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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Vanitha

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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Vanitha

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Visual Analysis

The advertisement starts off with the BP logo and a question.
The BP logo, emulate the sun with its shape, colours such as green and yellow, often associated with nature, is placed on the forefront against a clean white background. The choice of colours that are representative of nature makes the receiver lean towards the assumption of the brand’s eco-friendliness as “Going Green” is the most common slogan for environment-friendly branding. The logo is accompanied by typography that is simplistic and minimalist, adding to the illusion of being a straightforward, pure-intentioned question, reducing distance between the company and the receiver. The centre margin placement of both the logo and text adds salience to the visuals, demanding the attention of the receiver.

The social actors are framed in a central shot where their facial expressions and body language. All the social actors display a common puzzled expression and fidgety movements which are indicative of their unawareness of their carbon footprints. The background reflects the common man’s daily busy pathways, emphasizing the resemblance of the social actors to the general consumers, again intended to reduce social distance.

The highlighting of the lexis "emit less" reflects the company's commitment to going green and "four million tonnes" show the magnitude of the impact and lastly, their website which reiterates the publicity for their company.

Questions:
1. It was a conscious choice to depict the social actors as clueless beings but would it be more effective to have a professional comment on the carbon footprint effects instead?

2. Would this advertisement still have similar impact on the consumer if it was presented as a poster?

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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Shu Yuan

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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Shu Yuan

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L1: “We can do more to emit less.

L2: Over the next 4 years, we’re planning to implement projects to reduce emissions by another 4 million tonnes.

L3: Learn how to lower your carbon footprints at bp.com/carbonfootprint

L4: It’s a start.”

Drawing from the readings from Machin & Mayr’s Chapter 8, the use of modality can communicate a person’s commitment of something or reflect the degree of certainty. In this case, the excerpt selected highlighted the modal word “can” being used here conveying the high degree of certainty from BP that they CAN do more to emit less. Although the use of plural first-person pronoun “we” are used in L1, addressing not just BP but also readers in general, that everyone plays a part to do more to emit less. However, the “we” suggest to place more emphasis on BP, focusing them as the main agency to initiate the good intention of being “green” in doing their part, serving and offering goods & service in L2 by mentioning “we’re planning to implement projects to reduce emissions…”. This “we” used here would directly be indicating BP, which they are the main agent in this action. Notice there’s no modality used in this sentence as compared to L1, with just saying “we’re planning” which is in present continuous, indicating the action is in progress. The use of a present continuous instead of a modal suggests the possibility of BP not wanting to impose this commitment on themselves.

When it comes to the hedging part, I have a different thought from Syahida: The specific numeric clauses “Over the next 4 years” and “by another 4 million tonnes” are hedging techniques to create ambiguity within the claim that BP is making. For example, “Over the next 4 years” does not give a certain start off point of when this next 4 years will start or end, similarly for “by another 4 million tonnes”.

Then, at L3, notice the shift in attention which BP directs it to readers or people in general? The use of imperative “Learn how to lower your carbon footprint…” immediately change the focus to people instead of BP. The imperative used actually implies BP as the authority commanding people to learn how to lower their carbon footprint. Take note of the second-person pronoun used adds the effect to people stronger because of the direct addressing. It’s not just any other carbon footprint, but yours, your carbon footprint that you contribute.

The last sentence, “It’s a start” ended with a neat and simple bang which basically tell people to start doing their part like BP to reduce carbon footprint. I thought that the simplicity of that sentence did not impose any negative effect of blaming people for not contributing or condemning people, but simply telling people with the implied meaning of “it’s never too late to start” or “you can start now”.

