Do The Green Thing is an 'public service' that I have discovered through the recent article on It's Nice That. The article covers the recent issue that the company have produced 'Why Santa Must Die'. This firstly caught my attention through the title of the article. I was then led to search the website as it strongly relates to the subject of the essay question.
The website goes on to explain that they are a 'public service for the planet that uses creativity to tackle climate change'. Since 2008 the organisation have been working with the creative global community to produce films, posters, walkcasts and 'everyday things that have inspired 40 million people to live more sustainably'. This firstly indicates that design does have an effect on society's behaviour towards climate change and that there are global creatives that are aware of this.
To ensure that they are maintaining a status in society, issues are published every two months that 'challenge the sustainable status quo through long-form arguments and creative provocations.'
Each of the articles discuss different areas that all result around the subject over overconsumption. The most recent article talks about how the celebration of Christmas has lead to a global over consumption that reoccurs and heightens each year. 'Blame our greed, with Christmas coming as it does in the middle of full-on want-a-thon that begins with the darkly-named Black Friday, reboots with the dystopian Cyber Monday, extends through the twelve days six weeks of Giftmas then enters the home splurge straight with the Winter Sales. Why stop buying at Christmas? Especially when we're buying so generously for others, who in turn we hope will buy as generously for us.' This quote demonstrates the nature of the article and the argument that they are fighting.
The first issue released, 'How screenwriters are ruining the planet' goes on to explain that 'movie theatres are filled with stories that frame eco-irresponsibility - over consumption, over-reliance on fossil fuels - as aspirational, cool or even just normal. At best, this gives we - the audience - tacit permission to let bad environmental behaviour go unexamined. At worst, it encourages us to copy it.' Although this influence may be hypothetical, it is real enough for The World Health Organisation to ensure that all films that feature smoking, to be given adult ratings. However, this does not stop the influence completely as it is still viewed by adults of an over 18 age.
The content in the articles relate directly to the essay question as they are demonstrating through graphic design, the current issues related to climate change. The responses in relation to the articles are influential media of graphic design that have a visual importance as well as being sometimes humorous yet shocking. This is an approach that could be taken for the practical work supporting the essay.
Thursday 8 December 2016
Monday 5 December 2016
Consumer Identities
From reading the Identity and consumption text, I have answered the following questions through the use of the text and my own knowledge.
In what ways can products/services relate to consumers identities?
- Reinforce or establish social roles - you consume to protect a certain social role. You're not the person you want to be so you purchase/consume to establish this role - this may relate to a job role
- Actual self, Ideal self, Ought self - people suse products to negotiate this triad.
- Actual self - drives a Corsa, Ideal self - drives a Porsche, Ideal self - Drives an electric car
- the products/services that we use relate to the way we perceive ourselves and others, they're a representation of our self
How do consumers use products/services within social interactions?
- Upward comparison - for example, celebrity endorsement. This relates to the ideal self and can lead to physical/mental harm
- Downward comparison - for example: you feel better about driving your car when you see a person riding a bike in the rain
- Comparison of a product
- Presenting one product (personality) as superior to another
- Community/group identity - for example: those who are Mac users are part of a particular community and on the other hand those who use PC's are part of a community
Suggest some visual communication strategies that effectively promote or product to its target audience.
- Apple - associate personality of an individual that typically likes to do things with ease and style
- Nespresso - upward comparison (lifestyle)
- George Clooney (celebrity endorsement)
- Dove - actual self
- demonstrated how you don't have to play around the idea of self to have a successful advertisement. Displaying the actual self is also effective
Are there any ethical issues?
- Stereotypes: puts people into categories. The more that this is produced through advertising and branding then the stronger that this image becomes
- Othering: defining yourself against other people. For example - 'I'm good looking because you're ugly'
- Self fulfilling prophecy: the more you tell someone they're something, the more towards this they will be. This was evidenced in the Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) study. The children who were deemed 'non bloomers' then had a lower IQ score one year later compared to those who had been categorised as 'bloomers'. However, the individuals in these categories were chosen at random.
In what ways can products/services relate to consumers identities?
- Reinforce or establish social roles - you consume to protect a certain social role. You're not the person you want to be so you purchase/consume to establish this role - this may relate to a job role
- Actual self, Ideal self, Ought self - people suse products to negotiate this triad.
- Actual self - drives a Corsa, Ideal self - drives a Porsche, Ideal self - Drives an electric car
- the products/services that we use relate to the way we perceive ourselves and others, they're a representation of our self
How do consumers use products/services within social interactions?
- Upward comparison - for example, celebrity endorsement. This relates to the ideal self and can lead to physical/mental harm
- Downward comparison - for example: you feel better about driving your car when you see a person riding a bike in the rain
- Comparison of a product
- Presenting one product (personality) as superior to another
- Community/group identity - for example: those who are Mac users are part of a particular community and on the other hand those who use PC's are part of a community
Suggest some visual communication strategies that effectively promote or product to its target audience.
- Apple - associate personality of an individual that typically likes to do things with ease and style
- Nespresso - upward comparison (lifestyle)
- George Clooney (celebrity endorsement)
- Dove - actual self
- demonstrated how you don't have to play around the idea of self to have a successful advertisement. Displaying the actual self is also effective
Are there any ethical issues?
- Stereotypes: puts people into categories. The more that this is produced through advertising and branding then the stronger that this image becomes
- Othering: defining yourself against other people. For example - 'I'm good looking because you're ugly'
- Self fulfilling prophecy: the more you tell someone they're something, the more towards this they will be. This was evidenced in the Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) study. The children who were deemed 'non bloomers' then had a lower IQ score one year later compared to those who had been categorised as 'bloomers'. However, the individuals in these categories were chosen at random.
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