In class, we were shown an advertisement about smoking. In this advertisement, a batch of cigarettes are tied to a clock, which represents a time bomb. A time bomb is something that people view with a negative connotation because once it is lit, it counts down until it explodes, which leads to destruction. In the real world, many people have died from diseases caused by smoking. By using a clock and cigarettes as a representation of a time bomb, the speaker (an anti-smoker) conveys the message that smoking takes away time from a person's life and eventually leads to death. The purpose of this advertisement is to convince the audience (the general public) that smoking is harmful.
Overall, this advertisement is effective because of its use of pathos. By using a dark background, the advertisement conveys a serious tone. In addition, the words at the bottom of the image has a huge impact on the audience's emotions. The use of the "destroy" gives off an extremely negative connotation since "destroy" means to bring harm to. This specific word choice appeals to the audience's sense of fear. By conveying this message effectively, the advertisement convinces the audience to stop smoking and to get others to stop smoking as well.
I agree when you mention that people have negative connotations with bombs, as well as "destroy". Bombs kill many every year, and the speaker tries to connect this with current smokers, many who also die each year (for example, lung cancer). This specific advertisement, however, did not include a picture of a person with poor health, or smoking statistics. Do you think the ad would have been more effective if along the caption they wrote how many people die of smoking each year? Or a picture, whether unedited or edited, of someone dying due to smoking for so many years, for the purpose of creating a more serious tone?
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