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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Syahida

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Greenwashing - BP "Beyond Petroleum" - Syahida

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"We can all do more to emit less.
Over the next 4 years, we're planning to implement projects to reduce emissions by another 4 million tonnes. Learn how to lower your carbon footprint at bp.com/carbonfootprint
It's a start. "

Background information on BP: [Taken from bp.com]
About BP

The world is changing fast and BP is changing with it. The mix of energy that provides heat, light and mobility for billions of people is shifting towards lower carbon sources, driven by advances in technology and growing concerns about climate change. We're determined to play our part in this transition – helping to meet the world's need for more energy while also reducing carbon emissions.
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Global issue:
Due to increase in population brought about by advancement in medicine, there is an increase need for more energy - for survival, for economic progress etc. Since the industrial revolution, humans are dependent on non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and oil. However, the by-product of using such sources of energy are detrimental to the environment and health of humans. Global temperatures have increased, causing shifts in weather patterns and melting of ice caps. There is also an increase in people suffering from asthma due to the poor quality of air. As such, many have decided to turn green to reduce the effects and create a better future for the next generation. The first step taken by many organisations was to swap to renewable energy such as solar / wind energy.

Between 2000 to 2008, BP (a well-renowned oil company) has been trying to market themselves as a company who cares for the environment by coming up with a green campaign aimed at reducing carbon footprints. The ad below is one the promotional video used during the campaign. Despite their efforts to go green, many have considered this an act of green washing.

Why?
Despite their aim to want to reduce their carbon emissions,
1) BP invested 93% of investments into oil and gas in comparison to 2.79% on biofuel and 1.39% on solar initiatives.
2) In 2009, BP further affirmed that it was never truly committed to alternative energy when that division of the company in London was shut down. Vivienne Cox, the director of solar and wind power for the company resigned at the same time. Shortly before the entire division was cut, BPs solar projects in both Spain and the United States ended.
3) Oil spill incident @ gulf of mexico due to poorly maintained oil lines.

Analysis:
"We can all do more to emit less."
Over the next 4 years, we're planning to implement projects to reduce emissions by another 4 million tonnes.
Learn how to lower your carbon footprint at bp.com/carbonfootprint
It's a start. "

Use of Pronoun "we" in the text shows solidarity between the BP company and people who are part of the green community in an act to convince community that just like them, BP too cares for the environment and wants to play a part to improve the situation on Earth. Furthermore, the language choices "We can all do more...." also ensures that BP positions themselves as equals with everyone else, not enforcing their beliefs onto people. Even the imperative statement of line 4 has a low degree of obligation due to the absence of modals.

Use of Dynamic modality "can" to relate to BP and the community's ability to reduce emissions and prevent anymore potential damages to Earth. The use of "we can all..." shifts the responsibility of being "green-friendly" partly to the green community. However, "can" offers a high degree of certainty that can be used to convinced people that such an act is possible and that BP has probably found a way to live a life that is more eco-friendly.

The phrase "Over the next 4 years," is also a type of hedging used by BP "to convey a sense of precision, continuity and a sense that they have an awareness of the broader picture.", in a way showing commitment to the green way of living. In addition, the company has also changed their logo, from black and whit to using the colour green and yellow. Green is often associated with plants and being environmentally friendly. The choice of colour is probably intentional, to give the impression to consumers that their products are organic and environmentally friendly.

Purpose of BP's choice of language is to align to the popular green movement, in hopes of maintaining their profit without much care for honesty.

Possible questions??
1. What are the possible issues that is being addressed by the video?
2. How does the video [image and text] contribute to the green movement / washing of BP?

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Vanitha

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Vanitha

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Hi Syahida and Shu yuan,

Chanel has the highest number of retail stores in Asia as opposed to other continents. Therefore, having already established their brand name with a market here, it would make sense for them to choose to debut their male products for practical reasons.

Masculinity can be fluid as it is a mannerism as opposed to physical trait. Protruding muscles and moustaches are no longer the sole markers of masculinity. Over the years, South Korea has established itself as a pioneer in championing beauty beyond gender.

In the article, Flowerboys and the appeal of 'soft masculinity' in South Korea, it is explained why Koreans are trendsetters for Men’s beauty culture.

