FDA The real cost

Recently the FDA “The Real Cost” campaign ad shows a young girl asking for menthol cigarettes and shows her peeling off the skin off her face because the money isn’t enough. This commercial is geared toward people who are uninformed and think Menthols are safer than cigarettes such as young teens. The ad is seen as a reflection of the audience of young teens and a danger and caution to parents who have young teens. This ad focuses on the damage menthol cigarettes and regular cigarettes affect skin. FDA “The Real Cost” campaign advertisement is targeted to inform young teens that menthol and cigarettes don’t just cost money but also skin by using mostly pathos, a bit of logos, and it adds to the cultural struggle of preventing teens from smoking.

The setting is an exemplum of what activity is going on. It begins as it being night, a small store isolated with not much going on. This is a prelude to what may be going on inside the store and how smoking can isolate you as many places have banned smoking indoors. The giant sign isn’t lit all the way and it is hard to tell what the store name is. It can symbolize shame and a way to say that what is happening is not condoned. The commercial is anti-smoking so it makes sense that although they are showing a young girl buying menthol cigarettes; it is not the point of the commercial. There is no music playing at all from beginning to end, the only sound is when the young girl is ripping the skin off her face. This is to emphasize the grotesque situation that happens when you smoke in the hyperbolic way they are mentioning it. Inside, the “Jiffy” store is dull and lit by fluorescent lights which are considered hazardous and are associated with menthol cigarettes that are hazardous to skin,...

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...ercial has effective qualities using Pathos as the main resource to move their audience of young teens. The people in the commercial are relatable and don’t seem completely out of place which put a sense of realism in the commercial. The Pathos is strong to the point where it makes people feel disgusted because the awe of someone actually agreeing to peel off their skin for a pack of menthol cigarettes. It’s short and to the point and carries a serious tone throughout the commercial. It can be argued that there is also ethos because the campaign is being led by the FDA. There is no mention of this until the end and it is never said. It adds to the logos more because the FDA supports the fact that menthol and regular cigarettes harm skin. The pathos and logos support each other in the fact they both contribute that cigarettes cost not only money but a smoker’s skin.