Say No to Drugs Advertisement
Brittany Brumbarger
English 111-FAD
February 4, 2016
Say No to Drugs Advertisement
Smoking can lead to death, so why do we continue to harm our bodies? The addiction starts with the first puff. Advertisements are posted almost everywhere trying to get people to side with them. Gruesome images surround the views of drugs. We need to take in consideration what they are trying to project.
Smoking advertisements are creative. They try to scare you by the truth, and it works! This particular advertisement shows an immense amount of anger. Anger can be viewed in many different ways. Is this man angry that he can’t quit smoking, is he angry with the way his life is going and that’s his way of stress relief, or is he angry with himself for putting those harmful substances in his system? I believe that he is angry with himself. He knows that every time he picks up a cigarette, that he’s harming himself. He is willingly inhaling nicotine as a way of escape. In reality, he’s only creating more life-long problems. A simple cigarette may not seem like a threat, but it is. Addicts feel that it’s better to commit suicide than to attempt withdrawing from smoking. This advertisements goal is to change a human being’s mind to not smoke. Saying “no” before you ever say “yes” will be one of the best decisions a person can make in this situation.
This advertisement also displays a dark theme. It consists of a black background that creates a different tone. Black means gloomy, evil, dark, in a bad place, and negativity. The man posing in the picture acquires dark hair. I feel like the photographer did this on purpose. His hair blends in with the black background, which allows the focus be on his angry face and the “gun” rested against his head. If you look deep into the man’s eyes, you can see the pain and suffering he is enduring. When I look at this advertisement, I connect with the man and I can feel his pain. His entire life is filled with sadness and gloom. The dark background also exemplifies evil. Every cigarette is your pathway to an evil life. Drugs never lead to the happy side. Everyone has a chance in life, why choose the evil side? This man chose a path that might lead to the end of his life.
Clothing is used to set the theme. Clothing determines the type of environment, why time in society it’s occurring in, and so much more. If the picture occurred in the 80’s they would have on neon clothes or jean jackets. If the theme was set in a church, ladies would be modest and men would be in clean cut clothes. If the theme was in a bar, ladies would have on skimpy clothing and the men would be in more revealing clothes and tattoos. Clothing is one of the best ways to indicate the theme the publishers are wanting to reveal. Colors also help create an opinion on something. Each color makes people feel a certain way. Black makes me feel depressed and in a gloomy state. Pink makes me feel calm and at ease. The man in this advertisement is wearing a white t-shirt. White is a color that indicates that something is pure. This man is begging to become pure again.