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Kevin Bibian
Mrs. Petty
ENG 101
November 20, 2014
CDC Anti-smoking Ad
Smoking has been around for many generations, along with that are the anti-smoking
advertisements displaying the negative effects of cigarettes. The anti-smoking advertisements
from today are far more graphic and shocking than they once were. Recently, the CDC (centers
for disease control) released an image I chose for my advertisement. The image displays seven
different photographs of former smokers arranged into a collage. The individuals are showing the
diseases they are currently living with due to long-term smoking. The man on the upper right
hand corner is folding down his collar, showing a scar on his neck. The woman under him is
pulling out dentures from her toothless mouth. The woman on the lower left hand corner is
sitting in a hospital bed and there is evidence from her throat indicating that she had a surgery.
The woman on the top center slot is holding a picture of a premature baby. The woman on the
upper right hand corner is suffering from premature aging. The man under her has his mouth
open, showing various missing teeth. The man on the bottom right hand corner is cleaning out a
hole in his neck to be able to breathe. In the bottom center appears the capitalized words, TIPS
FROM FORMER SMOKERS. The color of the font is white and the background is black.
Under the font, a CDC label includes a link to a government website. There is also a hashtag

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with the words CDC Tips. The backgrounds of the photographs include hospitals, home
bathrooms, and doctors offices. The intended audience of the anti-smoking ad includes smokers
and non-smokers, particularly younger individuals. The advertisement combines the three
rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos through its image and messages. Therefore, the
image appears credible, leading earn the audiences trust. In addition, the image uses attentiongrabbing techniques to persuade the audience.
The first rhetorical appeal, ethos was used in the image. The image is part of a wellknown campaign, funded by the centers for disease control. The audience was able to rely on the
credibility of the advertisement. The ads evidence was based on former smokers. Therefore, the
audience builds a trust towards the argument. The audience was able to reflect on the truth of the
image instead of the overused scare tactics and criticism of the usual smoking advertisements.
According to OQuinn, attempts of persuasion usually fail because the communicators critical
or condescending tone offends the reader or listener (OQuinn, K. (2009). Further adding
credibility, the ad provides sources to the CDC website.
The second rhetorical appeal, logos, was used throughout the image. For starters, society
knows smoking is harmful. Society has come a long way from thinking that smoking was cool,
to learning the true dangers of smoking tobacco. Smokers and non-smokers are drawn to the
message from the image because the evidence was not biased. Too often, persuasion fails
because it is one-sided (OQuinn, K. (2009). The CDC strictly warns its intended audience of
the consequences of long-term smoking. The claim was enhanced by the large font that is
stamped in front of the image, which reads TIPS FROM FORMER SMOKERS. The
font was precisely placed in the center to stand out to the audience.

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The last rhetorical appeal, Pathos has the strongest influence in the image. The audience
feels sympathy for the former smokers suffering from long-term smoking diseases. The intended
audience was expected to feel guilt, shame, and disgust towards the image. The images message
captures the audience attention. According to OQuinn, the audience is mentally persuaded by
Explaining the impact in the context of something that the audience values (OQuinn, K.
(2009). The audience was able picture a self-image of themselves suffering from the many
diseases faced by the former smokers.
The image, tips from former smokers includes ethos, logos, and pathos through its
controversial message to help support the argument. The advertisement was credible in the eyes
of the audience while helps to engrave the intended message permanently into the mind of the
intended audience. The creator of the image successfully persuades the minds of the intended
audience by using all three of the persuasive elements in the ad.

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Works Cited
O'Quinn, Ken. "The Elements Of Persuasion: Three Principles That Will Strengthen Any
Appeal." Public Relations Tactics 16.2 (2009): 20. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 20 Nov.
2014.
Tyrone Turner, Tips From Former Smokers, 2014. Photo.