Smoking Advertising Essay

Smoking Ads Through the Years Over the past few hundred years, smoking has been a prominent habit and a huge industry, generating billions of dollars. Now due to change in laws and societal taste, cigarettes and their use of ads to entice buyers have been on the decline. On the other hand, anti-smoking ads have been on the rise. Both of these types of ads, though polar opposite, have used similar tactics to incite change in viewers’ habits, whether it’s to buy their cigarettes, or to quit them altogether. A large portion of the success of these ads can be attributed to their effective use of logos, pathos, and ethos. These three rhetorical appeals are very important in advertising and have helped in fuelling the tobacco industry for many …show more content…
What this ad really anchors on to get readers attention is the use of pathos, emotional appeal. Almost any time a baby is used in an advertisement, it is in an effort to stir emotion. This ad uses the baby as a tool to grab the reader’s attention and gives something which mothers can relate with. The use of a baby to deliver the message also serves to give the ad some credibility, which is an example of ethos. Babies are seen as innocent and honest, so if a baby is saying something it must be true and commonly known. Also, the Marlboro brand name and the picture of the marlboro cigarettes give the ad credibility as well, as Marlboro is a widely recognized brand. Although minimal in this ad, there is also some logical appeal, however flawed it may be. This use of logic is an example of logos, as it suggests that if you smoked normal cigarettes, which are much more harsh, you wouldn’t be able to smoke whenever you liked. However, if you smoke marlboro, you will never feel over-smoked and will be able to fit a cigarette in whenever you need …show more content…
This ad differs from the other two in that it shows very little of the emotional appeal, pathos. However it does show some pathos in using jockeys and a young boy, giving viewers the idea that Philip Morris cigarettes are for the young sporty type who would enjoy horse-racing. Where the ad really hinges itself is in establishing credibility through the use of ethos. Philip Morris uses the fact that their cigarettes have been throat tested and people in the medical profession agree with them as a reason for buyers to trust them. In addition to these two, this ad also shows quite a bit of logos. Although flawed, there is a clear logical argument. The ad presents a problem consumers have, stating other cigarettes are harsh on the throat and haven’t been tested; Philip Morris cigarettes have been tested on the throat and proven to be milder; therefore, one should buy Philip Morris cigarettes for a milder