
Advertisement and commercial messaging can be considered the primary communication method for companies and corporations in the 20th century. Before technology was as advanced as it is today, printed media such as posters was the easiest way to spread word of a new product or idea. Some companies would use visual text to promote a new product that they were being brought to market, and others used it to spread word of an event or their new business. For some, the use of visual text was for an idea rather than an object. 

As a way to promote anti-smoking and anti-cigarette America, groups such as the American Lung Association, anti-smoking.org, and even anti-smoking commercial campaigns such as TRUTH all use visual text to communicate their ideas to the public. In the image depicted throughout this essay, the message is clear that cigarettes will eventually kill you. The author wants to convey his message about smoking by visually comparing a bullet to a cigarette in order to illustrate the difference in death rates between the two objects. The anti-smoking campaign poster uses elements of dark color scheme, single lighting angles, and dramatic block text to emphasize its message to quit smoking cigarettes before they kill you. 

When commercial developers are deciding how to design the advertisement that best suits their product, they will refer to the primary reason the advertisement is being made in the first place; outcome. The purpose and outcome of the anti-smoking campaign is to ultimately reduce the number of smokers in America to zero. This goal is nearly impossible to achieve, but can be approached patiently over time. In order for the numbers of smokers to decline, the commercials and advertisement used in the campaign must be persuasive and to the point. For this to happen, techniques such as dark color scheme are used to dramatize the visual cues and stir the viewer’s emotions. The black background is provided to make the viewer have intense feelings toward the subject. The overall message of the ad is that cigarette smoking will eventually lead the user to death; the darker caller is more visually frightening, which underscores the  aftermath of cigarettes; death. 

Lighting is also a key element used to embellish the overall meaning and purpose. With the use of a single light source deriving from the top of the image, the visual takes on a very dramatic role to convey its message. The light emphasizes the two objects that are subject to the message, along with the boldly printed white words below each object. This technique compels the viewer to feel terrified so that they feel afraid to pick up their next cigarette by adding dark lighting with an established spotlight on the two objects in the picture. The lighting stresses the purpose of the advertisement, making sure the viewer understands that the cigarettes they smoke everyday are eventually going to kill them eventually if they don’t get help. The bullet itself is also a strong element that assists in conveying the anti-smoking campaign message. Both the cigarette and the bullet are similar in size and shape, but the one striking difference between both of them is that one can kill you fast and the other can kill you slow. The option of either the bullet or the cigarette causes the viewer to feel like they can pick one or the other, or choose a third option - get help. Allowing the viewer to make a choice between the bullet and cigarette causes them to have a different perception on cigarettes for a brief moment due to the factors of color scheme and lighting effects of the very persuasive advertisement. 

The final element in this anti-smoking advertisement is the use of bulky block letters in short, fragmented sentences to highlight the main point of the poster; to quit smoking. The white block letters allow for the viewer to develop a sense of seriousness. The phrases “Quick.” and “Slow.” are spread apart and separated from each other which creates a pause when reading the slogan. This gives the viewer time to understand the significance of each object and how it is used. The block letters are bold and pop out when viewing the visual. This catches the viewers’ attention and brings the focus toward the words that describe the picture and sets a serious tone. The white block letters contribute to the theme of the visual because they catch the viewers’ attention and somewhat intimidate the viewer as they are persuaded by the advertisement. The white letters establish a bold tone for the advertisement, which intimidates the viewer making them feel that the message being conveyed is important and immediate.

The advertisement’s visual imagery helps to promote the fight against smoking, and also helps those that need or want to quit smoking cigarettes. The techniques and elements used in the visual define the poster and state the message clearly. The poster is very straightforward; it uses bulky block white letters to catch the viewers eye. The lighting dramatizes the setting and creates a sense of seriousness and terror as the viewer realizes what the poster intends to communicate. The dark background provokes gloomy thoughts of death, which is intended to scare the viewer away from cigarettes. Each element used in this persuasive visual imagery emphasizes that cigarettes are only leading an individual closer to death, and that they have a choice as to how long they will live…if they will only choose to stop smoking.  
