your brain on drugs

video number 1

observations:

simple

egg in frying pan

oil in pan

deep voice speaking in background

short

any questions?

inferences:

the oil symbolizes drugs while the egg is your brain

this shows that by doing drugs your brain will be fried

it is simple and to the point

reaches a broad spectrum of people

doesn't focus on one drug, but all

video number 2

observations:

Rachael Leigh Cook stars in it

focuses on heroine

she breaks things

is more specific on what things will happen if you do heroine

smashes the egg

inferences:

this ad is more focused on heroine

the young actor speaks to the youth

the violence almost scares you into not doing heroine

longer so perhaps the viewers believe it more

analysis:

The intended audience for video number one is anyone who has ever considered doing or who has ever done drugs. It reaches a broad audience because it is a very simple and to the point commercial. Video number two has a more specific audience. This audience is perhaps young people who do or have thought about doing heroine only. The tone in the first video is more subtle. The speaker's voice is calm and is not threatening. The tone in the second video is much more intense. This ad is violent and scary, as the actress lists the things that will happen to you if you do heroine. You do not need to know anything in specific to understand the first video. The second however, stars actress Rachael Leigh Cook. Knowing that this is a famous actress may change the video's ethos. By seeing that a famous actress is speaking about heroine, the audience may want to listen more. The purposes in these videos are the same: to keep people off of drugs, however it is more specific to heroine in the second video.  The second video is more effective rhetorically because it uses more pathos. The actress is upset which makes you think maybe she has been through the pain of doing drugs before and the audience sympathizes for her. She also has more ethos because she is a famous actress.