What is the intended audience of this advertisement? Why do you think the creator of this ad chose to use a video game theme?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Week 2: Video Game Anti-Drug Ad
What is the intended audience of this advertisement? Why do you think the creator of this ad chose to use a video game theme?
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Prompt 7: The featured post does cause the viewer to consider the down side to drugs, but it does not connect to the audience as well as it should, nor does it seem particularly affective. This post is geared towards younger people. The ad uses a video game screen in order to connect with a younger audience. While this theme should be received well by teenagers, the 8-bit font makes the ad seem a bit like a joke. Most of the people in the targeted generation have not played games old enough to look like that. Most games these days also lack a game over screen because you can come back to life as often as you need to. In addition, the words "game overdose" are not incredibly effective. It almost sounds like they are trying to say that overdose is a game. Unless you are still playing on a Nintendo Entertainment System, the game character probably just comes back to life and forces you to restart the mission if you die. Because of this, using the video game screen is a bit strange and outdated. In addition, the set up of the picture seems very purposefully arranged. It is very clear that the items were only placed there for this picture. It is hard to believe that a person would have their drugs sitting on the floor all next to each other as if they are about to take all of them, when they just did enough drugs to overdose.
ReplyDeleteWhile this image does seem very planned, it does get the point across. This image may worry a mother who has a child living in her basement. The fact that the hand looks like it belongs to someone younger than 21 causes the viewer to realize that even very young people could gain access to drugs and end up dead. Anyone that looks at this ad will understand the message it is trying to send.
In response to Taylor's post:
DeleteExcellent points that you made about featured post. I completely agree that the use of "Game Overdose" and 8-bit fonts are not too effective toward the younger, or teenage generations, since most of the games today give players the option to restart, re-spawn, or come back to life after losing the game, or a mission within the game. However, this ad could be very effective toward the young adults (specifically 21-35 years old), who experienced these types of gaming usages, and who I believe are the creator's main targets. As you mentioned, most games on consoles, EXCEPT Nintendo System, or even older console systems such as GameBoy Advance, game characters re-spawn after losing a game. Nonetheless, these older console systems are the main consoles that the young adults have spent their youth on. Naturally, seeing the “Game Overdose” and the 8-bit fonts would definitely remind them about the Tetris, Mario, so Sonic games that they have played, how frustrated they were when seeing the “Game Over” message with crooked fonts, and how upset they were when they had to start the game all over. Similarly while looking at this ad, these young adults would definitely not want to end this game: The game where the is NO start over.
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ReplyDeleteThis poster does show the negative effect of drugs abuse, but personally, I think it is not persuasive enough. First of all, this creator makes this poster look like in a screen of video game, it looks more convinced in young people world but not in adult world. Second, there are just a hand, a tube and some drugs in the poster, we cannot see the extreme negative effect - the end of life directly, except using our imagination.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Bonnie's post:
DeleteI agree with what she was saying about not being able to see the negative effects of the drugs. It is almost as if someone just put a hand next to some random hard drugs and took a picture. The hand looks pretty normal, no scars or cuts to maybe suggest the danger of those drugs. This add would really only have any affect on adults concerned with their children.
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ReplyDeleteI am responding to this post using blog prompt 7. The poster use a screen of a video game as a back ground, which can draw a a lot more attention from teenage. In the upper of the picture, it displays the name,age and situation of the drug user. “Life：0”shows that person is died. The poster combines the term "Game Over" with "Overdose" which can make people start to consider the relevance between games and drug abuse. In my opinion, the producer of the picture is trying to convey the idea that taking drugs is not like playing video games because people cannot get a chance when to restart. Although it might not seem persuasive to adults, it still can impress on teenage and change their opinions about drugs.
ReplyDeleteI agree that poster could be suspenseful in influencing younger people and their opinions on drugs. The contrast of the 8-bit style of text and the arm conveys that drugs aren't something that should be played around with. The life counter at the top being at "0" and the title "Game Overdose" makes it seem like the person playing the game lost and the key to winning is avoiding the drugs.
DeleteI like the idea brought about by Zicong that taking drugs is not like video game because there is not always a chance to restart. When I observe the ad, I focus mainly on the similarities between drug abuse and video game. The difference between the two could also be a good idea. The "0" at the top of screen may mean the one is dead or it could be the player has a short life when he or she overdoes drugs.
DeleteI'm responding to this post by blog promp 7. This ad does have some advantages compare to other normal ad by using vedio game as the background and the character type, because more and more teenagers begin to take drugs, the vedio game like poster can draw attention from teenagers and use the "game overdoes" to remind them that is very dangerosu to take drugs. However, the using of the vedio game background make the ad seems not very serious so that people will not really regard drug as a harmful problem. Some people may think the poster is just for fun. The picture of the ad is not very thought-provoking because it is just a hand and a needle with some drugs on the floor. And there is no further meanings.
ReplyDeleteI'm responding the post by using prompt 6. The instance I want to talk about is the author makes an individual's life who abuses drugs is like video game. If you overdose in the drugs game, you may have game over quickly. In this ad, one of rhetorical technique used by the author is the one hand and arm on the ground. Just by using the hand, the individual who abuses drugs could be anyone. It does not specify the age, gender, race or anything. Thus, everyone should be careful. However, at the top of the ad, it shows the age is 21. We may infer the audience the author makes is young adults. They are the people who like to play video games also.
ReplyDeleteRespond in class discussion. We talked about why the author chose to use green to make the fonts in the ad. First, green is commonly used as poisonous in comics, cartoon or video games. It's more related to poisons for the audience. Second, the color of green could be stand-out, which drives our attention more easily.
ReplyDelete