01/31/13
English 102-942
Instructor: Valerie Fox
Impossible is Nothing Adidas’s latest anti-smoking campaign features three cigarette butts layed out in a white background in the style of its logo, which includes their motto “impossible is nothing”. As one of the largest suppliers of athletic gear, Adidas looks to not only promote greater advantages in sports recreation, but also in good health. The communicator in the ad is the company Adidas, the primary audience would be smokers out there, but this message also applies to all athletes and athletic individuals. The message and purpose of the ad includes the fact that people who are smoking always have the option to quit, and as their motto implies, “impossible is nothing”. Normally, their motto is attributed to the fact that it is not impossible to try new things and go new depths in sports, and in this case it is saying that it is not impossible to quit smoking. Indeed, Adidas argues a valid point, sending a positive message to society, and one should strive to spread a similar message.
Accordingly, the ad campaign utilizes a series of rhetorical strategies to successfully grasp the reader’s attention. These rhetorical strategies involved in the ad are what make it a powerful message. Primarily, the visual representation is setup to make the message really clear. The ad brushes upon the pathos aspect of rhetoric to grab the viewer’s attention. Making a statement such as “impossible is nothing” and displaying the butt ends of lit out three cigarettes with one cigarette three quarters of the way lit finished, to the second that is almost finished to the filter, and the third that is finish all the way.
This is done purposely as practically everyone recognizes the Adidas logo, and can instantly perceive the message behind the ad. The ethos, or the aspect of credibility in this ad lies in the fact that Adidas is a big brand name, its products are widely purchased all over the world and its
Cited: Dempster, Michael. Personal interview. 10 Jan. 2013. My Interview with former smoker Michael Dempster, who explains how he got out of the habit of smoking Colton, Zoe. "Quit Smoking. Get Healthy. Adidas?" Notes from Zoe. Zoe Colton, 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. Pittenger, Terri. “Hostility and Smoking” Alliant International University, Nov. 2011. Dissertation. 30 Jan. 2013.