Visual Arguments Against Drunk Driving

Ramiro Munoz
Professor Jones
English 101
11 August 2014
Visual Argument It is believed that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that cannot be any more true than in regards to anti-drunk driving propaganda. These campaigns expose the harsh reality behind drinking and driving, with the anticipation that they will reduce the amount of fatal crashes that unfortunately happen on a daily basis. The images shown are often graphic and unsettling, a technique used by the campaigns in order to deliver a strong and powerful residual message. The visual attached comes from an anti-drunk driving campaign located across the globe in Thailand and goes perfectly with was just described. Because this is a worldwide catastrophe, countries are fighting back through strict punishments to those who are caught driving under the influence and also with the help of advertisements which present a strong rhetoric, like the one presented.
The visual argument shown is of a man in his mid twenties, taking down a shot of what appears to be liquor.
Evidently, the “shot” of vodka is being depicted as a real “shot”, one that is costing him his life. The back of the man’s head is being blown out as if the “shot” was coming from a real firearm. Portrayed as the bullet, projecting outward from his cranium is a tiny silver car; so essentially, the shot glass is representing a gun in an act of suicide, with the cause of suicide being the car. The raw image shown is meant to stop people who have been drinking, from entering an automobile and risking their life. This particular advertisement contains no catchy slogan, statistics or title, merely the powerful and striking image that leaves viewers scratching their heads. The fact that this ad contains nothing but the dramatization of drinking and driving is so influential that many of the surrounding countries of Thailand have caught on and begun their own anti-drunk driving
campaigns. Presentation of the visual is a strong reason for the argument being so convincing. The image is remarkable; it is a high contrast photo with a large amount of visual appeal. The image of the sliver car acting as a bullet, blasting through the back of the man’s head is traumatic but draws the viewer in. When analyzing the rhetoric, it is evident that the ad leans more to a pathos appeal than a logos or ethos appeal, even though those are presented in lower amounts. The deadly graphic shows a great deal of emotional appeal and works with the pathos appeal to persuade spectators to not drink and drive. Ethos and logos are shown but in small doses. The overall message being projected is meant to bring logic to the viewers mind and help them to realize that driving under the influence is a drastic mistake that should be avoided at all costs. Ethos is also touched upon in the ideology that driving and driving is a foolish mistake. Together the three work in partnership to create a powerful and convincing ad that will leave spectators gasping. Drinking and driving will cause dangerous car accidents and kill the person that drinks, as well as those involved. While death is not a direct cause of drinking, driving a vehicle under the influence is. Thus, the car representing a bullet in the scenario.