SIGN:
IMPACT:
After 1 hour and 30 minutes (13:00-14:30),
- Only 1 individual scanned the QR code. It was not any of the 30+ people that walked by me and refused to acknowledge the sign, or clearly did not understand the message.
- 1 individual (POC; woman presenting) in a red car honked at me and gave me a thumbs up and smiled! I assume she is vegan for the animals and that made me happy!
SELF ANALYSIS:
I sat down with the sign for about 1.5 hours, and since it was back to school weekend, I know that at least a thousand families saw the words of my sign: “Animal lovers don’t eat animals.”
The QR codes I included on both sides of the sign were unnecessary, and expecting people to scan them was a futile endeavor. I assume more people tried to scan (at least more than the 1 that did), but had trouble doing so. There were a handful of people that walked by the sign and appeared to resonate with my image, but I don’t think they understood, because it’s likely they would have told me they are vegan or at least vegetarian, like one group of individuals (Indian appearing?) told me.
I think most people like to connect, even if they are uncomfortable; although, I tried my best to always smile and wave at EVERYONE that came my way. Cars turning Included.
Most people do not view dogs and cats in the same way as other farm animals like cows and pigs (I.e. specieism), so I think graphic images showcasing exactly what I meant by the message by putting those animals together would be a more effective strategy. We’ll see.