"I think Korea is a trailblazer in men's beauty culture, definitely in Asia at the moment, if not the world," says Joanna Elfving-Hwang from the University of Western Australia, who has done extensive research on beauty and image in South Korea. "The way they (K-pop stars) play with masculinity, what it means to be a beautiful man in a heterosexual or non-heterosexual way, it opens up possibilities for men on the street and eventually makes it more acceptable."

It is interesting to note that the make up line for men is tagged with the lexis “BOY”, whereas their lines for females are often tagged with “WOMEN” I think it is indicative of the specific audience that they are catering to. “Boy” is a common word present in the Lavender Language, also known as LGBT linguistics. Which is why Syahida’s example of Queer Eye as well as other prominent shows like “Rupaul’s Drag Race” are on the forefront in this discussion. These men have transitioned into mainstream media and made it acceptable for men to have an affinity for make-up.  So I think Chanel’s decision to use “Boy” is intentionally targeted towards males who exude soft masculinity.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42499809

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Shu Yuan

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Shu Yuan

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Hey Syahida!
I agree with your opening statement of "...many would now have to rethink what masculinity means." It's true because after reading the post that you've shared, it widens my perspective of what masculinity is about.

Responding to your question on why the choice of Korea to have the product launch...I would think that there are a few possible reasons. (1) The potential in economic growth and (2) Significant market value. So, I did a little search and came upon this website (https://www.fungglobalretailtech.com/research/deep-dive-global-male-grooming-market/) which says:

"Korea, (1) the leading male grooming market in the Asia Pacific region, is expected to reach US$825 million in 2016, according to the Korea Times. (2) Korean men are as obsessed with beauty as their female counterparts, , as illustrated in our report "Korean Innovation In Beauty"; a cosmetic U&A survey conducted by the Korea Ministry of Food and Drugs Safety in 2015 reveals that Korean men use an average of 13.3 beauty items per month, and 35.5% of Korean men in their 20s use moisturizer."

Additionally, with the consistent growing awareness and hype in Kpop, all the male celebrities do not exactly take on the conventional outlook of what masculinity is, isn't it? (I did a scan through those boy band groups and even Kdramas) Those Korean male celebrities have their own style, such as "flower boy style, pretty boy style, gangnam style" and many more! So that got me thinking that Chanel debuting its first men's makeup line seems to be focusing on "style" instead of "beauty" or "grooming". As stated below:

“...Chanel draws inspiration from the women’s world to write the vocabulary of a new personal aesthetic for men...Lines, colors, attitudes, gestures….There is no absolutely feminine or masculine prerequisite:
Style alone defines the person we wish to be."

The redirection of beauty products is very effective when Chanel strategically associate style as defining who one wish to be. Notice the choice of word used too! --> "we wish to be", instead of "we want to be". So I went to check the dictionary and this is the definition for "wish" and "want":

wish: feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen.

want: have a desire to possess or do (something)

Although both words have the concept of desire, but if you specifically pay attention to the difference in meaning, the word wish has an extension of "yes, I have strong desire or hope for something BUT...it might not come true".

So what I realised is that, Chanel intentionally use "wish" instead of "want" is to protect themselves from being criticised if their product is unable to fulfill all the dreams of the consumers. (Do I make sense here, ladies? Hahah)

Then, below is another excerpt of what Chanel said which I thought they are raising awareness to the world of the shift in masculinity.

“By creating Boy de Chanel, its first makeup line for men, Chanel reaffirms the ever-changing codes of an unchanging vision: Beauty is not a matter of gender, it is a matter of style.”

So yes, the highlighted sentence above which I personally feel is VERY influential and thought provoking, getting me to think...why is beauty associated to females in the first place?

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Syahida

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Chanel Debuting First Men's Makeup Line - Syahida

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With the announcement of Chanel's new make-up line targeted at men, many would now have to rethink what masculinity means. This comes in line with an increase in prevalence of advertisement for skincare products for men as in the example below.
Previously, makeup was traditionally associated with women. Back in the 50s-60s, men were seen as a security blanket so it only made sense for women to want the best, i.e. a man with the highest salary, to provide the best comforts for the women. Hence, makeup was used as a means to achieve the societal standards of a flawless healthy skin so that women will have a higher chance of snagging that "best" man for a husband.

