Pre-Modern Advertising Analysis

Advertising is “the act or practice of calling public attention to one 's product, service, need, etc., especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc.” (in line reference). This technique has been in existence for thousands of years. Examples of this pre-modern advertising, including murals painted by shop owners, have been found in the ruins of such cities as Pompeii (The OpenLearn Team). Because advertising is very closely related to a market driven economy, it is no wonder that it experienced a tremendous rise at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century (The OpenLearn Team). Since this point, advertising has evolved in numerous ways, changing according to the various technologies available in the day. In addition, companies started using an increasing variety of approaches, including deception, in order to sell their product. In the selected image, Salem uses a wide variety of techniques to create a deceptive image in an attempt to promote a potentially harmful item to young individuals.
When viewers look at this image for the first time, the very …show more content…
The color blue is reflected in their clothing. This symbolizes truth and loyalty, the exact same feelings one would experience while being a member of a group. The background, which frames the picture, is green and is used to symbolize the feeling of harmony with nature and within the group itself. However, the green on the cigarette boxes is used to symbolize both the safety and freshness of the product. Additionally, the clothing and the cigarette boxes are white, indicating the innocence of both the activity and the cigarettes themselves. Oddly enough, the Surgeon General’s Warning in the lower left hand corner is also white, potentially indicating to the viewer the innocence of its