I found this ad using the wonders of google and searching anti drug poster. I choose this ad because I liked the parallel it created with a popular television commercial. I also thought that the cartoon nature of this ad was different than ads we had previously analyzed. The overall message of this poster was also powerful to me. Overall I think the various qualities of this poster will create and interesting discussion.
1. How does the relation of this ad with a popular ad for lollipops make this ad stronger.
2. Most of the ads we have previously discussed have used a dark color sceme. This ad instead uses a pretty blue color. How does the use of this color scheme inhance or take away from the ad? Do you think this ad would have been made stronger by the use of different colors?
3. How does the question this ad asks employ irony? This can be by asking an "owl" who are usually portrayed as wise characters or the irony of the question asked.
4. Is this ad directed at a specific audience? If so who, and how can you tell?
5. This ad does not directly mention a specific drug yet it is obviously and anti drug poster. How does this affect the ad?
Blog Prompt 1:
ReplyDeleteThis poster seems to be completely innocent like the lollipop commercial that it is modeled after. The image has a light blue background and focuses on a child. In a normal context, these images would be light-hearted. However, the child in this image is holding a syringe, asking Mr. Owl about drugs instead of how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop. The creator’s choice to use such an iconic and innocent image makes the message of the poster even more powerful. The image on this poster will shock audiences. Although this image seems to be fun and playful, its message is shocking and strongly contrasts with the message that this little boy is usually conveying.
This poster is directed towards those who have seen the original commercial that this poster is based off of. Considering that the original commercial first came out in the 1970s, this poster is directed towards a large audience. I believe that the creator chose to use this image for that reason. The Tootsie Pop commercial is so iconic and is recognized by so many people. Because the commercial is so well known, this poster has an immense impact on a great number of people. Also, the fact that the poster does not mention a specific drug means that a larger audience can relate to it.
ReplyDeletei think the relation of this ad to the commercial for lollipops makes the ad's message more recognizable to the audience. The message is more recognizable because the commercial is so well known. Most people know have seen this commercial, know about the subject matter, and know who Mr. Owl is.
ReplyDeletePrompt 5
I think the writer assumes his audience has seen the lollipop commercial. The writer believes his audience are parents who have seen this commercial and can relate the ad to their childhood and then are able to say my children could be using drugs and i need to put an end to it. I think the writer sees himself/herself as informing parents that drugs are being used by kids. The writer is trying to help his audience.
The message here is most definitely obscure. Reading against the grain is made tough by that fact that it's hard to formulate any solid and hardily defensible view of the message. Is it sarcasm (against drugs, implied by the vulgarity of a child curiously holding a syringe) or is it an honest question (suggesting one seeking knowledge/pro drugs.) The connection to the aged commercial may provide some clues. An older generation that's familiar with the ties may mark this as a sarcastic play off the original context. The contents of the syringe are a green color. This sight is used by films and tend to imply a notion of torture, pain and possibly even death in the injection of bizarre materials (mad doctor's experiments.)
ReplyDeleteA younger generation blind to the history may simply have their curiosity sparked by this which could lead one to believe it's enticing youth into drugs.
In the commercial the object was to sell the enjoyment of a product to an audience to encourage the purchase of it. If you apply that to the above then this becomes a message of encouragement to answer your own questions about the lollipop of drugs.
Blog Prompt #7
ReplyDeleteThis post not only does something, but it does several things. It can appeal to different audiences in different ways. If looking at this post from a child's point of view, you see a popular commercial that represented candy. With that, this post could easily appeal to kids with the message that drugs are candy. Basically saying they're harmless. But, if you look at this from the point of view of an adult, it could easily appeal to their parenting senses. This post could be showing adults that children have much easier access to drugs than they may realize. So this post conveys to a much larger audience than probably imagined, and have exact opposite effects on both.
The relation of the Tootsie roll pop commercial and this ad makes this stronger by it's showing how innocent children and teenagers can be. The transition from childhood to teenage years is a tough one. Kids can be influenced by all sorts of media, friends, and even parents. The tootsie drug ad shows that any child/teenager could ask anyone (even a random stranger) about drugs and be talked into doing them. They just don't know because so much in their lives are changing, and kids tend to believe they have to change their habits as well. The non specificity of a drug in this ad make the message to drug users more significant. The child asking "How many hits?" can reference a wide genre of drugs the child could be using. I think this ad speaks to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe reference that the tootsie pop commercial in this ad brings a wide range of audiences being able to connect with this poster. The commercial is a classic commercial that has been widely played throughout the years which means most people in this generation has seen this commercial.I believe that the color enhances the poster because the blue in the background makes the white boy and the bold black words stick out much more. I believe this ad is directed at a large span of audience just because of the fact that the commercial has been aired for such a long time that almost anybody since the 70s could be included. The word "hit attacks most drugs which makes me believe that the targeted drugs of the poster is almost all drugs.
ReplyDeleteBlog Prompt 1:
ReplyDeleteThe elements of this poster are very important. The first important element of the poster is the colors. The light blue background enhances the white boy figure while also allowing the black bold words to stand out also. Another important element to this poster is the syringe. The author could be hinting at targeting only drugs you can takes hits with syringes. The biggest element in this poster is the words "Mr. Owl" because in the commercial, the owl is viewed as the wise figure who knows all. By using the phrase Mr. Owl, the author could be hinting at the fact that kids are being taught to do these drugs by the older and wiser. This could also be another theme attacking the older generation suggesting that they are the ones spreading drugs and their ideas onto children.
I believe that this is an advertisement about how drugs are learned and not just picked up by some one curious without guidance. This ad implies the presence of Mr. OWL who is an owl, which is a fundamental symbol of the wise and ever present. Thus whether or not the ad is pro or against drug usage it tells us that drug use is facilitated by existing users.
ReplyDeleteQuestion #4
ReplyDeleteThis ad is directed towards a wide range of people. It is directed towards the younger generation because the original Tootsie Pop commercial is for little kids. They will be attracted to this ad because it will make them think about the tootsie pop. Teenagers are the audience of this ad, too, because it is around this age that they start to experiment with drugs. Adults are also targeted in this ad. Parents are always on the look out for ways to keep their children safe. If they see this ad, they might talk to their kids about drugs and be more careful of what their children do.