Gresosky 1

Patrick Gresosky
Ashley Humphries
ENC 1101
19 March 2015
When it comes to advertisements, none are more popular and have been the cause for
more controversy than cigarette ads. Since the early days when tobacco was a main export in the
thirteen colonies to the present day, the argument over how and who tobacco products are
advertised to has been a strong influence on many aspects of our everyday life including our
rights, politics, and health. Some point out that it is a right of freedom to be able to purchase and
smoke tobacco, but some argue that it is unfair to others because of the extreme health risks
including lung cancer among other things. Because of how large the tobacco industry is and the
amount of money that flows through it and the politics involved, most people are aware of what
cigarettes are and the health risks that they offer. Today, the law requires a surgeons general
warning on every single pack of cigarettes and all other tobacco products, so all users know
exactly what the health risks are. With the continuing advancement of technology, new methods
of advertisement have emerged and companies are taking advantage of new communication
strategies with the consumers. Billboards, television commercials, and magazines are all very
popular in todays world and where one will find most cigarette advertisements. Tobacco
companies also began to target certain groups of people such as woman and teenagers in order to
increase their profits. Many people do not agree with these advertisements and the fact that the
companies have the urge to target innocent woman and children, but the companies have their
rights and have to make a profit.

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In particular, one advertisement that appears to be from the 1950s from a cigarette
company named Silva Thins, states Cigarettes are like women. The best ones are thin and rich.
Below the text is a picture of a man and a tall, thin, good-looking woman holding a cigarette. The
woman is resting her head on the mans shoulder and they are both looking up and out into the
distance. In the background of the advertisement is a halfway opened pack of Silva Thin
cigarettes that takes up most of the picture. At the bottom of the ad below the pack of cigarettes,
it reads, Silva Thins are thin and rich. Obviously this company was not only targeting their
product at wealthy and good-looking women, but also comparing it to women in the form of a
simile. By saying that the best cigarettes (women) are thin and rich and showing a picture of a
wealthy man and woman, the ad implies that women must fit this image in order to live a high
class lifestyle, and that these cigarettes are somehow intertwined with this wealthy state of being.
In reality this is not true at all, but the ad does a good job of not only targeting a very specific
group, but also uplifting their product to be a part of the high class. However this ad is also
extremely flawed in that cigarettes are often associated with the lower class and are gross, and
not many women who are wealthy and of good health are frequent smokers of any tobacco
product. Overall the ad successfully gets the message to the target audience, young women of all
kinds. They will see the text and images on the ad, and want to purchase the product because
they think and want to be like the man and woman in the picture on the ad. I think that the
original ad is also very controversial in that it takes a shot at the female gender. It compares them
to a cigarette, which not only makes no sense, but also is very weird and gross. It also says that
the best cigarettes (women) are thin and rich which is not true and basically puts all women into
a social and body class hierarchy. So it is obvious the owner of the company or at least the
people who created this advertisement saw women as objects and only appreciated a select few.

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Also it reveals how much and how long certain tobacco companies have put emphasis on profits
and money. By saying that Silva thins are thin and rich betters the product by putting the others
down, but implies that those women without money are pretty much worthless which is
extremely rude and wrong. Also the companies during this time obviously had no regard for
ethics because they were specifically targeting young innocent women, who at this time did not
have as many rights and were not treated equally, and therefore had little to no knowledge of the
health risks of cigarettes. Also the ad takes a shot at those women who are overweight in that it
completely eliminates them from the best ones, and therefore they may begin to purchase and
use the product in order to get what is portrayed in the original ad. Overweight woman who saw
this ad may begin to think that because they dont fit into this thin and rich group that they are
worthless and it would only further their problems. The advertisement by Silva cigarettes takes a
shot at the body image and self-esteem of countless women in America and is extremely sexist,
and the anti-advertisement shows an overweight women who became and still is very successful,
Rosie ODonnell, to prove and provide and example of someone who did not let their body
image get in the way of their dreams. It also includes a picture of a mom and her family to show
that the thin and rich women are not always the best ones; it is the mothers that care and raise
families that really deserve the admiration and respect.
The advertisement that I created over the original ad is not much different. All of the text
remains the same and stays in the same place, the image of the pack of Silva Thins and the
picture of the man and woman are still in the same place. However, an image of Rosie ODonnell
and a mother with her kids overlay the image of the pack of Silva Thins. You can clearly see her
and can deduce that she is having fun as this photo was taken in front of the media. It also shows
a picture of a mother who seems to be very happy and thankful for her kids. I think that the ad is

