PCK MRT 'A happy journey starts like that' campaign poster analysis

The words “please give up this seat to those who need it” in the speech bubble acts as a denoted relay message (Barthe, 1977) that aids the image of Phua Chu Kang (PCK) used by SMRT. The open palms of PCK create a sense of invitation to entice commuters to proactively offer their seat to “those who need it”. The direct eye contact of PCK constructs the idea of him speaking directly to the commuters, such that one feels obligated to ‘obey’ the message of the image. There is also the idea of PCK being able to understand the importance of caring for the elderly, which implies to us that if he is able to do that, we, as educated citizens, should be able to do so too.

References:

http://smong.net/2009/06/pck-promoting-graciousness-on-mrt-in.html

French original, ‘Rhetorique de I’mage’, Communications 1, 1964; English translation by Stephen Health in R. Barthes: Image – Music – Text (Fontana, 1977)