--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Advertising is not a rifle; it is a…" description: "\"Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any campaign featuring outdoor boards of a cartoon animal inevitably will catch children in its spray...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png" --- # Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any… ![“Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any campaign featuring outdoor boards of a cartoon animal inevitably will catch children in its spray.” quote by Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png) > “Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any campaign featuring outdoor boards of a cartoon animal inevitably will catch children in its spray.” [Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advertising reaches a broad audience like a shotgun, so using cartoon animals on outdoor boards inevitably impacts children. **In simple terms:** Ads are broad and affect kids. Key Takeaway Design campaigns with child impact in mind. Themes advertising media ethics children public influence Mood concerned critical Type ethical media analysis When to use this quote - outdoor billboard design - children's media consumption - parental guidance - regulatory policy Key Concepts targeting mass communication visual persuasion Questions to Reflect On - How can advertisers protect children from unintended influence? - What safeguards should be implemented for outdoor ads? A Different Perspective Children may be unintentionally targeted, raising ethical concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Rifles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rifles/) ## Related quotes > [It's sometimes better to pretend I don't hear the sound of somebody in the nearby woods with a shotgun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashiell-hammett/it-s-sometimes-better-to-pretend-i-don-t-hear-the-sound-of-somebody/) [Dashiell Hammett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashiell-hammett/) > [You know you can't just run and shoot people in the knee-caps with double barreled shotgun 'cause you're pissed at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/you-know-you-can-t-just-run-and-shoot-people-in-the-knee-caps-with/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [My cousin cleaned out a shotgun for me and let me carry it around the house, because he said, 'Anybody who knows anything about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/my-cousin-cleaned-out-a-shotgun-for-me-and-let-me-carry-it-around-the/) [Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/) > [The best long range shotgun load to have in one's boat for mallards is a fine retriever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nash-buckingham/the-best-long-range-shotgun-load-to-have-in-one-s-boat-for-mallards/) Nash Buckingham > [Whether hunting is right or wrong, a spiritual experience, or an outlet for the killer instinct, one thing it is not is a sport.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-hunting-is-right-or-wrong-a-spiritual-experience-or-an-outlet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I do believe the shotguns helped them accept this reality sooner than they might have otherwise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/i-do-believe-the-shotguns-helped-them-accept-this-reality-sooner-than/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“Shotguns and children don't mix.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-child/shotguns-and-children-don-t-mix/) [Lee Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-child/) > [Ever since Richard Nixon walloped George McGovern in the presidential election of 1972, political pundits have treated as a truism the proposition that liberals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/ever-since-richard-nixon-walloped-george-mcgovern-in-the-presidential/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [Film is a truly magical medium. You can create illusions of reality, make people think they've seen things that they really haven't - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-savini/film-is-a-truly-magical-medium-you-can-create-illusions-of-reality/) [Tom Savini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-savini/) > [To a police officer, a sawed off shotgun is the ultimate nightmare. You can blow someone in half!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-seagal/to-a-police-officer-a-sawed-off-shotgun-is-the-ultimate-nightmare-you/) [Steven Seagal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-seagal/) > [Power doesn't corrupt. It's neutral. Someone always wants to corrupt power. It's the way a shotgun is not a deadly weapon until someone chooses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ditko/power-doesn-t-corrupt-it-s-neutral-someone-always-wants-to-corrupt/) Steve Ditko > [“Shamu and I have arrived safely in Costa Rica. He was stopped by airport security because he carries enough artillery in his pants pockets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/shamu-and-i-have-arrived-safely-in-costa-rica-he-was-stopped-by/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [News flash, lady. There are no queens anymore,” Shane said. He loaded shells in a shotgun and snapped it shut, then searched for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/news-flash-lady-there-are-no-queens-anymore-shane-said-he-loaded/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [A man can’t have too many guitars or too many shotguns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-earl-keen/a-man-can-t-have-too-many-guitars-or-too-many-shotguns/) [Robert Earl Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-earl-keen/) > [I had to shoot shotguns for The Blues Brothers. But I don't like that stuff. Too butch for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/i-had-to-shoot-shotguns-for-the-blues-brothers-but-i-don-t-like-that/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) ## More by Bob Garfield > [ “\[A TV commercial\] crossed my desk in 1986. It came with a press release boasting about an enormous production budget employed in service of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/a-tv-commercial-crossed-my-desk-in-1986-it-came-with-a-press-release/) [Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) > [I can hardly believe that I even know this, but I am aware that Noah Webster's original dictionary, apart from being the first truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/i-can-hardly-believe-that-i-even-know-this-but-i-am-aware-that-noah/) [Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) > [Chain letters are the postal equivalent of intestinal flu: you get it and pass it along to your friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/chain-letters-are-the-postal-equivalent-of-intestinal-flu-you-get-it/) [Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) > [What happens when you combine blogs, Google and millions of dissatisfied customers? An e-mob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/what-happens-when-you-combine-blogs-google-and-millions-of/) [Bob Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) [Explore all 5 Bob Garfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/) ## More Advertising quotes > [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/) [Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/) > [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/) [Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/) > [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/) [Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/) [Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/) > [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/) [Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/) > [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/) [Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/) > [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/) [John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/) [Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any campaign featuring outdoor boards of a cartoon animal inevitably will catch children in its spray.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Garfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotgun-and-any-campaign-featuring/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advertising" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotgun-and-any-campaign-featuring/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/bob-garfield-61148_advertising_advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotg_540450.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Advertising is not a rifle; it is a shotgun, and any campaign featuring outdoor boards of a cartoon animal…” — Bob Garfield", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Garfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-garfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Advertising is not a rifle; it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotgun-and-any-campaign-featuring/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-garfield/advertising-is-not-a-rifle-it-is-a-shotgun-and-any-campaign-featuring/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```