Visual Argument: ENG 101/JCC-SW 3/12 ASSIGNMENT

For our sample commercial, I chose this 1960s Winston Cigarette ad. The reason I chose this ad was that it obvioulsy wouldn't be shown today (cartoon characters are proven to get kids smoking, re: Joe Camel) and that it's longer than today's commercials, which was part of the charm of 60s advertising - less shows, more time for ads.

In terms of the commercial's visual rhetoric, it plays on the stereotypes of women working while the men lay back and do nothing, which was a big issue of the 60s and typical of the Flintstone's, where Fred and Barney Rubble were prone to goofing off in a fun way that's carried on to today's Fred Flinstone, Homer Simpson. The commercial is black and white, but the cigarette smoke and the packs of cigarettes that pop up in the video are very detailed - there's even a cigarette billboard in the little town of Bedrock! Cigarettes are portrayed here as a relaxing treat, something to have once in a while, which is interesting now knowing how bad and addictive cigarettes are. The commercial is obviously using pathos, as the characters of the Flinstone's are well-known and likable; why would they endorse a bad product?