The poster is simply designed to reach out to
audiences of all ages. Older audiences would be able to recognise the deeper meaning
behind the poster.
“Harmful marine litter” in red captures attention,
while the tagline “starts and stops with us” suggests humans are responsible
for managing marine litter. We dispose rubbish improperly, yet we are able to
retrieve marine litter too. The litter will affect marine and land organisms.
The turtle unsuspectingly swims towards the plastic
bag, mistaking it for a jellyfish. The plastic bag is a choking hazard, and has
the potential to kill the turtle. Fishing equipment, such as fishing lines, can
tangle and trap aquatic organisms, as seen in the dead strangled fish. The bird
glares at the human who is littering. Birds may peck on small pieces of litter
debris and swallow them, which endangers their health.
On the beach, cigarettes and foam bits are scattered
around. As foam is the most common marine litter in Singapore, I included foam
in the poster – so that audiences who are guilty of such acts can make the
right decision to dispose their rubbish properly in the future.
In the poster, I included some people as marine litter
is a collective responsibility. The young human tosses a plastic bottle into
the sea, to the dismay of the beach clean-up volunteer, who is holding a filled
garbage bag. The bag emphasises the amount of litter collected. Out in the sea,
a volunteer collects marine litter, happy to be playing a part in cleaning up.
The pipe leading to the sea spews dirty sewage –
showing that companies also play a part and should be mindful of releasing
effluent, as it can affect marine water quality.