However, with the rise in popularity of reality shows like "Queer eye" - where gay men give life and beauty makeovers to men (using makeup) - and the influence that YouTube stars and celebrities have (using makeup when giving performances / when acting / when giving interviews), it is no wonder that we are now faced with an evolving perception of what masculinity entails, that using makeup does not mean that one is drag queen (*traditional views of society of men using make up*)

One very important point that stood out for me when reading this article is the location in which Chanel has decided to release the line. Why South Korea? Why not the US? Or Europe? Why an Asian country?

Shuyuan and vanitha, waddya think?

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The three products will be introduced in South Korea, starting Sept. 1.

BOY MAKEUP: Diving into the swelling men’s grooming trend, Chanel is launching its first makeup line for guys, a three-product range, starting in South Korea on Sept. 1.

The collection includes a tinted fluid, coming in four colors; a matte moisturizing lip balm, and four shades of eyebrow pencil. Chanel’s Boy franchise, which already counts products such as handbags and a perfume, is named after Boy Capel, the lover and muse of Gabrielle Chanel.

“Just as Gabrielle Chanel borrowed elements from the men’s wardrobe to dress women, Chanel draws inspiration from the women’s world to write the vocabulary of a new personal aesthetic for men,” the company said in a statement. “Lines, colors, attitudes, gestures….There is no absolutely feminine or masculine prerequisite: Style alone defines the person we wish to be."

“By creating Boy de Chanel, its first makeup line for men, Chanel reaffirms the ever-changing codes of an unchanging vision: Beauty is not a matter of gender, it is a matter of style.”

The collection will be rolled out to the rest of the world in November on the house’s e-commerce platforms and in January 2019 in Chanel’s boutiques.

https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/chanel-launching-first-mens-makeup-line-1202775531/

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L.C. 2 Sexist Ad (Girdle - Bra) - Add on

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L.C. 2 Sexist Ad (Girdle - Bra) - Add on

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Advertisement is presented in a problem solution concept, addressing females.
Problem: Women with disproportionate bodies
Solution: Wear the product
Use of 'we' to reduce social distance between the company and the audience, to suggest that the company has an explicit role in helping women to shape their body.
Use of 'you' as a synthetic representation

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Shu Yuan

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Shu Yuan

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Just to add on to Syahida’s analysis, I did a brief transitivity analysis of the text itself and realised that processes such as material process and relational process are the prominent processes used. Here are some examples:

Material process:
....Warner’s makes the Concentrate girdle and the Little fiddle bra.

Warner’s can reshape you.

It rounds out your bottom...trimmed down hips.

Relational process:
This is (Pro:rel:att:int) no shape for a girl.

...you ‘ve got (Pro:rel:att:pos) a proportioned body

Explanation
With material process being used frequently, it highlights how Warner’s CAN DO / CAN PROVIDE and OFFER something for the consumer (women). One thing to note is who is the actor of each material process sentence? The actor is Warner’s and shows that Warner’s hold the dominant role, by doing the action, “having the control” over the subordinate which is woman. So I thought that, this actually supported the falsifying effect of women being portrayed in this advertisement as the power holder, when in actual fact, it isn’t.

For sentences with relational process, most sentences take on the attributive aspect of relational process. I just thought that when relational process is being used, it gives readers the feeling of relatedness, in the sense that in this advertisement, warner’s can relate how women feel, and know what women desire to have (good body shape), hence using relational process enhance the relatedness impression/feeling across. Additionally, I thought that this gives off a strong effect because the target audience is female and stereotypically seen as a more emotional being.

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Vanitha

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Vanitha

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The Material processes take on a very assertive tone towards the participant, female viewers. It aims to manipulate the viewers by assuming an authoritative knowing role, that the viewers are to abide.

