Author Archives: Gabe Chin

About Gabe Chin

4th Year Sociology Major.

Culture Jam Assignment – Vaping: Gabriel Chin

Original Advertisement

 

 

 

 

This billboard advertisement features a vaping company’s product which is designed to portray their new flavor of e-juice and promote vapes as an attractive product. One can see the bright and vibrant colors of both the vape and the smoke that the company Vuse Ciro utilizes to create a sense of “steeze” and feelings of amazement. However, what is concerning is the companies marketing tactics, which not only promote vaping as an alternative to smoking but also promotes the product to be seen as attractive to people who have never even tried smoking. The problem I will be addressing with my culture jamming of the advertisement is the new epidemic of nicotine addiction amongst youth. When considering advertisements such as these, the specific marketing tactics you can see used in the photo is designed in such a way that makes vaping seem appealing to potential consumers. The placement of the text in the bottom right corner also attempts at making the new fruit-flavored e-juice of this specific vape much more desirable to target markets. These demographics include groups such as teenagers and young adults whose brains may be negatively impacted by the use of nicotine and other harmful chemicals in the e-juice provided. It is specifically advertisements such as these that have led to what many consider the new epidemic of nicotine addiction amongst youths ranging from ages as young as 13 up until their mid-twenties.

Below is the altered version of the ad for culture jamming…

 

 

 

My redesigned advertisement of culture jamming was focused on portraying the true nature of what is really happening while one attempts to smoke a vape. By altering the nature of the billboard and displaying a young teenager smoking what looks like toxic gas, the advertisement becomes one that deters both youth and adults from wanting to try the product. Additionally, I was able to transform the flavor profile of the e-juice and alter the text to showcase the effects of nicotine on youth which is the possibility of cancer. The main focus of the ad without any changes was to entice people of age to try and smoke a vape with the belief that the e-juice provided would taste like a tropical flavor. By doing so the company effectively and unintentionally markets to people of all ages and demographics. However, after alterations of this billboard, I was able to showcase what really happens when one smokes a vape and who really makes up the majority of the market purchasing and using these devices. My culture jammed advertisement is ultimately intended to showcase just how harmful vaping is, even as an alternative to traditional cigarettes, and reveal what demographic is mainly using them. By doing so, I hope that this ad effectively deters people of all ages, especially young teenagers, to think about the harmful effects of such a product on their health and development of their vital organs.