Part I : “Ebony and Ivory,” “Benson and Hedges”

Some cigarette companies use logical fallacies, or dishonest persuasion, to advertise their product. Evidence of false logic is clear in this Benson and Hedges ad. It uses the unqualified generalization technique in that the image is completely random. Cigarettes and music have no connection. “Ebony and Ivory,” “Benson and Hedges” is printed at the top as if it is an analogy, yet the two ideas have nothing in common. Two cigarettes are on stage. One is singing, and the other is playing the piano. Piano keys are smooth and made out of ebony or ivory. This company is trying to parallel this feeling of smoothness to the way a Benson and Hedges cigarette tastes. The ad also states at the bottom of the page that one cigarette fill the smoker with “moment of pleasure.”

Benson and Hedges is trying to target a high class, out going audience. Older, sophisticated people usually attend musical concerts. This could also be thought of as a Broadway show with singing, dancing, and instruments to capture the attention of adventurous people going out for a night on the town. When you think of a concert or music show you can often picture fancy, rich, dressed up adults; this sort of audience too can be the target of the advertisement. The ad is seeking to make this brand of cigarettes seem rich and high class.

Another way to view this is that the cigarettes are symbolizing the type of people who smoke them. In this case Benson and Hedges are smoked by singers and musicians or people on stage that attract and entertain viewers. Benson and Hedges are the focus of the viewers. People from all over come to experience the show, or in this scenario, purchase this company’s cigarette brand.

The visual focus of the advertisement is the two cigarettes. In an artist’s point of view the ad is successful in isolating and targeting the focal point by the use of color and line. The Benson and Hedges cigarettes are white and placed against a black and deep wine background, making them stand out. The same technique is used at the top to emphasize “Ebony and Ivory,” “Benson and Hedges.” The green lettering and rings in the cigarettes interact with the red curtain and bench cushion because they are complementary colors. The light green cigarette box in the lower right hand corner follows the same concept. The yellow box of cigarettes in the identical position is a complement of the purple tints and shades used in the wooden floor boards. These opposite colors intensify one another.

The use of line variation also adds to the focal point. All of the lines in the curtains, piano, bench, microphone, and floor boards are either horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. The cigarettes are the only items that contain curving lines. This gives a sensation of movement which draws the viewer’s attention to the cigarettes. The direction of the lines also leads the eyes toward the Benson and Hedges and to the slogan placed at the top of the page. The lines in the curtains aim towards the singer, while simultaneously the contour around the piano and floor boards aim toward the musician. Highlights are placed on the objects around the cigarettes. All of these techniques combine together to capture the attention of the viewer and draw their eyes to the center of interest.

The Surgeon General’s warning is in the lower left hand corner of the advertisement. The placement of this box makes it less obvious and not as vital to the composition. The company seeks to emphasize the cigarettes first before the viewer reads the health risk warning. If someone saw this first, they may not purchase the product. The amount of tar and the nicotine level are in fine print above the Surgeon General’s warning, again not to be focused on right away.

Targeting the cigarettes as the visual focus is successful in the ad, yet the logical fallacy is not. I find this advertisement very confusing. Cigarettes and smoking have nothing to do with playing the piano and singing on stage. The slogan at the top relating “Benson and Hedges” to “Ebony and Ivory” could mean different things. It is up to the reader to how this advertisement can be interpreted. Personally after seeing this in a magazine, I have no desire to go out and purchase these cigarettes.

Deceptive Cigarette Advertising Continued...