As for the relational processes, they seem to suggest that maintaining a particular set of body type is the norm and thus the female viewers need to accept it as an ideal state of being and something to strive for.

Adverts like these rely of milking the stereotype of an ideal body image that all women need to work towards. This is similar to the era of Marilyn Monroe where she was considered the icon for all women. According to the timeline, the standards for body image for women is constantly changing and imposed. They subconsciously manipulate the viewers by instilling a sense of insecurity of their body image to sell their products. This is detrimental to viewers as it can create low self esteem.

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Syahida

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L.C.2 Sexist Ad (Girdle + Bra) Analysis - Syahida

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This is no shape for a girl
That's why Warner's makes the Concentrate girdle and the Little Fibber bra.
Girls with too much bottom and too little top; Warner's can reshape you. We reshape you on the bottom with the Concentrate girdle: Its all-around panels do more for you than a little girdle (they're lined up to help you where you need help most), yet Concentrate doesn't squash you like a heavy girdle.
We reshape your top with the Little Fibber bra. The super-soft fiberfill lining doesn't make a big production out of you. It rounds out your bosom just enough to go with your trimmed-down hips.
All of a sudden, you've got a proportioned body, and your clothes fit better. Warner's call this a Body-do, You can get fitted for one in any good store (passive verb where women are still NOT the actor).

Gaze of the women is upwards and away - Viewer is offered the image as information, where the product modeled by the woman can be scrutinized and considered for purchase (either for themselves or their children/partner) by the viewer. In addition, the upwards gaze of the model suggests she's probably having positive thoughts, probably imagining all the good things that she will get to experience now that she's wearing the product and achieved the ideal body type.

This seems to be the ideology that the company wants girls to believe. The advertisement seems to propagate the fact that girls must have a proportioned body in order to wear clothes that will fit better - because that is all that matters: Women must look presentable. Looking presentable in this context starts with having proportioned bodies, and that if you don't (in this case, possess a pear-shaped body as mentioned in the first line where "this" refers to the pear = no shape for a girl), it is something worth fixing as your body type goes against societal conventions of what a woman should look like.

Women in this context are given the false sense of power as the advertisement gives them the false impression that they are the ones with power to make the change and achieve the desired look. However, if we are to look closely at the verbs used, we will realise that the material processes are associated with the company, Warner's. The company and the product are the active participants in the text, the actor acting and carrying out the "reshaping" and the "making" with the women as passive goals of the material process.

This plays out the stereotype that women should be passive recipients in society - allowed to think and possess but not carry out anything that can ignite change - something only the company can do. In this case, Warner's has more power over women even though they're an abstract thought.

Questions to ask:
1. What are the stereotypes that can be inferred about women / men from this text?
2. How are the verbs used to achieve the purpose of the text?
3. How does the image work together with the text to propagate the stereotypes mentioned in (Q1)?

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This is no shape for a girl
That's why Warner's makes the Concentrate girdle and the Little Fibber bra.
Girls with too much bottom and too little top; Warner's can reshape you. We reshape you on the bottom with the Concentrate girdle: Its all-around panels do more for you than a little girdle (they're lined up to help you where you need help most), yet Concentrate doesnt squash you like a heavy girdle.
We reshape your top with the Little Fibber bra. The super-soft fiberfill lining doesn't make a big production out of you. It rounds out your bosom just enough to go with your trimmed-down hips.
All of a sudden, you've got a proportioned body, and your clothes fit better. Warner's call this a Body-do, You can get fitted for one in any good store.

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INCIDENT
(Countee Cullen, 1903 – 1946)

Once riding in old Baltimore,

Heart-filled, head-filled with glee;

I saw a Baltimorian

Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,

And he was no whit bigger,

And so I smiled, but he poked out

His tongue, and called me “Nigger”.

I saw the whole of Baltimore

From May until December;

Of all the things that happened there

That’s all that I remember.

