This advertisement much like many anti smoking advertisements probably appeared in a magazine. I was unable to find where it came from exactly or who made it. The intended audience is for this advertisement is someone who smokes or some someone who wants to quit smoking. Anti smoking ads have been around for a long time and they all have the same underlying message to convince someone to stop smoking. Some are more effective than others. Most anti smoking ads use a lot of pathos to appeal to their audiences. This one is no exception to that description. What I did find interesting about this picture is the sense of urgency that it brings. A lot of non smoking ads are weighed heavily on using pathos because now days it is common knowledge that smoking is bad for one’s health. Some of the first anti-smoking ads used a lot of ethos they would have famous actors talk about the diseases they have from smoking. But today ads have the unique opportunity that most ads don’t get; for the most part they don’t have to use ethos or logos. Because the majority of the population already believes that smoking is bad so these ads are already credible. And for most people it already seems logical to quit smoking so they don’t have to use logos. Most of the ads still use ethos and logos but not nearly as much as pathos is being used. This allows anti-smoking ads to be very dramatic. And its main point is just like every other anti smoking ad, smoking is bad for you and it will eventually kill you.
To describe this picture, as previously mention the sense of urgency of this ad is almost unbearable. Its main claim is that smoking will eventually kill you. At the bottom of the photo is says “Every breath you take will eventually destroy your future”. The rest of the photo on the left side is a lit lighter and it shows a roll of cigarettes that are supposed to represent dynamite sticks. Then behind the cigarettes is a ticking clock and there is a wick connecting the two. Just like every smoking ad you will ever see this one is very dramatic. There are a few things that is does well and few that don’t make sense. It does bring that sense of urgency which this sense of urgency is there for two reasons first; the lighter about to light the wick, second; is the clock behind the buddle of cigarettes. There is an issue with that; the clock is there to make it seem like the cigarettes is a ticking time bomb. This is another great example of how these cigarette ads don’t have to use logos. It is there purpose to be dramatic.