Australia Day 2010: BBQ Like Never Before

http://australiaday.org.au/experience/

Found this poster in the Daily Telegraph titled, ‘Your Country Needs You To BBQ LIKE YOU’VE NEVER BBQ’D BEFORE This Australia Day’. I love this poster for two reasons: a) it’s a reference to war posters in the 20th century (alluded to by the graphic style, propaganda title in the second-person (YOU) demanding action, bold stance and posture of figures, subdued colours) that has been pulled off well, b) it’s a snapshot of past graphic design that sticks in our minds – we clearly recognise this poster as a reference to war propaganda style posters (in the same way Jaguar E-Types or first generation Ford Mustangs are the faces of 1960s car design).

But I wonder whether the poster could have reflected a more realistic skin/race tone of current Australia. Don’t get me wrong, the poster does incorporate ideas of multiculturalism. But it’s something about the blue coloured clothing, meat products and lack of Asian figures portrayed which make me feel uneasy. That is, blue reflects the Australian flag and is usually worn by Caucasians because I’ve been informed through TV that it makes their blue-eyes pop *Kanye shrug* (could have shown ‘traditional’ clothing), and that we can assume one or more of the meat products being held are pork, which is forbidden to be eaten by some in faith, and many of Australia’s immigrants (and indeed citizens now) are Asian.

But aside from these, it’s a fantastic poster! Makes me want to throw a few snags on the barbie me-self.