Rhetorical Analysis Of Anti Smoking

Dear Anonymous Poster of the Anti-Smoking Ad,

Smoking is one of the leading causes of premature death world-wide. Anti-smoking advertisements, such as yours, are meant to inform people of the dangers of tobacco as well as discourage others from developing the bad habit. In order to successfully persuade your audience, the advertisement cleverly utilizes the three rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos through its image and implied meanings.

The advertisement appeals to a variety of audiences, the most obvious one being smokers. The purpose is made clear with the phrase “Smoking Kills;” the slogan of the anti-smoking campaign. You strengthen the message by cleverly illustrating the biggest consequence of smoking tobacco: death. A cadaver

Without explicitly stating it, anti-smoking ads are based on the logical argument that smoking is bad for your health and quitting is in your best interest. Ever since it was discovered that smoking is linked to cancer and other illnesses, society’s view of smoking has changed. Now, smoking has a negative connotation. Smoking has switched from “smoking is cool and mature” to the equivalent of writing your suicide note. The reasonable argument is smoking is hazardous for your health and can lead to illnesses, such as cancer, which in turn leads to

Although I was persuaded by your ad, I discovered that your advertisement can also evoke an unexpected reaction. My uncle, a smoking enthusiast, was not persuaded to quit smoking by your ad, instead, the first thing he did after he saw it was pick up another cigarette—definitely not the desired reaction for an anti-smoking ad. First, the dead body serving as a visual reminder of his inevitable future stressed him so much he started to crave more cigarettes. As he calmed himself with cigarettes, he developed a ‘why not’ mentality. Feeling powerless in the face of death, he decided he rather die doing something he enjoyed and gives him much pleasure. As you can see, evoking these strong emotions may not the best persuasive method for everyone.

The rhetorical appeal, ethos, also has an effect on the images’ message. Your advertisement is endorsed by an activist website called thetruth.com. It is a well-known website dedicated to exposing the truth of big tobacco companies and “inspiring action in the fight to end smoking.” This support validates your advertisement and assures your audience you are a credible source worth listening