Well, lets LOOK at the ad. This is an image of a billboard in Wyoming, most likely
right off the side of the highway.
The target audience is probably commuters, but in general drivers and
their passengers. The bright green
color really grabs the attention of the viewer and the texts stands out in
contract with bold black font.
While the main message that the advertisers are trying to get across is
smaller and at the bottom of the ad, it is implied by the witty slogan that
appears in big, bold, and smack-dab in the middle of the billboard. This witty slogan gets the point
across, but is also large and simple, so it can be read interpreted quickly and
easily, even by those paying attention to the road. In the bottom right corner of the ad, the advertisers pose a
challenging question, a “what are you going to do about it?” kind of
question. In the opposite bottom
corner, is the sponsor’s logo.
The message the ad is trying to get across is a simple and
well-known one, second hand smoke is a killer. What people might not know is that it kills an average of
50,000 people annually, and this fact is displayed across the bottom of the
billboard. But since we are all
aware of the dangers of smoking, they use a witty slogan to try and get the
message across. “’Til secondhand
smoke do us part.” By using this
witty remark, they are trying to get smokers, and those subjected to second
hand smoke to look at the issue in a new light. Maybe this is an angle they have never looked at before,
their happily-ever-after could be cut short by those little sticks of cancer
that some people just can’t seem to get enough of.
“Where do you draw the line?” This challenging question proposed in the bottom right of
the billboard makes the audience think.
“Where DO I draw the line?”
It makes one sit and ponder a bit.
Do we stand up to our spouses smoking in the car, in the house, or right
beside us, subjecting us to their nasty habit? Do we stand up to coworkers whose cigarette smoking is
blowing into our faces? Do we have
the nerve to say something to our friends about how their life decisions impact
those around them? It’s hard to
approach someone and ask them to not smoke around you, but when are we going to
stand up for our own health?
The same sponsor for this ad did a series of similar ads concerning second hand smoke that you can find here. Some of the other interesting and surprising facts and statistics on these ads include; waitresses are 50% more likely o die from cancer caused by second hand smoke, and second hand smoke contains the same chemicals used in prison executions.
Where do you draw the line?
Nicely done! Because it's such a simple ad, it's challenging to write about, but you do a thoughtful job here with good sense of both detail and organization. Overall your writing is clear and competent! (a few too many "witty's" perhaps?)
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