Stop and Think

Advertisements can be very effective; however, it is hard to find that medium where it is not too controversial, and not too mundane to lose the onlookers interest.  Excluding words, and relying on only visual text to convey a meaning, can be very risky. An image is man-made; the meaning we associate with an image depends on our background, the context in which we see it, and many more factors. However, loading an image with too many words can be distracting. So where is the medium?

I came across this image the other day. I found it very influential. My eyes first were drawn to the “human pill.” They then wandered over to the biggest text, “Rx Drug ads on T.V.-Educational or influential?” I then skimmed over the smaller text underneath before looking back to the image. The second time I looked at the image I saw a more literal meaning of the message they were trying to convey. In our consumer society, people will always try to sell you their products from left and right, no matter the damage it does to our bodies. We judge people by their activities. When we see someone dependant on pills, we see them as just a pill popper. 

This advertisement uses the rhetorical device of pathos in a clever manner. We can see a person that no longer can identify themselves, for they have been consumed by drugs.  We associate this image with how we view drug addicts, thus creating a feeling of uneasiness and aversion towards Rx Drugs in general. This image is challenging the dependability of what we hear and see, which is a serious problem in society. Today, most people watch reality shows over picking up a newspaper. The amount of junk smashed in commercials between breaks is enough to rot our brains. This ad implores us to not only stray away from drugs, but to continue to make our own decisions.  If the image itself is not enough, the text in red sends us into a state of uneasiness.  The creator decided to use a minimal amount of color so that we are forced to focus on the text in front of us. The only thing that varies is the font size. As it becomes smaller and smaller, it causes to follow the readings in chronological order, as if it was a short story. The author has created a story between images and words that drive home a powerful message that would have been difficult to achive without the use of both forms of rhetoric.