The PHOTO OP series — to which SEMIOVOX has invited our semiotician colleagues from around the world to contribute — analyzes photos that we’ve snapped while “off the job.”

Toronto, November 2024: I took this for a couple of reasons: a) it was the most stereotypical endorsement image I’d ever seen and b) I had absolutely no idea who AJ McLean is, or was, or why on earth I ought to be interested in his taste in mocktails. Here’s a sign with no referent (for me). And look at him! I can’t even tell if he’s being serious or not, with that smile and the askew reverse baseball hat. Is it ironic? Fascinating!

Chelsea, QC, March 2022: Also amusing to me, since the massive discount coupon completely obscures the brand and product name. But you can still tell it’s ‘Oreo’, and of course in the marketing packaging CPG world that’s called a ‘Distinctive Asset’, i.e. you need only show a fraction of it and it’s still instantly recognizable or decodable. But honestly, the size of that 50% off sticker — talk about recontextualizing!

Porto, during Semiofest (2024): When we were kids, my brother and I went on a couple of vacations in Brazil, to stay with my grandparents who had retired there. We fell in love with Maracuja-flavoured soda, and so it was exciting to see a version of it on the grocery shelves in Porto during Semiofest last year. Amazing — and it tasted as I remembered it (the other amazing Brazilian brand is Antarctica).

PHOTO OP: Mariane Cara (Brazil) on LA LUCHA CONTINUA | Aiyana Gunjan (India) on YAMRAJ | Greg Rowland (England) on I ❤️ FOOD | Gabriela Pedranti (Spain) on NOT SO TRIVIAL | Biba Allarakia (Saudi Arabia) on ALL THAT GLITTERS | Brian Khumalo (South Africa) on A LOST MEMORY | Becks Collins (England) on A MILLENNIAL ON THE BRINK | Samuel Grange (France) on SLOW DOWN | Rachel Lawes (England) on DESKTOP COLLECTIONS | Marie Lena Tupot (USA) on BOX OFFICE | Sónia Marques (Portugal) on SWISS-NESS | Serdar Paktin (Turkey / England) on BOTTLE SERVICE | Stefania Gogna (Italy) on OPEN-AIR MUSEUM | Charles Leech (Canada) on IS IT IRONIC? | Kishore Budha (England) on DOWN THE TUBE | Josh Glenn (USA) on JOINED AT THE DIP | Mark Lemon (England) on SHOP LOCAL | William Liu (China) on SWAN SONG | Malcolm Evans (Wales) on CHOCOCRACK | Paulina Goch-Kenawy (Poland) on POLAND’S NEW (HI)STORY | Adelina Vaca (Mexico) on WHAT’S YOUR POISON? | Natasha Delliston (England) on NATURE BATHING | Ramona Lyons (USA) on DEATH TO TECH | Victoria Gerstman (England) on TBD | Ximena Tobi (Argentina) on TBD.

Also see these global semio series: MAKING SENSE (Q&As) | SEMIOFEST SESSIONS (monthly mini-conferences) | COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | COLOR CODEX | DECODER (fictional semioticians) | CASE FILE | PHOTO OP | MEDIA DIET.