TOW #22: Campaign against drunk driving in Brazil (poster, visual text)

How intimidating can a mere can of beer get? In a drink driving campaign poster done by Fiat, the can of beer carries the scariest message that a driver could think of. The poster puts two pictures of a beer can right next to each other: the first one with the can unopen, and the second one with the can open. The first can, with its golden top reflects an image of someone riding a bicycle towards the can. On the top it says, “Agora Você Vê?”, which translates into “Now you see it.” On the second picture with the can open, the opening of the can blocks the reflection of the man riding the bicycle coming towards the can, and says, “Agora não”, meaning “Now you don’t.” This carries the meaning that when drivers drink even a can of beer, they would not see the surrounding pedestrians and thus precipitate a deadly accident. This very subtle image without any traces of blood or fatality carries the strongest and scariest message. This ad is especially significant because it was done by Fiat, an Italian automobile company and contains many brands like Ferrari, Maserati, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo. With this advertisement, Fiat could build its credibility among customers that it supports safe driving and wants to prevent car accidents that were due to drink and driving. In this advertisement. Fiat uses rhetorical devices such as juxtaposition and appeals to pathos. It uses juxtaposition by putting two very different images side to side, one that is very subtle and the other that carries a deadly message of possibly killing someone due to one’s own actions. With juxtaposition, Fiat also uses appeals to pathos. Fiat knows that drink driving accidents are done by people who doubt that they will be the ones who would actually get into car accidents when they drink and drive. Fiat successfully targets those people with the subtle juxtaposition. Fiat does not make things more dramatic by using bold colors or images; Fiat just tries to show the truth. This subtleness has more impact on the audience, as Fiat leaves the conclusion to the audience’s imagination.