Smoking cigarettes is almost like signing one’s death sentence. Millions of people start smoking every day, even with knowledge of how detrimental it is to their health. One may wonder why someone would knowingly partake in something so unhealthy; however, millions of Americans enjoy eating fast food even though it has the same negative health effects as smoking. This is due to the lack of knowledge pertaining to the unwholesome ingredients in fast food. Within the past few years, the death toll from obesity has risen above that from smoking. Like nicotine, fast food is scientifically proven to trigger pleasure sensors in the brain. The unhealthy food many citizens eat daily is causing obesity to be the leading preventable cause of death in the nation. An ad by the Department of Health captures this comparison with a picture of French fries in a package that appears to be for cigarettes. This ad uses historical context, text, color, and design to associate the significant death rate from smoking-related deaths to that of obesity related deaths. This is important because most Americans see fast food as a quick meal to grab during a busy day; however, in reality it is the leading cause of deaths in America. 

The Department of Health’s ad uses historical associations to open viewer’s eyes to the dangers of fast food. The red and white box, with an opening at the top, is commonly associated with cigarettes. At first glance, most view the picture to be a carton of cigarettes but a deeper look reveals that what appears to be cigarettes is actually French fries. Because most Americans associate smoking with bad health, this ad associates fast food with the same deadly habit. By replacing cigarettes with a fast food product, it becomes clear that obesity is a rising cause of death. This is apparent because smoking is commonly known as a leading cause of death, and with the replacement of cigarettes with French fries in this ad, it is shown that they are equally unhealthy. Quit Day, an informative website revealing the association between cigarettes and fast food, writes that since 1950 smoking was the leading cause of death but currently obesity is overtaking smoking. The effects resulting from regularly eating fast food are similar to those of regularly smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes is known to be addictive, so the more one smokes the more they crave it. Ingredients in food from fast food restaurants have a similar affect. According to Quit Day, “more junk food intake eventually leads to the need for a higher intake to achieve the same amount of pleasure” (QuitDay.org). So the more one eats fast food, the more they become dependent on it showing just how dangerous consumption can be. Both bad habits also lead to similar illnesses such as Cardiovascular Disease, cancer, strokes, and in many cases death. Quit Day also informs readers that last year alone, more people died from obesity than from smoking. Many citizens wonder how the government has not gotten involved and shut down these addictive, unhealthy sources of food that many Americans fuel themselves with; however, the fast food industry has become a powerful empire. With yet another similarity to the smoking business, both are multi-million dollar industries and without them, the nation’s economy would certainly suffer. Although the fast food industry will not lose its power anytime soon, Americans who continue to fuel it, will. This ad’s historical connections between smoking and fast food is further enforced with text.

The text of the ad makes it clear to the audience that French fries have surprising similarities to cigarettes. On the front of the box, where it normally says “Marlboro,” the web designer titles the package “French fries.” By changing the title but keeping the package, it clearly associates the two. With the association of the two products comes the association of their detrimental effects. Underneath the title, the ad also says “Not-So-Light” where the Marlboro package normally says “20 Class A Cigarettes.” This replacement of text shows the audience exactly what is in the box. On the original package, the small text underneath the title says how many and the type of cigarettes it contains. However, on the French fry package, it describes the type of food. Instead of a light snack, which most people believe is what they are eating when they purchase fast food, this ad makes it clear that the ingredients are not light. The unhealthy effects of fast food are emphasized, for it is heavy in one’s stomach, and in turn leading to heavier weight. Lastly, the circle with two horses on either side usually has the letters PM, standing for the company Phillip Morris. On the altered box, the golden arches replace the PM. This represents McDonald’s, the popular fast food restaurant that produces the French fries America has grown to love. By replacing the text of the cigarette box to words and letters pertaining to fast food, the designer is able to effectively display the reality of the situation; fast food is deadly. Along with the text of the ad, the colors also play a prominent role in displaying this message.

The colors of the French fry box, for the most part, directly relate to death just like its contents. Not only are black and red the same colors as the Marlboro box, but they also have negative connotations. These colors utilize pathos to connect these basic colors to negative emotions within the viewer. The text, having been typed in black, is the first thing most viewers eye’s see. The darkness of this color is commonly associated with fear, for when it is dark in a room, there is often fear of the unknown. This is an emotion similar to one that people may experience while eating French fries. Many people are not informed or aware of how unhealthy the food they are eating is. Also health conscious people may fear the effects they acquire by eating fast food: obesity, heart disease, and strokes. Black also symbolizes death, which is indirectly caused by the contents of this box; French fries. Also, the background of the ad is black showing the death that surrounds this box. It also helps the reader focus on the center of the picture, the French fries. By choosing to keep the text and background black, this ad warns viewers of the damaging effects of consumption. Similarity, red often symbolizes warning and danger. It is a bright color that the human eye is drawn to. By choosing to keep the red on the box, the designer relays the warning that comes with eating unhealthy. Ironically, white symbolizes purity and innocence. The web designer may have kept the white background due to the lack of knowledge most consumers possess. Many people do not realize the dangers that come with eating this food, so they believe the food to be pure and not extremely unhealthy. However, the black background of the ad takes up most of the space causing the overall feeling of the ad to be negative. Colors play a significant role in relating the emotions of the viewers, but the design ties the ad together.

The design of this French fry box being similar to a Marlboro box is the leading detail in making a connection between the two products. The box is centered in the page so it is the main focus. The box itself frames its contents causing the last thing the eye will focus on to be French fries. At first glance, the ad seems to be for cigarettes until the eyes eventually moves to the center. The web designer chose to design the ad this way because fast food and smoking are not commonly associated. By first viewing the ad as one pertaining to cigarettes, the audience may be surprised when they see French fries. This sense of surprise continues when they associate the two, for many do not realize the similarity in death rates between obesity and smoking. The unique tactic this ad uses is effective because the viewers first think of the death associated with cigarettes. They then associate that death rate with fast food once they see what the actual contents of the box are. The designer effectively displays facts that many consumers are unaware of.

Contrary to popular belief, fast food leads to more deaths a year than smoking does. This ad replaces cigarettes with French fries because in the past smoking has been the leading cause of preventable death but currently obesity is causing more deaths. The web designer who created the ad uses many different techniques to convey the dangers of fast food. It uses historical context of the well-known “Marlboro” box to hold the French fries. The ad also changes the text of the original box to relate to fast food. Colors are also utilized to help the audience make connections with danger and death, and a little white to represent the innocence of ill-informed consumers. The purpose of this ad is to warn and inform American’s about their unhealthy decisions. Most Americans eat fast food without even realizing just how bad it is for their body; however, many Americans choose to smoke cigarettes even though they understand how bad it is. If Americans knew how bad fast food was for them they may not eat it as much, but the addictive aspects of this food continues to overpower the health warnings.
