The Real Cost

It starts from the very beginning of the commercial. From the eerie "Circus Jiffy" empty gas station parking lot, to the creep behind the counter, the mood is set, and it's not friendly. The FDA's latest campaign is more intense than ever before, and have invested $115 million into the new ads that target teenagers and young adults. This demographic has been targeted because of the idea that there is still hope to stop these poor behaviors either before they start or before it's too late. After watching this commercial for the first time, I couldn't believe my ears. The sound and visual of the kid pulling out his own tooth with a pair of pliers for a pack of cigarettes clearly got the point across. Seeing this once was enough for me to never want to put a cigarette anywhere close to my mouth. The noise was so sickening to me that by the second time it was shown, I had to look away and cover my ears. Bold, repulsive, depressing; now, that's what you call effective advertising.