especially the use of cigarettes. Notably such people may consider that anti-smoking pictures will get to smokers and significantly induce them to cease from the act, although this is perhaps not the results. Considerably, the picture is a vivid reminder to the smokers concerning the fatal harm caused by cigarette- smoking to their lungs. However, for the majority, they will likely be apathetic to the image due to their prior consciousness about its destructive nature. Therefore, they will keep on smoking either due to their addiction or due to their apathetic to the situation. Additionally, they may find such advertisements obnoxious as well as unoriginal because they are repetitive and the smokers consider them as a personal assault on them and their habits. Consequently, considering the bad image that smoking has attracted on the U.S. society, smokers may disengage themselves from pictures that disagree with their habits. Notably, the above picture has applied as its foremost rhetorical appeal. Considerably, the key principle is that smoking contributes to profound influences on people’s health. Significantly, in myriad modern societies consider the above knowledge as general. The above notion is particularly factual in culture of Northern American, where smoking is generally considered damaging as well as negative as opposed to the past decades, where people accepted smoking, and the society encouraged people to engage in such habits. However, the trivial principle is that cigarette smoking is equivalent to leading oneself to a situation that warrants dangerous diseases. The growth in the cigarette reflects the above idea by showing signs of cancer disease within the cigarette. Consequently, due to the general knowledge on the harm caused by cigarettes and the image of the cancer, one can deduce that the creator of the picture aims at making the claim that smoking acts are equivalent to suicide. The tumor represented by part of the burning cigarette serves to enhance the above claim by showing exactly what happens to people’s lungs after smoking for sometime. Consequently, it implies that if smokers keep on polluting their lungs, it is the same as adding fertilizer on a growing cancer in the lungs. Moreover, ethos, the second rhetoric has an influence on the message of the picture. The audience can infer that the creator of the picture aims at promoting a healthy existence among them because of his significant decision to construct an anti- smoking picture. However, with images such as a tumor emanating from the cigarette, it often represents the creator as considering pessimistically smokers as a community, not merely the smoking feature of their well- being. Significantly, the above notion seems the case to smokers. In contrast, non-smokers who contest against cigarette use may appeal strongly with the image because they have similar mindsets with the creator of the picture about the above particular issue. Consequently, non- smokers will perhaps find the picture significantly credible than smokers for the reason that they agree passionately with the significance of the message. Significantly, the creator’s attitude towards smoking concurs with current America’s vision against smoking, hence its significance. Notably smoking is extremely harmful to people’s health and can eventually cause myriad deaths. Additionally, it communicates a delicate negative viewpoint that looks demeans cigarette smokers. Due to the fact that the creator of the picture and the government discourage smoking because they consider it immoral and bad, they lose credibility because the picture seems significantly negative as well as one-sided. Furthermore, the picture seems to scold smokers instead of helping them. The growth on the cigarette does not significantly contribute to the message. This is because one may not relate accurately to the real danger caused by cigarette smoking. The tumor would significantly be appealing if it was from a separate picture other than the smoking one. However, without the tumor, the picture would make no sense. The advertisement has also utilized pathos as a rhetorical appeal. The black portions and white sections in the image leads to a conclusion that smoking is a life as well as death choice. The growing cancer from the cigarette is an indication of a dangerous situation because cancer is a deadly disease. Consequently, the picture makes the image and contemplation of death significantly personal to the audience. The cancer growing on the cigarette appeals to the intended emotional arousal in myriad ways. Significantly, it instantly grasps the attention of the audience, since cancer is profoundly dangerous and a contentious issue in US culture. Additionally, the growing tumor is an evocative of a suicidal act. It communicates the message that cigarette smoking is equivalent to causing cancer on ones lungs. Consequently, the picture takes the audience aback because the smoker is obviously the key cause of his death. Notably, Suicides are dreadful occurrences and an alarming issue in pop culture. The above image of a man holding a cigarette with a growing tumor shows the utilization of ethos, logos, as well as