A new ad campaign from the water brand Liquid Death takes a lighthearted satirical approach to the topic of alcohol and pregnancy, in an ad showing women using an alternative to alcohol to celebrate their pregnancies.  In this case, rather than a standard soft drink or a more conventional “mocktail” we see a group of pregnant women festively drinking (even chugging) water from miniature kegs that resemble beer kegs.  The vibrant bar setting, complete with over-the-top satirical elements like a bouncer checking sonograms rather than I.D., clues us in that this commercial is going for comedic irony and surreal absurdity.   

While we don’t expect a commercial like this to offer a sincere and serious message about prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) or FASD, we do hope that viewers of the commercial will take to heart the message that pregnancy is indeed a time of celebration and that celebration need not involve alcohol to be fun and exciting.  We certainly hope that there is no confusion or misunderstanding, and that when viewers hear the commercial jingle with lyrics “Kegs for Pregs, We’re Drinking for Two!” it is understood by all that we’re talking about drinking water. 

We know from decades of learning in the FASD community that imagery and language are important. Experience has shown that graphic imagery of alcohol in combination with pregnancy can be stigmatizing.  Even though the commercial actually shows water being consumed, the imagery and music evokes alcohol consumption.   

FASD United’s Language and Stigma Guide features a section on the use of stigmatizing imagery and says, “It is best to avoid images of pregnant individuals consuming alcohol, especially obviously pregnant people (i.e. those in the third trimester) drinking.”  The Guide advises against using “any graphic images meant to scare or shock people into not drinking while pregnant” as these have been found to be “triggering and stigmatizing.” 

While there can be an appropriate time and place for humor and jokes, we know that FASD and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are very sensitive and serious issues that deserve thoughtful recognition, empathetic attention, and urgent action. 

When it comes to FASD, there is a lot of stigma and shame and a lack of awareness and understanding.  We know that FASD affects as many as 1 in 20 people in the U.S. and about 1 in 7 pregnancies are exposed to alcohol.  FASD is often a non-apparent disability and people with FASD are far too often faced with mockery, ridicule, and bullying.  Each person with FASD has their own unique strengths and positive qualities and deserves lives of empowerment and success. 

Our hope is that through our work to empower the FASD community, future depictions of topics related to FASD and PAE will counter harmful stigma and take care to recognize the unique strengths of those in our community.  We invite the Liquid Death company to engage in this conversation, support our work, and look at our Sponsorship Prospectus.