Got a deathstick?

(click the image for a better view)

Above is an ad for a "New crush-proof box" for cigarettes. The ad is, of course, denouncing cigarettes and not promoting them with the box being a casket among other details.

Though the ad is short on very long text, the longest string of words explains that "The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health." This may seem as if it were one of the most obvious facts in the world; however, the fact that this statement has been determined by the Surgeon General makes the statement much more credible. Most people would trust the word of anyone who could rightfully be called a surgeon but if that surgeon were the Surgeon General, who wouldn't believe what he or she has to say about your health? If this person were important enough to have a title that no other surgeon has, one would think that that person were much more knowledgeable than many other surgeons in the world. Another credible source to help strengthen this ad is the text about the use of the FTC method at the bottom of the image. The FTC method has been used to tell the amount of tar, nicotine, and other substances in cigarettes since 1967. The FTC method has been revised since to show the levels of tar and nicotine when a cigarette is smoked under higher intensive conditions. Because the FTC method is used in all cigarette advertisements and by the major cigarette companies, this bit of fact is not to be taken as a said statement by an untrustworthy source.

A few facts around this ad state a few hard facts such as the amount of tar and nicotine per cigarette and the Surgeon General's warning. 8 mg may not seem as though it were that much tar, but how many cigarettes are in a pack and how many packs do some people smoke in a day? Some people may consume up to 32 ml of tar a day, or even more. Again, the Surgeon General's warning has the simple fact that smoking is dangerous to your health. That simple statement states a fact which is impossible to argue with.

The largest part of the above photo is that of the coffin with a few cigarettes tucked into it's bed. The coffin may be reminiscent of the passing of a loved one or someone a person knew. From there, one could go as far to relate the loss of a loved one to lung or similar cigarette caused cancer. This thought can really pull on the heart strings of someone who has actually lost a loved one to cigarette smoke and even bring back painful memories. Even the joke at the top of the ad about the "New crush-proof box" has a kind of emotional appeal. At first a grin may cross a viewers face, and then a grimace after a little consideration about what is being said. The joke may even be suggesting that the smokers are more concerned about a few precious squeezed cigarettes than their health or the health of those around them.

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos are used in this advertisement against cigarettes by borrowing some of the Surgeon General's credibility, stating a fact about tar content, and reminding us of lost one to this addiction. This ad blends all parts of Aristotle's persuasive appeals to persuade people to not use cigarettes.