 Cigarette advertisements have been highly regulated since it became widely known the health risks that their product posed. The United States Surgeon General began warning the public of the dangers of smoking in 1964, and in 1971 their ads started to be banned on TV and radio (History.com Staff). The ads still remain in magazines, and in 1970 Silva Thins pushed the envelope with the above ad. The ad provoked ire from both women and men alike, offended by the blatant sexism used, leading to widespread boycotts of the company. The ad shows a pack of Silva Thins, with a picture of a man and woman smoking above it. The images, though large, are not the main focus of the ad. The words, stating “Cigarettes are like women. The best ones are thin and rich,” are the main focus and talking point of the ads. These words were intentionally sexist, meant to draw large amounts of attention to the product. Though some would argue that the campaign backfired, since it triggered boycotts, countless people heard of the company and maybe even bought the product. Through the use of controversial text and a visually appealing picture of models smoking, Silva Thins appeals to a huge audience and effectively spreads the word about their company, though one may debate the company portrayed itself in the wrong way. 

The advertisement appealed to massive amounts of people because of its’ controversial nature. The main target of the advertisement would be smokers since that is who would be buying the product. Since it was published in 1970, smoking was still very common in American society. The pack of cigarettes and the picture of the models draws the attention of the viewer at first, but then upon reading the text, it is realized that that is actually what the main focus is. There is also smaller text that includes sayings such as “Lighter than most kings,” and “Well, because rich is better.” These are not as important as the main text, but still noteworthy. They are the main attempt to persuade the audience that these cigarettes are the best and most sophisticated on the market. The big, offensive words at the top of the image may actually stand to target the stereotypical man, one who wants a beautiful, thin, rich woman. By using appealing buzzwords such as “thin” and “rich” to describe the cigarettes, they sound more attractive to a smoker. Suggesting that the best women are thin and rich is both a strength and a problem point for this advertisement. Some people may view that ideal as funny, while many others read that and think negatively about the company producing the ad. The company’s use of ethos comes off as tasteless, though it does support the central claim of the ad which is that these cigarettes are thin and rich, and should be desired by men (and all smokers) for these qualities. The company uses logos when talking about how the cigarettes are thin and rich. The text about women could not be further from a fact, as that is a stereotype that few people actually believe. The writer does use pathos because it is likely that they are trying to invoke an emotional response from whoever views the advertisement; humor in certain people, most likely males, and possible anger or offense in just about everyone else who does not find this funny. It serves an important purpose of drawing in certain new customers and also spreading the word about the product to the masses. The text in this ad is obviously the main focus because of the responses it elicits, and it was effective in drawing the attention of many more people than just smokers. 

The other visual aspect of this ad that warrants a look would be the pictures in the middle. The pictures show a large pack of cigarettes half open, with a pattern down the side of the carton leading to the words, “Silva Thins.” The box does not look like any old cigarette carton because it is shaped differently and the word “cigarette” is nowhere to be found, at least on the front side of the box. Even the name of the company at the bottom is written in a classy looking cursive font. On top of that, there is a picture of two sharply dressed models, with the man smoking a cigarette and the woman draped over his shoulder. The man appears cool and uninterested in the woman, staring off into the distance while enjoying his cigarette. The woman is thin and beautiful, conveying a belief that if you smoke these cigarettes, you will find a beautiful, thin, rich woman who will instantly be attracted to you. This is obviously not the case, but it is the nature of advertisements to make regular things appear more luxurious and appealing. The entire advertisement is in black and white, perhaps to convey class and subtleness while still being flashy. The images, though overshadowed by the text, have a lot to say themselves, and are up for interpretation depending on the viewer. 

The advertisement for Silva Thins seems as though it was intended to make a stir and possibly upset some people. The text has humorous aspects to it as it uses a sexist stereotype to bolster the description of the cigarettes. It is likely the company did as much harm as good with this ad campaign because it is certain that people would never view the company the same again. The images show the subtle pack of cigarettes and two attractive people smoking a cigarette in formal clothes. These images both work to increase the appeal of the cigarettes. Silva Thins took heat for this advertisement for good reason, but lots of attention was brought to the company as a result, so the text was strategically offensive and wisely used. 