Social actors: I vs He (Pronoun)
'Baltimorian' label associated with the 'he'
No mention of who the 'he' is - Anonymisation.
Depicted the Baltimorian boy as almost similar (only mentions size and no other unique features, probably not wanting to point fingers at any specific Baltimorian.)  However, Baltimorian is depicted as being more childish maybe to justify racist act? where one is racist because one is immature.
But 'he' is representative of racism, defining the author's childhood with the last line "That's all that I remember"

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https://mustsharenews.com/k-shanmugam-fandi/

Subtle discrimination against immigrants
Xenophobia

In the debate of deferring NS to sign a Fulham contract for Ben Davis, Minister K Shanmugham released a facebook post praising Singapore born and bred Fandi Ahmad and his sons, fo enlisting early into the army to serve their NS. He made sneaky side remarks about "People having multiple passports"

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Background of the advertisement:

Dunkin Donuts Egypt portrays the two donuts with the caption “darkness is half beautiful” and “whiteness is full beauty.”
Another caption posted alongside the image read: “Because we are against racism, we will eat them both. Which will you choose?”

The idea of beauty in this context has been reduced to the skin colour of the person; whiteness [being fair[ is seen as more beautiful than darkness (Fair indexes beauty). There is also objectivation, an implicit connotation of beauty being associated with women, thus representing the doughnut as being female.
It is also important to note that it is a societal norm for woman to be of a certain attribute - fair, long silky hair, curvy and etc. and that if you do not fit into this group, you are labelled as "in need of work", imperfect hence the caption of darkness being only HALF beautiful.

The second part of the caption implies that there is a division between the reader and the ambiguous 'we'. By using 'we', it is not explicitly mentioned with whom Dunkin Donuts are siding with by being anti-racist. However, it is enough for the reader to feel isolated against the collective 'we'. The pressure to belong and the depressing feeling of being outside the tribe would mean that readers would be willing to agree with the poster and eat them both, even though they might just prefer one flavour over the other - increasing sales and profits for the company.

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Background of the advertisement:

Dunkin Donuts Egypt portrays the two donuts with the caption “darkness is half beautiful” and “whiteness is full beauty.”

Another caption posted alongside the image read: “Because we are against racism, we will eat them both. Which will you choose?”

Text Analysis - Social Actors:

Objectivation (image)

In this advertisement, the beauty of an individual is reduced to the physical appearance which is the colour of our skin. The use of contrasting words "whiteness" and "darkness" is represented by two flavors, vanilla and chocolate respectively (non-human). So in this case, colour (white) indexes beauty.

I thought that the word "darkness" can also refer to darker palette (usually dark brown or black) which may point to stereotypical people belonging to certain races. Hence, in this case, the colour of our skin has some form of indexicality where it indexes the race that one is in.

Additionally, "beauty" is often associated with women. In this advertisement, the visual of donuts subtly represent women which shows how women are usually objectified and thus become a normalisation by the society.

Individualisation & Collectivisation (caption)

"Because we are against racism, we will eat them both. Which will you choose?"

From this caption, the use of "we" as a collective group has the assumption that the readers share the same ideology as everyone in the society. It is a strategic way used by the illustrator (who might be just the only one having that ideology) to influence the readers to buy in the ideology. It also becomes a marketing tool to influence purchase power and choice over consumers’ personal preference. Although consumers may not see the underlying intention, but their mind will be frame by the caption of this advertisement.

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Background of the advertisement:

Dunkin Donuts Egypt portrays the two donuts with the caption “darkness is half beautiful” and “whiteness is full beauty.”
Another caption posted alongside the image read: “Because we are against racism, we will eat them both. Which will you choose?”

This ad is a typical example of casual racism where the advertisers assume that everyone believes that ‘white’ is more beautiful than ‘dark’ and that they are being progressive with their poor humour.

Objectivation

Firstly, the doughnuts are personified as people. To relate a simple food item to represent people is not offensive, however to emphasize the “white’ and “dark” to insinuate human skin colour is. What could have been a simple preference for different toppings have been specially remodified to perpetuate the common ideal standards of beauty, where being dark is only “half’ beautiful.

