CORPOREAL ANXIETY: THE VISUAL ARGUMENTATION OF RECENT ANTI-TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS

Abstract

Tobacco usage is the leading contributor to preventable death in the United States, yet maintains a strong appeal to many demographics, due to decades of massive advertising expenditures from the tobacco industry and the ubiquitous presence of cigarettes in American culture. Two of the latest developments in the federal government’s effort to stem tobacco-related death are the Tips from Former Smokers and The Real Cost counter-advertising campaigns. This thesis documents the rhetorical trajectory of cigarette discourse in the United States, explaining how past cigarette advertising and anti-smoking campaigns have exerted influence on the messaging strategies of Tips from Former Smokers and The Real Cost. This thesis also offers an explanation for the successes and failures of these campaigns, emphasizing the role of visual argument and bodily rhetoric in producing persuasion. An analysis of more than a dozen anti-smoking messages from these campaigns reveals that visual arguments can serve a dialogical function and that the associations between desirable features and cigarettes created by past tobacco industry advertising remain potent. This thesis concludes by offering recommendations for future anti-smoking messaging campaigns.