PUB SIGNS
Have you ever noticed that you can be completely oblivious to something before you actually start to look for it?
Today, I stopped to notice all the signs that can be seen in Camden on the walk from the tube stop and where I'm housing for the semester, which takes only about 10 minutes. Most of them advertise food.
Not surprising, since Camden is a bustling hub of bars and restaurants. What's really interesting is the rhetoric that these cute and seemingly harmless pub chalkboards and menus were using.
As I snapped some pictures, I realized the deeper meanings these food ads were communicating. Some establishments boast their "famous" fish and chips, all-you-can-eat buffets, bigger portions for less money, free wi-fi, good service, good times...the list goes on.
In other words, these signs make strong associations that exist beyond just the customer and the food. Within the space of one small sign, they're drawing a definite correlation between the quantity of food you eat and the quality of friendships you'll have. They imply your restaurant experience will lead to a greater life experience, if only for the time you spend at the pub.
The beginning of my investigation has me contemplating how interdependent food is with other aspects of our lives. If we didn't have the basic necessity to eat or drink, I wonder what would take the place of social gatherings based around food. Would we watch more TV? Be on our phones more? God forbid, go outside?
People are social creatures. Do these sneaky signs add a sort of cultural pressure to eat more, have more friends, and go out more? Am I going to be sad when I get back to my room and eat hummus with a spoon alone in my bed? Both are burning questions on my mind.
Here are some of the pictures I captured along my walk...
Bucks Head Pub, Camden
Reads "Famous" above Fish and Chips
& "Cask Marque Approved" below Real Ales
The Oxford Arms, Camden
Suggests a mutually constitutive relationship between a good pub and a good life
Technology-integrated Eating
Top: "21 Day Aged British Beef"
...much better than 20 Day Aged, obviously
Oriental Buffet, Camden
The paper on the door reads:
"Special Offer on Larger Container"
Really great post. It made me think just how large a percentage of advertising is food related and then to consider just how controlled we are by it!!
ReplyDeleteReally great post. It made me think just how large a percentage of advertising is food related and then to consider just how controlled we are by it!!
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your comparison between the UK and USA. It was a really good idea to observe the advertisements that you walked past to back up your ideas
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