Introduction
An advert may consist of a picture with a caption accompanying it, in other advertisement forms, the words may not be present and the message has to be deciphered by the observer.
Discussion
This is an advertisement that was made to sensitize people on the dangers of smoking, especially by pregnant women or those that already have children.
The advertisement makes use of pictures to pass on information to its target and portrays a feeling of guilt as one looks at it, especially for a smoker.
The advert shows two images of children who seem to be suffocating in plastic bags full of smoke.
The use of the two images strengthens the feeling of guilt in the viewer’s mind and this is further made by the use of young children who are known to be blemish-free. The only writing on the advert is that of the sponsor and is not easily visible from a distance; this stresses the fact that the message being passed across is more important than the writing on the advert. The textual section is missing and is left to the viewer who is supposed to make meaning out of the picture.
Since everybody knows that smoking is wrong, all they need is to be shown are the effects of this habit. The advert makes use of guilt to persuade smokers into quitting because it motivates them into reacting to their behavior. The emotion of guilt makes these smokers confront their behavior (Salome, para. 1). Not only does the use of children come with a feeling of guilt, but the fact that children do not smoke yet suffer from the consequences also adds guilt to the smoker.
When a smoker comes across such an advert, it immediately dawns on him/her that his/her smoking suffocates the children and could lead to their death. The smoker develops guilt in his/her conscience and this, in turn, evokes feelings or emotions like sympathy, sorrow, or pity and this may lead to the quitting of the smoking behavior.
An advertisement of this nature could be found in an outdoor environment where smoking is allowed, an example is a smoking zone. It must be strategically placed so that the smoker can come across it while in the actual smoking habit. The smoker is left with a vivid image of the suffocating child in the mind after this experience and may think deeply about the consequences of his behavior for a long time to come.
The advert evokes emotions in the heart and minds of smokers through the development of guilt for their actions. The poster is thus considered a success as it conveys the intended message to the target individuals i.e. the smokers.
Conclusion
The use of text in advertisements is not obligatory as the pictorial section conveys more information than the textual part.
Reference
Salome, Melanie. Persuasion Theory: Guilt in Advertising. The People’s Media Company. 2010. Web.