This ad was created by Newport in order to sell their cigarettes. It targets people of all races and genders who can legally purchase cigarettes. They use racially diverse people to attract a wide range of buyers. All people featured in the ad appear to be in their low to mid thirties. The ad intends to draw in people of all races and genders who are in the prime of their lives, 21-40 years.

The image has five people, one white male, one white female, one black female, and two black males all standing outside what appears to be a Christmas store. All people present are dressed plainly, in dark colored jackets. They are all laughing and smiling as if someone has just told a joke. The white male is putting a cigarette in his mouth and has a large smile across his face. There is an image of three cartons of Newport cigarettes in the lower left-hand side of the page. On the top of the page in large orange letters it says “Holiday pleasure!” There is also a small box in the lower left hand corner that reads “Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks To Your Health.”

The target audience for this ad is people of any race and gender over the age of 18. Because the people in the ad appear young and stylish is catches the eye of younger readers. The law that requires people to be 18 in order to purchase tobacco products also supports the target age group.

The most prevalent persuasion techniques used in the article are association, bandwagon, and plain folks. The ad is associating Newport cigarettes with fun and laughter. By showing a group of friends all enjoying themselves it is saying that if you smoke Newport cigarettes you will fit in better and have more fun. At the same time, bandwagon is used because some readers may see it as they won’t fit in unless they smoke Newports and they don’t want to be left out. This not wanting to be left out makes them buy Newport cigarettes because they see how many other people are doing it. Lastly the article uses plain folks to relate to the majority of readers by showing that everyone can do it. Other than slightly above average looks there is nothing special about the people featured in the ad. This makes it relatable and people will feel more comfortable buying these cigarettes.

Although this ad appears convincing, it may also scare a lot of people away. It says nothing about how cigarettes are repulsive to people outside the ad and thus the smoker would be shunned instead of praised for smoking. When examined closely the male smoking and the other people smiling all have perfectly straight, white teeth suggesting that they have never actually smoked in real life. Also there is a warning label about how quitting smoking will increase health. But it says nothing about how starting smoking will damage health.

It is advertisements like this that make people think it is ok to develop bad habits. They see something they want and instantly have to imitate it even though they will not get the same results. There is already enough health problems in the world today and ads like this are just contributing to the bad habits that too many people today have.