Individualisation and Collectivisation

The second caption aims to emotionally blackmail readers into buying the doughnuts so as they would not seem like a racist.

The 'we' implies an exclusive community of people who are not racist. Like a collective community. While the 'you' shows a direct challenge to the individual.

While it might work for real racists, for the general population, it would not even have occurred to them to consider racism, but the caption demands them to implicitly question their moral compass.

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Emplacement:
This sign is placed along NTU roadside, in front of a bus stop with a zebra crossing across which is nearing to a cross junction.
This sign works because it is located at a spot where buses, other vehicles and people are around, which successfully deliver the intended message to the target participants.

Personally, I would think that this sign is especially directing to vehicles to note that there’s a zebra crossing for people to walk, hence to keep a look out for these people, the “raised” zebra crossing is intentionally built for drivers to stop or slow down. Also, it is rare and uncommon to see a zebra crossing that is raised.

Intertextuality:
This sign is multimodal - Visual shown, with a person crossing the zebra crossing (emphasis of alert, to watch out, of importance)
Additionally, the commonly seen “traffic signs” characteristics of the signage used (triangle shape, red border, black colour)

Materiality:
Made of metal with it attached on government property, which is the metal pole. Shows the legitimatacy of the signage that is put up by our government. Brings about the effect that the authorities are telling you to be cautious of people walking and at the same time to look out of the raised platform.

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Learning Circle #2: Raised zebra crossing sign

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Learning Circle #2: Raised zebra crossing sign

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Emplacement: NTU carpark. So sign works because it is relevant to drivers and vehicles. So if sign is placed elsewhere without vehicles, there is nothing to warn about.
Intertextuality:
- Backed up by legal consequence (e.g. a fee of $50)
- Multi-modal (e.g. use of visuals such as the truck & clamp icon, including the colour coding of red and is capitalized to emphasize the word "WARNING")
Materiality: Made of hard plastic and mounted on the wall with screws. Shows that money is used to put up the sign. SO it looks legitimate without having NTU logo on it.

* "parked indiscriminately" / "reserved lots" - regulating behaviour and power.
* Use of "indiscriminately" - Choice of vocab associated with educated community, those who can own cars?

On top of that, the use of "indiscriminately" gives readers a formal tone of the seriousness of the sign. However, what constitute parking indiscriminately? What if I'm parking 2 lots? Does it fall as parking indiscriminately? What exactly does the authority mean by it? The message is very vague and the sentence could mean 2 different clauses! Hence, it shows a possibility of varying interpretation of this sign.

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Learning circle #2: Raised zebra crossing - Syahida

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Learning circle #2: Raised zebra crossing - Syahida

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This sign defines the kind of behaviour expected from driver - one must slow down upon reaching the area.

◉Emplacement
This sign was found alongside a road a few meters before a raised zebra crossing to alert drivers of its existence. The sign is placed further up along the road instead of at the location of the  zebra crossing so that drivers would be able to slow down - preventing accidents with pedestrians or damage to their vehicle due to the raised nature of the zebra crossing. If the sign is placed too near the zebra crossing, there will not be ample time for vehicles to decelerate on time. However, placing the sign too further up would mean a longer distance between the sign and the crossing resulting in an initial deceleration with a potential for accelerated speed as the driver would start to wonder if there are any zebra crossings at all. This meant that the placing of the sign is a calculated decision. Merely placing it by the side of the road does that mean that it will be able to carry out its purpose of alerting drivers.

◉Intertextuality
The design of the sign is similar with other road signs such as the stop sign, the speed limit sign and etc - a white background, black font and red border. Having a similar format would mean that drivers would be able to easily associate the combination of features above as related to road signages - succesfully gaining their attention as they drive.

