It was recently brought to my attention that the anti-smoking commercials have been becoming increasingly provocative. The few that I consider to be especially stimulating are the ones that use victims of throat cancer as their main subjects; some even go as far as making the patients speak with the electric accompaniments. These commercials have always caught my attention because they brought the dangers of tobacco to reality. Instead of listing facts and implementing warnings, the depiction of people who have experienced the repercussions has proven, at least for me, to be far more effective.
But the anti-smoking campaigns retailored their message and taken a bold step further. The latest commercials have replaced the preceding cancer stricken adults with children, even babies. The first of the series addressing the tobacco industries devastating effects utilized children and their relationships with their parents who are smokers. They told stories of their parent’s hospitalization, their failure to quit their habit, and the effects that it has had on their individual health. Furthermore, and most effectively, they illustrated stories of children who have lost a parent to tobacco. The stories were told as first hand accounts by children who suffered the devastation. These commercials controversial, they are incredibly explicit, hence they are exceedingly successful.
Upon my exposure to this ad I was immediately certain that the description of personal experience from the mouths of suffering children would be the most effectual approach taken. My initial opinion held true until the other night while I was watching my weekly episode of Gossip Girl.
During one of the many commercial breaks I saw the most provocative anti-smoking commercial yet. The commercial was composed exclusively of infantile children. As they smiled and giggled (as healthy babies do) smoke poured out of their mouths. I cannot even begin to sufficiently describe the emotional impact this had on me. The actual presentation of babies as having smoke-filled lungs was horrifying. It put into perspective the selfishness of this disgusting habit.
The evolution of the anti-smoking campaign has been progressively contentious. There is a sense of counter-hegenomy involved with the composition of these ads. Oppsosing the preservation of child innocence and exposing the truth in an explicit way brings a sense of reality to the effects of ciggarette smoke. The daring attitude toward approaching this epidemic, although subject to implication has proved effective. Bravo!
