Smoking Kid Analysis

Cigarettes are found everywhere and are very accessible. The sight of someone smoking tends to be an everyday thing. The majority of people know it is not the best thing for your body or health, yet for some reason people continue to do it anyway. In this Thai ad called “Smoking Kid”, several adults are shown out and about smoking cigarettes. Young children then get added into the mix as they go around and approach these adults asking if they could “get a light.” The adults are perplexed as they look down at the children with puzzled faces and deny them. The adults then proceed to go on about how “smoking is bad for you,” and how “cigarettes contain insecticide” and “makes you die faster”. After hearing all the negative connotations about

smoking and cigarettes the kids then look up at the adults and ask, “then why do you smoke?” Then they hand the smokers a brochure with information about where to get help to quit which also says, “You worry about me, but why not about yourself?” The children suddenly walk away, leaving them with the brochure in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. The commercial then ends with the two children standing together and looking into the camera. “Smoking Kid” uses children to appeal to the emotions of the viewers, facts to send a negative message about smoking, and an affective tactic called the inside-out reflection.
It is ironic when the children ask for a smoke and the adults turn them down.

The adults repeat several facts about cigarettes causing lung cancer, emphysema, and strokes, yet didn’t even realize that they were holding a cigarette in their hands, doing the very thing that they preached was so awful and toxic. The children’s actions make the smokers take a look at themselves and think. This is a great example of epiplexis, which is a form of argument where a speaker attempts to shame an opponent into making them think from a particular point of view. The smokers are suddenly contradicted as they are exposed and forced to answer their own question and their body language says it all as they appear embarrassed and begin to scratch their heads and look around. Antistrophon is also used as the kids take the adult’s arguments about why smoking is bad and retort it on them. This also goes along with the inside-out reflection tactic. The smokers end up in a situation where their own voices send out a warning message to themselves and develop into a self-awakening moment. The main barrier that prevents smokers from actually taking the warnings from friends and family members are themselves. Smokers are often aware about the dangers of smoking, especially since they are constantly reminded of it. Yet, most smokers tend to truly believe they have it all under control. It seems that the only perspective the smokers can fully trust is their own. A great use of insight in this ad allowed for the most powerful voice of all to be applied, which were the smokers

themselves.
The fact that young children are involved in this commercial easily appeals to the viewer’s emotions. Thailand is a hierarchal society, where it is very important to respect elders. This also calls for older generations to set a positive example for the youth and make sure to teach them right from wrong. Smoking has always been something that was promoted to stay away form. Not only in Thailand, but all around the world. Adding youth to the mix allows for the viewers to think, and whether the viewers are smokers or non-smokers, most people would think it’s preposterous for a six-year-old kid to smoke. Adults feel the need to protect the youth and to pour the knowledge they have obtained into them and hopefully help them to not make the same choices they have.
Without the adults even knowing it, they laid out the facts about the dangers of smoking. “Cigarettes contain insecticide,” says one adult. “When you smoke you suffer from lung cancer, emphysema and strokes” says another. It appears that smokers in this video are more educated about the health concerns of cigarettes than an average person. The chemicals in tobacco smoke cause emphysema. The lung tissue is destroyed and develops holes that start to inflame. This causes breathing to be very difficult. One smoker in the video states that smoking causes you to become old faster. There are several ways this has been proven internally and externally. Cigarettes cause your arteries to age and also decreases the body’s ability to provide oxygen to the blood. All of the facts listed in the video are proven to be true and gives the viewers a reminder of how deadly smoking really is.
The real smokers featured in the video and the poor quality of the video gives it credibility. Unlike most commercials, it’s apparent that expensive cameras and planned out scripts were not in the mix in creating this ad, which makes it seem very realistic. A surprising total of only $5,000 dollars was used in creating the ad, with no media spending. The smokers in the video are hanging out and talking with friends while some are by themselves. They are stopped in the midst of their everyday life as the children approach them in their natural habitat. Once the smokers are faced with the question, “why do you smoke,” and stop to think, it gives the effect that causes the viewers to think also. Some even throw away their cigarettes, which is encouraging and makes some viewers who are struggling with quitting think that they can do the same.

This anti-smoking advertisement is very successful. The use of appeals to emotion, a plethora of facts, and a feeling of credibility make this video affective. The main tactic used was epiplexis, which causes the smokers to think, as well as the viewers. It plays a mirror effect where the viewers are forced to look deep inside them and really consider changing their habits. People can easily be inspired and feel a call to action after watching this video. Finally, a voice has been selected. A voice that both smokers and non-smokers can trust. There is no more powerful envoy of the anti-smoking campaign than the smokers themselves.