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successful in that it completely counters the main arguments of the original ad. Silva Cigarettes
will not get you to a wealthy and healthy lifestyle, however, they will most likely get you
addicted to tobacco and will cost you a lot of money. Also the picture of Rosie ODonnell shows
that just because your appearance isnt up to someone elses standards doesnt mean you can
achieve great things in your life. The advertisement alters the true image of the product by
portraying cigarettes and the habit of smoking as unappealing, gross, and addictive. It also puts
down everyone the majority opinion and leaves the viewer inspired. The sexist vibe from the
original ad is completely forgotten when you look at the anti-advertisement. The image of the
mother and the kids shows that some of the best women in this world will never be rich and
famous, but that certainly does not make them any different from those that are. I think the
audience my advertisement targets is very similar to that of the original ad. My target audience
specifically is overweight women and most women in general to show them that you cant rely
on tobacco to cope with your problems, and that you can only depend on yourself to pave your
way to success in life. Tobacco is an addictive drug and will further your health issues and take
away from your dreams of a happy life. However I feel like all genders and age groups will
understand and take note of the message in my anti-advertisement. Smoking tobacco is a
disgusting habit and there are no benefits from it. In fact when people smoke they are not only
putting themselves at risks, but also everyone around them and causing damage to our
environment. The image of Rosie and the mother take up a good portion of the advertisement and
stand out more than the sexist text of the original ad. In the original ad, they used a simple tan
color, which I did not find to be effective in anyway, but for my ad I used black and white to
show that cigarettes are a part of a plain and boring lifestyle. The anti-advertisement that I
created is very effective in that it combines the unethical features of the original ad with the truth

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about the health risks of smoking tobacco and the ignorance in the statements about the best
women being thin and rich. Also the original ad is combated by the anti-ad in that it counters the
obvious meaning of the original ad. Smoking tobacco is not good for you and those around you,
and nothing good can or will come from it. The habit of smoking can and most likely will knock
years of the lives of its users. I attempted to target younger women in my ad because tobacco
companies heavily victimize them. The heads of these companies take advantage of their
innocence and immaturity in their advertisement campaigns and too many of them fall into the
trap. It is true that woman have the right to make their own decision and that the tobacco
companies have a right to advertise, but its not fair for lives to be lost. The same goes for the
sexist regards in the ad. It is completely false to say that the best women are thin and rich, that is
an opinion coming from people who are only interested in money and extremely selfish.
I felt like the original advertisement was simply unfair and unethical. During the time that
this ad was produced, it is likely that the womans rights movement had not started yet or was in
the making, and therefore woman were an easy target for tobacco companies. Also these
companies were not required to put the surgeons general warning on the package of their
products, so not only women, but most users were unaware of the serious side effects that would
cause countless deaths. Today, with the surgeons general warning lawfully required and millions
of anti-smoking ads, most people are aware of the risks involved. However, I wanted to make my
ad simple and to the point. Smoking cigarettes or any tobacco product for that matter is
unhealthy and should be avoided at all costs, and it is up to you to set and achieve your goals in
life, you cant let other peoples opinions and doubts bring you down. There is only one end
result that comes from smoking and it and it is an ugly addiction and ultimately death. All
women should be allowed to do whatever they want and smoking hinders that freedom. The

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original ad emphasizes that the best women are thin and rich, which hints that men created the
original ad, and it reveals exactly who they were targeting. These men were trying to influence
younger women to follow some designated path to become thin and rich in order to gain
satisfaction. This is just sad and stupid, and in my anti advertisement I wanted to observer to take
away that you dont have to follow a pre-set guide in your life, you have the freedom to do
whatever you want. I tried to make my advertisement almost like a warning as to what comes
from tobacco addiction and letting other peoples opinion cloud your own judgment and that you
cant let your body image define who you are and what you do with your life.
I thought my anti advertisement was successful in not only establishing a message, but
also getting that message out to the target audience. The original ad was ignorant at first and the
issues tied into it only got worse as I developed the anti ad. I thought the most powerful message
from the ad was that smoking cigarettes such as Silva Thins will not open women or anyone for
that matter to new opportunities, but it will trap and enclose your life, as you cant run away
from it, it will only overshadow the mind each and every day. Losers pull the winners down, and
its up to you to decide if youre going to let them hurt you and take your life away, or fight them
off and make your dreams a reality.