Author Archives: ian chan

Written Analysis of Original Ad

Despite the numerous warnings about health risks and diseases caused by smoking, many teenage communities still have a skewed perception of it. Smoking is still viewed as a “cool kid” activity to many adolescents who think it enhances their image as a matured individual. Misty’s advertisement includes the slogan “Slim’n sassy.”, and shows a slim, young, healthy-looking model. This gives the illusion that beauty, independence, and strength in women is correlated with smoking because despite the apparent health hazards, they are still willing to take the risk and live life on the edge. It also promotes the idea that smoking will make women slimmer when in fact the advertisement actually addresses the price. People who don’t look as closely will not notice this and female adolescents in particular may jump to the wrong conclusions.

The model’s demeanor depicts a woman who is fashionable, posing elegantly with a cigarette in her hand to show a new fashion trend that entices women who want to look and be like her to follow the same path. Although this advertisement is now banned in almost every country, it highlights the glaring issues that present society has with peer pressure and the perceived image of what people in society should look like. This pre-conceived image of people in society creates problems towards the minority who do not conform to society’s “standard” behaviour. This advertisement poster makes the situation worse because it promotes self-destructive behaviour as well as conforming to society’s shallow standards. Women depict true independence through self expression and this poster contradicts that.

In the edited poster above, the poster exposes the destructive nature of smoking that wasn’t shown before. The “weapon” indicated in the message is used to bring awareness to the potential damage cigarettes can have for both the user, and society. For women in particular, it takes away any fashionable stigma they may think smoking has and further highlights the consequences of it. Many adolescents do not realize how much damage they are doing to their health and skin so by identifying a cigarette as a weapon, it brings the dangers into limelight and have thought provoking effects. This will create an after thought and doubt if they are put in a situation where peer pressure and self consciousness come into play so that adolescents will be properly educated as to the lifestyle they are about to choose.

The new title for the poster may initially be ridiculed by most people until further inspection and thought. This is because the term “weapon of mass destruction” is so heavily tied with war and fighting that they turn a blind eye to how many people smoking has killed through diseases. Destruction can also be described both from a global perspective and internally for each person, leaving it open to interpretation by the observer. The effectiveness of thought provoking phrases is that each person will be able to come up with a conclusion about the poster for themselves based on their personal experiences which will not explicitly tell them not to smoke, but to think about and educate them on the consequences they will bear in the future.