| Summary: | During a long period of time, mankind as we know it, has progressed in remarkable ways. We leap from one era to another, whilst becoming smarter and more capable. Although one could argue for the superiority of man, we have now reached a time where our skilfulness is beginning to backfire. As the desire for production and consumption is growing, the environmental impacts increase. Climate change has in many ways become the product of modernity. However, these relatively new circumstances are met with more and more awareness. One example is how Swedish grocery stores, in this case COOP, have expanded their range of vegetarian foods. They claim to take responsibility for the planet and for a greener future. In the last two years, they have released two rather noteworthy commercials, with the aim of reducing meat-eating. By applying a narrative and semiotic analysis, and by using Becks theories on reflexive modernization as framework, this essay has studied these commercials in order to understand how they communicate their plant based alternatives in relation to a changing society. The results showed that both commercials portray a growing concern for the planet and the prevailing change of its climate. To prevent these conditions from accelerating, they suggest less meat on the plate. Likewise, semiotic tools, like falling trees or flooding cities, are used to enhance the significance of the narrative. In conclusion, both commercials show to be in line with Becks observations of the modernized world – an acknowledgement of its detrimental character. Additively, they function as a means of addressing the issues of modernity and meat-eating in particular.
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