◉Materiality
The sign and the pole is made of metal which has been cemented into the ground.   This is to ensure durability of the sign - law meant to be obeyed throughout the existence of the sign. Access to these kind of materials is not something locals would have, highlighting its implicit power and authority over the commonfolk.

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Emplacement:

The signages are found along a bus interchange where the is high people traffic and it stands out against the white backdrop which demands attention.

It is also important to note that the choice of animal pictures are domestic pets and therefore the intention for the sign is indirectly targeted towards people with pets.

Intertextuality:
The sign in multimodal with visuals and texts. Red circles and slashes are symbolic references for warning. This is further accentuated by minimal yet powerful word such as “fine” and the amount dictated for the fines.

Materiality:
It is a laminated sign that is attached to a metal government property. This shows that this sign was curated and backed up by official government bodies. The fines also indicated that there are legal consequences if the sign is disregarded.

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https://youtu.be/g_u_-OD1_z0

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This ad is promoting Heineken beer that contains lesser calories than it's predecessors and peers.  Beer, to me, is considered as empty calories as they are not as sweet as ciders or wines. However, beer comes at a much cheaper price than other alcoholic beverages therefore I am always open to give new crafts a chance. As a potential consumer looking at the Ad, I thought that there were more sexist angles than racist ones here. Here's a man trying to save a woman from her poor choice of alcohol.  As someone who is of higher melanin content, it didn't occur to me as a racist ad. What I see, is a diverse range of woman eyeing  the beer as it slides by, probably putting taking it into consideration. This is important to depict for the Ad as the target consumers are women.

These are the 3 layers of indexicality that I took note of.

First order: "Lighter" refers to women's alcohol tolerance level as opposed to men, hence light beer is more suited for them.

Second order: Men are better drinkers hence they would be more knowledgeable on alcohol preferences for women than women themselves.

Third order: The last smirk from the bartender and the woman's adoring glance to the light beer, while the title "lighter" insinuates a power position of women being more inferior to men.

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The ad ends with "Sometimes, Lighter is better".

Lighter in this context refers to the new Heineken product being of lower calories, 99 Cal, yet still preserving its great taste. The target audience for the ad are female alcohol drinkers who would like to indulge in alcohol without the fear of gaining weight. (A pint of beer can contain up to 180 calories, roughly the same as a slice of pizza. )

HOWEVER, the meaning is lost in the way the message is portrayed by the marketing team. While the beer is sliding towards the lighter skinned woman, it passes by and under 3 dark skinned person, one of whom is portrayed as an entertainer at the party. With this added context, "Sometimes, Lighter is better". has a totally new meaning to it. In this case, "Lighter" is referring to skin colour and that somehow being of lighter skin indexes better as the beer seems to "slide pass" people of darker complexion, as if they do not deserve its attention. It does not help that the entertainer is portrayed by a black person, further cementing the hierarchy of lighter skinned being better - rich, probably boss,than the darker skin - worker. Portraying the lighter skinned in a position of power.

Another aspect of the ad that I would like to address is the theme of women being more vain as compared to men. It's certainly a stereotype to assume that women are the only ones who would care about calories. Men too can be just as conscious about their figures and would choose a lighter calorie drink to avoid gaining weight.

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Regarding the Heineken Ad, I initially thought that it was just a stereotype of women's vanity hence to drink would impose high calories intake. To solve women's worries, Heineken came up with a beer which is light (lesser calories) specially for women. Here's the analysis of the 3 layers of indexicality:

First order: Women prefer light beer.
Second order: Light beer has lesser calories.
Third order: Women are perceived to calculate the calories in their food/drinks, hence light beer indexes vanity of women.

But after re-watching the video, I realised there could be a hidden agenda behind the video story which the word "lighter" indexes the colour skin. So here's another set of 3 layers of indexicality (I’m not too sure this analysis is accurate/relevant)

First order: Light beer is for people who have fairer skin colour.
Second order: People who don't drink light beer are those whose skin colour is black.
Third order: In order not to be label as "the blacks", drink Heineken's light beer.