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Blander Brioso
Dr. J.T. Taylor
ENC 1101-0M49
September 30, 2015
Effect on Second Hand Smokers

In recent years, smoking has become a part of some peoples lives. It has become an
abstract killing machine for the soul of mankind. According to the article Children of Parents
who Smoke, Get to Heaven Earlier by Brittany Fikter Cigarette smoking has become the focus
for many non-profit and healthcare organizations. Advertisements against smoking deluge the
streets, the educational system, work places and social media. Although many of us may not
immediately grasp it, whenever we see an image or advertisement discouraging smoking on a
billboard, a magazine page, radio, or television, a graphic reason put forward in support of or in
opposition to a point of view has influenced our thinking. Tools like exigence, rhetor, audience,
and constraints are essential to analyzing these images and their purpose in Rhetorical
Situations and their Constituents.
It is clearly apparent that the audience for this advertisement are the people who smoke.
However, is it just people who smoke? Is anybody else affected? What about those that do not
smoke? Are they affected at all? Let us explore the persuasiveness, or lack of, in this
advertisement.

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According to Grant Davie, in a rhetorical analysis, it is very important to pinpoint the

exigence, audience, rhetors, and constraints. So what is a rhetor? Knowing the concept of
rhetoric (our persuasive use of language and images to transmit our messages) a rhetor can be
defined as the people, real or imagined, responsible for the discourse and its authorial voice
(Grant-Davie). In this promotion, there is a team working accordingly to generate the discourse.
Nevertheless, the rhetor could be the campaign director, a photographer, the models in the ad, the
author of the ad and many others. As one could see this specific campaign is founded by the
Health Services Foundation, which could perhaps be one of the rhetors. This rhetorical team is
acting on reaching out to people and trying to persuade them to quit smoking, creating therefore
the discourse of this ad.
Due to the risks caused by second hand smoking is why this graphic argument takes
place. According to the Grant-Davie in Rhetorical Situations and their Constituents, the
rhetorical exigence is some kind of need or problem that can be addressed and solved through
rhetorical discourse. In this situation the exigence falls under the wings of the effects of second
hand smoking, answering therefore the need of the discourse which is to reduce the number of
smokers having as a result a drop in the effect of second hand smokers. Clearly this ad states the
problem of second hand smoking in saying Care if I die? Of course, Gran-Davie needs to
know what this exigence is all about in this case the exigence emphasizes the danger of
smoking around other people, how can affect them much more terribly than those actually
smoking. Mostly alluring to peoples sentiments, after analyzing the deeper meaning of this ad,
one may feel an obligation to get others to stop smoking, which, ultimately is the rhetorical
teams goal in the graphic.

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Grant-Davie utilizes interesting words in describing the constraints of a rhetorical

situation as factors in the situations context that may affect the achievement of the rhetorical
objectives. Any constraint would have to do with marketing which would be presenting
products or services in such a way as to make them desirable, however there are other factors
that partake in this graphic as part of the constraint. For instance, audience ignorance. It could be
that people who smoke do not believe in the effect it causes on those who dont smoke and
perhaps ignore it. Moreover, depending on whom the rhetors are trying to target, the promotion
may be guarded by some of the audience not being able to captivate the overall meaning of the
argumentative graphic, which is why the rhetorical team creatively utilizes aesthetic
representation or visual charm as a means of persuasion to emphasize the second hand effect on
those who dont smoke.
Moreover, when an ad is successful or done well in its message, people that buy the
product across the world receives the message. When efficiently done, it will create positive
impact upon the companys relationships and development. However, when offending others it
reverses the results. It negatively impacts the company or even disrupts legal restrictions or
constraints. It destroys the advertisers image. It crosses that fine line concerning the audience
and their rights which shouldnt be violated. Some advertisement can be lying and deceiving the
audience, therefore, crossing that line of legal constraints (laws) created to prevent the offending
of people. Furthermore, I think the real questions falls under whether or not we have the right to
'shock' people into believing our advertisement or do we have the duty to be honest about the
facts? Nevertheless, though the audience starves for answers, one cant seem to find the proper
words to come out of their mouths at the right time.

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Although many factors (previously discussed) constitute this analysis, an appeal to ethics,
a means of convincing someone of the character or credibility of the persuader or Ethos is yet,
another very important source when it comes to advertising. Credibility is major factor when
appealing to an audiences accepted wisdom and standards. Therefore the Health Services
Foundation logo at the lower right hand corner of this visual argument adds certainty and
trustworthiness, having the assurance of the organizations credibility.
As I draw a conclusion to this essay, I believe this ad to have been a triumph in engaging
the sentiments of the audience. Without a doubt the intentions were rather clear in conveying to
the people to stop smoking, or at least informing them of the effect it can have not only on
themselves, but on those surrounding them. Furthermore, I think this ad has a clear purpose,
therefore achieving its goal of bringing awareness to the smoking population and how their
actions are impacting other peoples lives as well as their own lives.