This ad and others of its type go far back in years in its attempts to coerce young vulnerable teens to feel the need to fit in and be "cool"; and only gaining this reputation through smoking the camel cigarettes found here. Teens are targeted for the simple fact that we are not always able to decipher the difference between the product and reality, and secretly wish for the unreal benefits that come along with buying the product.
The visuals that catch my attention the most after looking at this ad are 1. the fancy shiny car in the background, 2. Joe the Camel's muscular arms and stance, 3. His "shades" and 4. The pack of cigarettes strategically placed under his right arm shirt sleeve. While Americans are fully aware of the harmful effects smoking has upon them, naive teens still fall prey to visually eye catching ads as these, and feel that in order to be good enough, and cool enough, (like the Camel), they must also smoke these cigarettes. They want to fit in and these cigarettes "obviously" worked for Joe the Camel so why not them?
After looking at this ad, I am reminded of the negative view Williams conveys about advertising in his article, Advertising: The Magic System. He brands the idea that advertising rules us, and in this case, the overpowering personna present in this ad supports that argument. He also brings up the idea that the material object being sold is never enough. The cigarettes in this ad aren't necessarily the only thing the consumer is looking to find-it's all the benefits that come along with it like social acceptance, a manly look, possibly a nice car etc..
While some ads may be extremely convincing, I personally feel this ad is unrealistic and doesn't pertain to me. Consumers must gain the ability to turn away from the constant reminder of all the materialistic items surrounding us-as difficult as it may be. Around every corner is another ad, it's just our job to decide which ones to pay attention to. -Joslyn-
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