Part II : “Try Benson and Hedges…You Know You’re Addicted Anyway!”

The only way to sell a cigarette is with a logical fallacy; therefore, honesty is the best policy. My advertisement would have a connection between the purchaser and the product. There is nothing positive about smoking. It is a nasty habit and causes serious health problems. People who smoke are willing to take the risk because most of the time they are addicted. Some have the attitude that everyone has to die of something sooner or later, so why not let cigarettes be the leading factor.

A compromise would be a logical and persuasive technique to advertise cigarettes. Letting the audience be aware of all of the Surgeon General’s warnings is fair, and perhaps being honest in an ad would be appreciated by the people. This could influence them to buy the product.

My advertisement would target everyone as an audience, not just the upper class. A successful way to do this might be to simply place a colorful pack of cigarettes in the center of the page. Showing the product without any specific group of people in the advertisement would not narrow the audience down. The Surgeon General’s warnings could be placed around the page to create a border. It would make the ad appear neat and organized, yet at the same time it would be honest and allow the viewer to be aware of all of the hazardous risks. A catchy slogan such as “Try Benson and Hedges…You Know You’re Addicted Anyway” could be placed at the top half of the page just above the pack.

The use of color and line emphasizes the slogan and cigarette box, which enhances them and makes them the primary visual focus. The slogan is in bold lettering to attract attention as well. The use of warm and cool colors indicates a direct mood t o the viewer. These blues, greens, purples, yellows, and oranges provoke a feeling of festivity and cheerfulness. This might come across as smoking Benson and Hedges leads to a good time and fun. Again complementary colors interact with each other to make the opposite color stand out. Blue and orange are complements that add to the effect. Blue, green, yellow, and orange are also analogous, or side by side on the color wheel and slightly related. Artists use this technique to relate objects in a composition. In this add the cigarette pack and the background contain the same shades and tones, allowing the Surgeon general’s warnings to attract attention to the audience.

The variation of the line in the advertisement adds to the visual focus. The cigarettes and the slogan use vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines. The curving lines around the two focal points create movement in the composition. The viewer’s eyes are automatically drawn to this movement, which then leads their attention to the product. By placing the Surgeon General’s warnings around the border, your attention is captured there, and the writing directs you around the page and eventually back to the visual focus.

This technique of advertising cigarettes is more effective than the original Benson and Hedges ad. Here honesty is used as a policy. Logical fallacy is still evident, yet the concept is less dramatic and ungeneralized. Perhaps the audience would appreciate the honesty, gain respect for the company, and purchase their product.