pathos through the coloring of the picture and a controversial message. Despite the above -mentioned prejudice of the picture, the straightforward message is that cigarette smoking is dangerous to one’s health. Cigarette Smoking is significantly prevalent globally, but similarly anti-smoking advertisements are also prevalent globally. The above discrepancy of philosophies is the motive for the lasting conflict between the media and the cigarette smokers. PART B The above image shows a woman being thrown from the roof of a house. However, there are people at the ground who have raised their hands in order to catch her as she falls down. Notably, on one side there are two figures showing twenty-five and fifteen. These figures seem to reflect on the force from the roof where the woman falls from compared to the capability of the people who are on the ground to break the force. Consequently, the creator of the image has compared the two in the ratio of twenty- five to fifteen respectively. The associative meaning of the above image does not merely reveal a flattering impression of the act, but also it is compatible and corresponding to position occupied by suicide in the immediate society; thus illustrating the claim that one can charge the medium and message with cultural signification.' Although the above image does not bodily signify the act, it significantly provides a vital iconic representation of suicide. Consequently, an examination of the advert will sturdily focus upon the image’s photographic imagery, and the manner in which such imagery produces the suitable signified concepts (poignant overtones) which uphold the image of the act. The above advertisement sturdily relies upon the utilization of photographic imagery. The image uses diverse signifiers, which advertise both the character of suicidal act and an image, which concurs with the philosophy of the media in which it materializes. The image significantly, features a woman in his primitive to average twenties, and she has just escaped from an attempted suicide. Notably, besides the woman is an image of people who are waiting to receive her, who are projected as being disproportionately myriad. Besides the image are two numeric figures; twenty- five and fifteen: and together the above distinct components form an efficient, as well as unified message, hence, it is simple to construe two apparent things. For example the image, provides a young-looking glamour element, which compares the act to childish tendencies. Additionally, the image of the red colored picture represents the dangerous act. However, the significantly interesting semiotic components of the advert prevail within its freedom notion, which is the key signified concept in the image. The freedom notion is significantly reflected by the image of the above desperate woman; who, in her lonesome falling position; seems tremendously at relieve, and unobstructed by ordinary life, thus providing a liberation sense which is also reflected by her loose, unconventional, garments. Furthermore, the tenderly emphasized quality of the shooting as well as the coloring of the image entailing dull red and pale browns are extra signifiers, which contribute to the above pensive, utopian liberation image. However, the above image alone does not significantly convey the above critical signified concept. Consequently, a sturdy relationship is permitted to be intertwined between the signifiers and the signified, which is the numerically expressed liberty spirit. Therefore, the above stabilization involving the signifier and the signified permits the creation of a sensible awareness code. Significantly, such a code attributes essential connotation to the advert, whose conservative mixture of iconic image as well as numerical representation permits the audience to obtain a message, which is significantly acceptable and restated by the associations of similarity at play. Consequently, although the ordinary audience of the advert may not understand the issue deliberated, or the mechanics of the above process, he will certainly still be aware of the equally balancing association between figures and imagery. The above relationship ensures the both the advert's message and its plausibility: considerably it is the adverts characteristically clear association between figures and image, which permits the audience to view the image within its specific generic context. Consequently, only within the above type can the comical image of a woman dressing on pyjamas and in a wasteland maintain a constituent of suitability. Therefore, it is debatable that this suitability would not be certain if the other did not strengthen one sign. Lastly, it is also sensible to highlight that the poster sense of balance is harmonized by its agreeability with the framework in which it emerges. Significantly, for one to illustrate the above compatibility by considering on the advert’s colors, which entail luxurious, as well as softly focused reds and oranges and browns. Bibliography Sloan, F & Smith, V. (2003). The Smoking Puzzle: Information, Risk Perception, and Choice. New York, NY: Harvard University Press. 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