Recently, you may have seen one of several graphic advertisements featuring victims

of tobacco use, like those pictured here. The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) has launched this series of striking commercials with the purpose of

convincing smokers across America to give up cigarettes. One of these memorable

advertisements features a former smoker named Terrie going through her morning

routine for the camera. This commercial uses a character that is easily relatable as well

as a strong emotional appeal to convince the audience that they should quit smoking.

By using these techniques, the CDC reminds avid smokers and their family members

that they put their health in jeopardy every time they light up.

Terrie’s Story A Visual Analysis by Melynda Hoover

Meet Terrie

“Terrie’s Ad” opens with a still photograph of a pretty, young girl. Underneath the picture is a white caption that is read allowed by an inhuman sounding voice, “I’m Terrie and I used to be a smoker.” The photograph disappears and the viewer is introduced to Terrie today, a nearly bald 51 year old woman with a stoma in her neck from a past tracheotomy. Terrie, accompanied by white subtitles, tells the audience about her typical morning routine in her raspy, almost automated sounding voice. First, she places a set of dentures into her mouth and a blonde wig on her head. She then inserts her hands free device into her neck stoma so she is able to speak without covering the hole in her throat. When she is finished tying a scarf around her neck to disguise the device, Terrie turns to the camera and acknowledges the audience by saying, “And now you’re ready for the day.” After Terrie’s monologue is finished, a black screen appears with the phrase, “Smoking causes immediate damage to your body” followed immediately by second black screen displaying a website link the viewer can visit to help combat smoking.

The Rhetorical Techniques of Terrie’s

Ad

Terrie’s Ad

Terrie’s Ad uses the setting to create a connection with the audience…

Terrie’s Ad builds a relationship between Terrie as a youth and the viewer…

Terrie’s Ad uses her condition to instill a feeling of fear in the audience…

Terrie’s Ad uses word choice to place the viewer in Terrie’s shoes…

In conclusion…

One of the strategies used by the CDC to make a connection between the

audience and the main character is the setting of the commercial. The

entire advertisement takes place in, what is presumably, Terrie’s bedroom.

Here, the audience can see photographs and personal effects of Terrie’s

on her dresser as she performs her morning ritual. These photos and knick

knacks serve to show the audience the reality of Terrie’s situation. These

personal mementos prove that she is more than just a paid actor, she is a

friend and family member as well. Once the audience has built a

relationship with Terrie’s character, they can begin to see the horrifying

results of her past habits. In this photo, you can see the personal photographs and items that Terrie values.

Return to the rhetorical techniques

In Terrie’s Ad, the CDC effectively make a personal connection

between the viewer and the woman with the wig and neck stoma on the

screen. At the beginning of the commercial, the audience sees a picture

of Terrie as a typical young woman, before her throat cancer struck. This

youthful version of Terrie is somebody that a smoker watching this

commercial could more easily relate to because she appears less

strange than her fifty-one year old counterpart. This photograph can

also effectively help engage the audience, even if the viewer is not a

smoker, by helping them draw parallels between Terrie and their friend

or family member who smokes. At right is the photograph which appears at the beginning of the ad of Terrie as a young lady.

Return to the rhetorical techniques

When the audience meets Terrie for

the first time, they are likely

shocked by the way she looks and

sounds. She appears much older

than the age displayed in the

corner of the screen and her voice

sounds almost automated because

of the large hole in her wind pipe.

Overall, her appearance seems to

closely resemble a skeleton, which

is typically associated with death,

not a living person. Terrie’s

condition is extremely foreign and

disturbing to most Americans, who

think themselves impervious to

debilitating disease like throat

cancer. Her decrepit state and

atypical morning routine are used

effectively to strike fear into the

audience of unreformed smokers.

Terrie Today, after fighting throat cancer due to her excessive smoking

Return to the rhetorical techniques

Terrie uses her deliberate choice of

words to strike fear into her

audience. Instead of using words

like “I” to describe the things she is

doing, she subtly replaces the

subject of her sentences with

“you”. By referring to the audience

instead of herself throughout the

commercial, Terrie forces the

viewers to picture themselves in

her shoes, which only increases

their fear. As the audience begins

to realize the similarities between

the decaying woman on the screen

and themselves, they make a scary

realization. If they do not change

their habits, someday, Terrie’s

advice could be all too useful.

Terrie’s concluding statement, seen above, is a great example of her use of word choice.

Return to the rhetorical techniques

The combination of creating a connection between the viewer and Terrie

as well as using scare tactics makes this advertisement particularly

effective in convincing tobacco users to change their habits. By creating

an emotional connection between Terrie and the audience in the

beginning of the advertisement, the intended message strikes even

closer to home. The commercial then plays on the emotions of the

smoker by questioning his or her mortality. After learning of Terry’s

situation, a smoker may not feel as invincible to the effects of cigarettes

as they may have before. This clever strategy opens the eyes of the

smoking public to what their habits could be doing to their bodies.

Works Cited Exit

Exit

Works Cited

CDCStreamingHealth. “CDC: Tips from Former Smokers – Terrie’s Ad.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 15 March 2012. Web. 1 March 2013.