Do you know somebody that smokes? If yes, this person is cutting years off of their life due to the addictive nicotine that is in cigarettes and the potential health risks such as lung cancer. This advertisement is trying to show viewers the dangers of smoking using a popular smoking icon, Joe Camel. By looking at the picture, the caption, the character, and the setting of this advertisement, one can see the message it is trying to convey about the risks that smokers take with every puff of each cigarette everyday of their lives.
This picture as a whole focuses on the dangers of smoking and the risks that smoking involves. The underlying message of this advertisement is to stop smoking or to never start to begin with. In this picture, the normally healthy looking Joe Camel appears to be unhealthy and undergoing a chemotherapy treatment. Furthermore, the main Joe Camel is being followed by several others who are also undergoing treatment. This represents the large number of patients in the United States that are impacted by smoking and lung cancer. Not only are smokers at risk, they also put others at risk from the second hand smoke they emit into the air. These dangers can extend to other family members, passers by, unborn fetuses if a pregnant mother smokes, and many others. Therefore, smokers are not only endangering their own lives, they are also putting others at risk for their personal satisfaction that they get from cigarettes.
The character is the central image in this advertisement. Joe Camel is a major icon for a major cigarette company. Therefore, by using Joe Camel as the central picture, the advertisement is trying to especially demean the Camel brand of cigarettes and try to really hit home to people the risks of smoking. Although cancer is one of the biggest threats to smokers, it is by far not the only risk involved with smoking. By looking at Joe “Chemo” other visible signs of smoking are present. Some of these visible signs include wrinkles and dark circles around his eyes. Also, smokers tend to smell bad because of the smell gets on their clothes, have bad breath, and often times yellow teeth.
The caption underneath of Joe Camel is “Joe Chemo” which implies that Joe Camel is receiving chemotherapy treatments for cancer which can be caused by smoking. Smokers are at an increased risk for cancer, especially lung cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation are forms of treatment for cancer, and in this picture, Joe Chemo is receiving chemotherapy from the machine he is connected to. While there may be treatment, for some it is too late.
The hospital is the main setting in this advertisement. Joe “Chemo” is being followed by other camels who are receiving chemotherapy treatment as well. By the looks of it, these camels have made themselves at home at the hospital because they are in bathrobes and the traditional hospital socks which means that these camels will most likely be in the hospital for a while. However, there is the possibility that these camels could end up dying first, depending on how heavy of smokers they are/were. Also, it looks like this is a routine situation for these camels to just cruise through the hospital hallways with their chemotherapy machines.
With all of the risks of smoking and the dangers it presents, something has got to be done. Many states are banning smoking in public locations, even bars. Another state has even gone as far as considering smoking around children to be considered abuse; consequently if an adult is smoking with a child in the vehicle, they could get pulled over and fined. Also, advertisements such as the Joe “Chemo” ad are trying to raise awareness of what smoking can do to someone’s health and that increased numbers of smokers are getting cancer.
Overall, this advertisement is trying to get across to viewers that smoking is not a wise choice. Smoking presents many dangers not only to the smoker but also to other people who come in contact with the smoker. By looking at the advertisement as a whole and then looking at each individual part of the advertisement, it is clearly communicated that smoking is a dangerous and risky choice, especially since smokers are not only choosing their own fate, but are also affecting the fates of others by putting them at serious risk.
Advertisement taken from: http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2006-10/joe-chemo.jpg
