Ad Deconstruction

Tipalet Cigarettes

Message of the Ad

Background:This is a magazine ad taken from about 15 years go. The product the ad is selling is Tipalt Cigarettes, a new type of cigarette made by Muriel. There is one sentence in large, easy to read font and the rest of the text is in a smaller sized print.

Smaller print: Hit her with tangy Tipalet Cherry. Or rich, grape-y Tipalet Burgundy. Or luscious Tipalet Blueberry. It’s Wild! Tipalet. It’s now. Different. Delicious in taste and aroma. A puff in her direction and she’ll follow you, anywhere. Oh yes… you get smoking satisfaction without inhaling smoke.
Smokers of America, do yourself a flavor. Make your next cigarette a Tipalet.
New from Muriel

Target Audience: This ad is intended for male smokers over the age of eighteen, most likely an older male audience based on the age of the man in the picture. It appeals to men who are seeking women because the text implies that this product will help men look attractive.

Hook and Story: The main method the advertiser is using in this case is sex, with the language and with the image. The image is the first thing that grabs the audience’s attention, and this image is especially appealing to men due to what it symbolizes. Men that see this are most likely going to want to be the man in the picture because they want to get the girl. "Blow it in her face and she'll follow you anywhere." The story is that a man is smoking a Tipalet cigarette and he blows the intoxicating aroma into the woman's face and she is instantly hooked. The point is to get the viewer to believe that this same tactic will work for them.

With this product the consumer is supposed to get a higher status, they are supposed to seem more powerful and more attractive.

Primary Informational Message: This ad focuses on taste and self-appearance. It lacks information on the side effects of smoking.

Composition

Characters: There are two characters in this ad, one female and one male. They seem to be in their 20s or 30s.

Setting: There is no setting, only a yellow background. A possibility in reasoning could be because the advertiser wants the consumer to believe that the product will make them look attractive in any type of setting.

Copy: There is of course the first sentence, which is meant to grab the initial read of, "Blow it in her face and she'll follow you anywhere." This is supposed to be the line that sticks in the reader's mind. The product name is said four times in the ad, which is a fair amount compared to the amount of texts that is there. The ad also uses words like new, wild, different, tangy, and luscious to make the product appealing. The actual image of the cigarette is located in the center of the ad and between the man and the woman. This draws the attention to the protect right away and shows a connection between the man and the woman that is created by the Tipalet.

Visual: This image is very intimate. It is a close up shot and there is not a lot of extra space, so it really draws attention to the people. The people are locked in a gaze. The man looks confident as he blows the smoke from the cigarette into the woman's face and she looks lustful. There clothing is simple. Black and white are neutral colors and go along with the neutral background. All of these really bring us to the faces and the cigarette which are the main focus of the ad.

I think this ad can get a number of responses. I think it is appealing for its target audience and maybe many men will try this product. I think it is strange that they mix a man who is supposed to be strong, confident, and attractive to women with a thin fruity cigarette. Still, I think the ad is effective primarily because sex sells.