The Prevention Beer Mug 1

Domestic Abuse as a Result of Alcohol Abuse

Student McStudentson

University of the Sciences

 The Prevention Beer Mug 2

Billy Patrick

Professor Malsbury

Writing and Rhetoric II

October 10, 2016

Abstract

The goal of a visual analysis is to decipher and tell the purpose of certain aspects of an image.

The visual analysis aims to show what the different parts of the image mean and how the effect

the overall depiction from those that view the advertisement. This visual analysis of an

advertisement aimed to prevent the abuse of woman resulting from the abuse of alcohol,

specifically abuse from men to women. The image I studied has many different aspects of the

image that help build the effect it has on people when they see it. The prevention beer mug

advertisement is an image that cannot be taken lightly and aims to spread awareness of a very

serious issue that happens around the world.

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Domestic Abuse as a Result of Alcohol Abuse

This image is used to describe and spread awareness of the problem of people,

specifically men, getting abusive after drinking. The image is a man’s fist holding a beer mug

with a woman’s face where the handle would be. When someone goes to pick up the mug it

would show the person as punching the woman due to a closed fist coming in contact with the

woman’s face. The colors present make the mug and the man’s hand stand out in comparison to

the background because they are more lightly colored. With some vibrant aspects of the red in

the stop sign and the blue of the eyes. The background is simply black and allows for the mug,

beer in the mug, and the woman’s face and eyes be very prevalent even at a glance. The colors

used make it easier and faster for a person to recognize the important aspects. The sign of the

image is to not become abusive after drinking against your partner or anyone else. It is important

not to do so because an abusive drunk is usually one that is an alcoholic and has been abusive

before, and continues to do so after drinking. There is also a signifier of the image and this can

be seen as to make sure if someone knows a person that is an abusive drunk, that it cannot be a

problem that is continued. The image’s signifier as many other advertisement campaigns is to

spread the message and help prevent this social issue from occurring; much like advertisements
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against texting and driving. There is also other messages in the linguistic, coded iconic, and non-

coded iconic message.

The linguistic messages that are present are the two phrases that found on the ad. The

one is found at the top right of the image and states “The prevention beer mug” (The Prevention

Beer Mug) and the other is found in the stop sign on the mug, and states “Please don’t lost

control over your drinking” (The Prevention Beer Mug). The statement “The prevention beer

mug” (The Prevention Beer Mug) is just telling the audience that the image is showing and

expressing the mug and what it stands for, to prevent abuse from those drinking too much. The

second linguistic message present is second quoted line stated above and can be found on the

mug itself. Both of the linguistic messages are non-coded iconic messages because they do not

have a meaning behind them other than the literal message present. The first is a message is

simply notifying readers what the picture represents.

The second message is a plead to the audience and readers to maintain control of their

drinking and ultimately drink less so nobody, especially a man’s partner, is not abused as a result

of alcohol abuse. The second message starting off with the word please is important because it

connects more to a person’s sympathetic or empathetic side. Instead of trying to demand

someone not to lose control of their drinking, and having a man reading it think to himself “oh I

control my drinking” or “I do not have a problem”. I believe the “please” on the mug next to the

woman’s face is a strong message because when people see the “please” in what people know

was stop sign, and with the woman’s left eye seemingly always looking at you and following you

so to speak, it makes the image and message stronger than just a textual message displayed on a

billboard or written on a mug.

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The image has a linguistic set present that only slightly affects how the audience

interprets the image. The text of the image makes the reader think to themselves – “Do I lose

control of my drinking?”. With this linguistic set the reader self-analyze to evaluate to

themselves if they drink too much and abuse their partner because of their alcohol use. Though

the image carries that importance from the text of the image, it does not drastically change what

people would think of when viewing the image. If there were no text on the image people would

still view the image and see how there is a man’s fist directed at a woman’s face all on a beer

mug. The man’s hand grabbing the mug also portrays a fist and this aspect is only bolstered by

the handle of the mug being colored similarly to the person’s skin. All together at a first glance

it seems like the person hold the mug is striking the woman’s face, even if the text was not

present.

The ad of the prevention beer mug also has a rhetorical stance present with ethos, pathos,

and logos. The image has a display of ethos because it is an image created by a company in the

Czech Republic who made these mugs and started their campaign to spread awareness of alcohol

related abuse. I believed that the mugs were first on sale and being advertised for the United

States but, after researching and looking into the mug I discovered it was made for the Czech

Republic. This is due to the Czech Republic being the country in Europe where men consume

the most beer of any European country, and often has problems of domestic abuse and assault

heavily influenced by alcohol. This visual has a strong appeal to pathos because the woman’s

face on the mug is placed in a position when it looks like it will be struck by a man’s hand. This

image draws the emotions of sympathy, sorrow, and ones like anguish. This is because the

image is about abuse of alcohol and physical abuse of woman, which people know is a terrible

action to commit. Hearing stories related to physical abuse makes people sad and shocked to
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hear, especially if it is someone they know. People would be sympathetic for the women or

others who are abused from an alcoholic or someone who binge drinks and loses control of

themselves and their actions. This image also appeals to logos because it is logical and well

understood that morally it is the wrong thing to abuse your partner physically or emotionally for

that matter. I know and hope that people know and have learned that domestic abuse, violence,

and alcoholism are horrendous acts that people commit and show a complete lack and disregard

for human compassion, sense of respect, and should not be done to someone, and especially

those you are in a romantic or even a personal relationship for that matter.

The image is a simple way to address the viewer but also very effective at

communicating the change it wants to instill in society. The image draws people’s attention to a

problem they might not have known was as large of an issue as they thought. It makes the

viewer tell others about the image or share their thoughts about it to others. This is the goal of

the image in the first place, and through communication a strong rhetorical presence the ad

campaign completes the original intent and spreads awareness of domestic violence as a result of

alcohol abuse. The image creates its own credibility and trust because it is an issue still present

today and not just in the Czech Republic, in which people are aware of, but try not to think

about. The image tries to persuade and inform people not to lose control of their drinking, but it

does not take attention away from the issue of abuse of others, rather than alcohol abuse. Both

messages are present in the ad, but the image of the fist striking the woman’s face keeps people’s

thoughts more directed towards abuse and domestic violence.

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Works Cited

The Prevention Beer Mug [PSA ad campaign]. (2009). Retrieved from

http://www.boredpanda.com/powerful-social-advertisements/