Refreshing Turned Repulsive

In today’s modern society, it is extremely difficult to make people realize the invisible threats to their health that are inside so many foods and drinks that they consume. Through this advertisement, Get Healthy San Mateo County attempted to help people understand just exactly what they are putting inside their bodies and doing to their health. The advertisement shows a bottle of soda poured on top of twenty-two packets of sugar into a cup instead of the usual liquid, in order to display to the viewers what they are drinking. This image is paired next to a question which is placed to make the viewer of this advertisement think about their answer, “You wouldn’t eat 22 packs of sugar. Why are you drinking them?”. Towards the bottom of the ad, it displays a logo of the company putting this message out along with a link to find more information on this topic. Get Healthy San Mateo County uses this visual metaphor in order to invoke a sense of reality into their viewer, displaying how much sugar intake is happening when they drink just a twenty ounce bottle of soda. It uses specific numerical values to provide a sense of actuality and sense inside their message by telling the viewer that twenty-two sugar packets are inside the average twenty ounce bottle of soda. The advertisement also contains a link to information on this topic of health right below their message in the hopes that people will experience a wave of reality upon seeing the image, and head towards their link to get more information on this topic. The advertisement is able to make the reader see something they usually would not bat an eye at and turn it into something that makes them disgusted, forcing them to think about their actions more when making decisions concerning the drinks that they let themselves consume.

To begin, the part of this advertisement that has the most effect on the viewer is the physical image of the pouring of soda into a cup of dry sugar packets. By displaying the soda with twenty-two sugar packets instead of the usual liquid, the soda seems different and causes the viewer to think about what is actually in their drinks. It causes a discomfort between the audience and the drink because all of a sudden the number of grams of sugar becomes a reality, instead of just a number on the label. Since most people would be revolted by the idea of having to sit and eat twenty-two singular packets of plain sugar, comparing it to the soda makes it much less appealing to the viewer. Furthermore, the volume of the sugar in the cup displays how much is actually dissolved into the drink. It makes the cup feel cluttered and heavy instead of a normal, light and refreshing drink choice. The way that the sugar packets stand on top of each other and stay pressed against the edge of the cup as if they are trapped creates another sense of overwhelm in the audience. It makes them feel that there is so much, it is going overboard. When the viewers experience this feeling of being overwhelmed, they stop seeing a refreshing soda and start to see something gross that would be harmful to their health. The final feeling of disgust through this image is caused by the act of the soda being poured directly over the dry sugar packets. Since the packets are already almost reaching the brim of the cup, if the soda was poured on top of them it would become overflowed and would make a mess. This causes a sense of discomfort in the viewer. The soda being poured on top of the dry sugar packets also causes a sense of unpleasantness because it forces the audience to imagine the mixture it would make, soggy sugar packets stuck inside the cup. All of these aspects turn the idea of a refreshing drink of soda into a disgusting and heavy mixture that makes them feel uncomfortable to think about drinking.

In addition, another vital piece of this advertisement is that of the wording. Not only what it actually says but also how it was chosen to be displayed on the advertisement. To the left of the picture of the soda pouring into the cup of sugar packets is written “You wouldn’t eat 22 packs of sugar. Why are you drinking them?” in bolded, capitalized, red letters. These components are used to enter the mind of the viewer and become an authoritative voice inside their head. The bright red color on top of the plain white background stands out to the reader. It draws their attention to the words to ensure that the viewer reads it and takes in its information. The color also forces the viewer to feel a sense of intimidation and fear as red is usually a color associated with danger. If the audience feels this as they read the message it helps make them feel that this information is dangerous and important. Another aspect of the lettering that captures the reader's attention is the capitalization. In the advertisement the main message is written in all capital letters, which is usually associated with important messages. If the letters are bolded and capitalized in the face of the reader it makes them feel that it is something they should pay attention to, causing them to truly read the message and force themselves to understand the importance of the question. Another way they get inside the mind of the viewer is by personally addressing them in the advertisement. In the question asked, it specifically starts with “You wouldn’t eat…” which immediately confronts the reader and makes them think about their personal consumption habits. Doing this can make the reader feel ashamed or embarrassed of their habits, forcing them to feel a sense of internal conflict, creating a want to do more for their health. The final aspect of the wording on the advertisement that speaks to the reader is the fine print. In the phrased question it contains an asterisk leading the reader to see the small print underneath the main message. That small print states that the “22 packets of sugar” is the correct number when you are drinking a twenty ounce bottle of soda. Seeing this attaches a sense of reality of the advertisement to the reader because they are using actual proven numerical values. All of these components of the wording and style make the message stand out to the viewer so much more than if it were written simply, forcing their mind to make them truly understand it.

Finally, the last part of the advertisement is the link and logo at the bottom of the page directing the viewer towards the people that are sending out this message. It is intentionally placed directly below the message and image to lead the viewer towards the website. It is put there in hopes that after the advertisement has been looked at, the viewer wants to learn more and searches up their website to get more information. If the person looking at this advertisement decides to search up the Get Healthy San Mateo County link it will lead them to a place where they can learn more about not only sugary drinks but also other unhealthy habits as well. It can lead them to learn important information that helps make the unhealthiness of too much soda a reality, for example, “Countywide, nearly one in three children and one in six adults in San Mateo County drink one or more sodas each day” (Get Healthy San Mateo County). Seeing statistics like this from a professional company can also help set a tone of actuality in the viewer's mind to how serious soda consumption can be in a person's health. 

Overall, this advertisement from Get Healthy San Mateo County succeeded in their attempt to strip away the illusion of soda being a healthy and refreshing drink option. They used their detailed imagery, selective wording, and helpful informational contacts in order to help the audience of their advertisement truly understand the gravity of the issues that these drinks bring to a person's health. They take a refreshing looking soda and turn it around to make the viewer’s mind think it to be a gross and unhealthy option of drink choices. Through their connection of the soda to its amount of sugar, bold writing style to make the viewer think about their choices, and choice of aid with links to help them learn more, this company helps their viewers see the reality in front of them that is the unhealthiness of their everyday drinks.