Kairos may very easily be the most fundamental rhetorical concept a person can make. Whether this be in a commercial, speech, or film; the usage of kairos is essential in bringing attention or awareness to an issue that needs to be heard and dealt with. Kairos breaks down how a moment in time affects its significance. It is a word that expresses the “opportunity” and what is appropriate to say at a given moment in time. Take this anti-smoking ad for example. Ronaldo Martinez, face of the “Nothing Will Ever Be The Same” Campaign in New York, leads in the Anti-Smoking PSA “SWIMMING.”
Ronaldo had his larynx removed due to excessive smoking and speaks through an artificial voice box. In the video, Ronaldo speaks in his synthesized voice and addresses how he can no longer swim because his throat hole will make him drown if water were to get into it.
According to a New York Times article highlighting this PSA, Ronaldo’s story “helped bring about a threefold increase in calls to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from people interested in smoking cessation.” In 2007, the year this PSA was released, smoking was at an all time high. An estimated 19.8% (43.4 million) of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers; of these, 77.8% (33.8 million) smoked every day. The organization saw this as an opportunity and released the PSA at a perfect time. They were able to understand their audience and catch their attention with a surprising and frightening story. The video uses intimidating imagery (clips where you can see the throat hole), story-telling, and an emotional appeal to get their message across. It made people question their own decisions and allowed them to consider life-saving options. The PSA was designed to “scare the cigarette out of the person’s hand.” And it definitely worked. Anti-smoking commercials like this have become increasingly popular since 2007, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ‘current smoking has declined from 20.9% (nearly 21 of every 100 adults) in 2005 to 14.0% (14 of every 100 adults) in 2017, and the proportion of ever smokers who have quit has increased.’ The act of using the best time to discuss the specific argument of anti-smoking was what made this ad so successful and appealing.
Although I personally do not smoke, I think this ad would be enough for me to realize how detrimental smoking would be to my life. The emotional appeal of how Ronaldo’s story could resonate with any smoker will be enough to make someone quit, or at least help them find a way to try. I believe that any Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign is very effective in conveying their message. They use fear to encourage people not to smoke cigarettes for obvious reasons, including death. This constant reminder to stray from smoking is urgent to one’s life as well as the quality of it.
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