Pleasure Through Addiction

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

Playing off of the idea of addiction is pleasure; I created a work that’s purely aimed at smoking in the Australian Culture. How is something that can feel so relaxing at the time but is so harmful so easily accessible to the public? While in Australia the government is succeeding in lowering the amount of people smoking buy creating a 12-14% tax on the product each year it also seems to be doing negative effects to the standard buyers bank account.

Studies have shown the side effects of smoking to ones health over a long duration of it but recent polls are showing that the highest rates of smokers come from poorer backgrounds and lower incomes. This shows that while the tax has decreased some people from smoking at all or at least cutting back it also displays that its making the poorer worse off financially.

So how is this pleasure good?

What kind of communication approach do you use?

Utilizing old existing promotional posters for smoking (in particular Lucky Strike) I’ve created an animation showing the harmful effects of smoking to ones health as well as subtle hints towards a less than flattering appearance in the long run. Using the little knowledge I have of After Effects the animation plays on the depth of field in the original advertising poster by Lucky Strike. Depicting a younger, thin lady smoking, which evolves into having to use an oxygen mask to simply breath. While the woman struggles to breath she is also aging and shows signs of cancer this is done while not only to show the health effects but that the treatment and cost of such is taking its toll on the lady. While a closer look comes into show the woman’s health a message saying “THE NEXT TAX ON TOBACCO IS ALMOST HERE” forewarning the public to the next increase.

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

While not many know about the soon increase this creates a possibly to expand into other old advertisements for smoking. Creating a possible montage of campaign ads against smoking and spending that extra amount of money not all families have. This animation while being the first of many dictates the beginning of a variety showing the harmful effects not only of smoking, but also more possibly of alcohol.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

Besides the fact that when using After Effects you always learn something new it’s been a deeper insight into what the lower income family has to go through when one or more members smoke. Coming from a family that used to smoke its not hard to wonder how much we’d be better off if none of my family had smoked.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

I believe while the work stands by itself, as a simple animation it also in depth asks questions if the increase created by the government is what’s in the lower incomes nations best interest. While many of us do know the risks of smoking health wise not many really see the toll it will have on the financially in the future.
This work creates the idea in the users head to the idea of possibly quitting not only for health but also for sake of their income.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

Electronic Billboards, Silent ads or pop up messages on the Internet, possibly as a front of store display.

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

No.