Temporäre Ausstellung: Ernährungs- und Klimakommunikation

THE FINAL MOO-MENT

What can be seen on the poster?

The 'THE FINAL MOO-MENT', opens with a humorous take on the issue of cattle and their environmental impact, advocating for methane reduction through diet changes.

The core is a storytelling approach, where the retired cow is "relocated to Beanbados", a bizarre, happy, fictional paradise of "beans" with "Barbados." This setting with a "mensa" background, places the message in a university dining. The satire shows the simplicity of solving complex climate issues with a dietary switch, like replacing a cow with a bean. The cow's departure and the bean's arrival emphasize an action-oriented, present-focused solution, countering climate anxiety with hope. The aggressive humor, with statements like "Don't ask about the memories," uses confrontation to emphasize the need for dietary change. The "Problem solved" offers an immediate sense of success. It concludes with a clear call to action: "Try the new plant-based options in Mensa today!" The line," We need to move this stock," adds a relatable, everyday urgency beyond pure environmentalism.

What is special about the communication approach?

The poster combines humour with storytelling to address climate change in the context of nutrition. The satirical portrayal of a cow´s speech gives a lighthearted yet impactful take on how our food choices affect the climate (Kaltenbacher & Drews, 2020). This is amplified by an aggressive tone in phrases like "fart less CO₂," which aims to cut through public apathy and create a sense of urgency that more neutral approaches often miss.(Anderson & Becker, 2018). Through the present-focused narrative of the "Cow's Retirement" and its "relocation to Beanbados," the poster creates an engaging, imaginative story that makes climate change feel personal, reducing psychological distance (Sangalang & Bloomfield, 2018). It focuses on achievable actions, "tasty meals, planet saved", offering a practical solution without moralizing, thus resonating with a wide audience (Morris et al., 2019).

Ultimately creating new climate change narratives in nutrition requires a careful balance of humor and seriousness to avoid trivializing the issue. Satire should deepen discussion, not trivialize the message (Kaltenbacher & Drews, 2020), and visual metaphors or surreal storytelling can make complex topics more relatable (Sangalang & Bloomfield, 2018). Effective communication should empower action by offering practical, achievable steps than relying on fear or moral judgment (Morris et al., 2019).

Reflection

The communication approach of this poster links humor and storytelling, supported by visuals. Humorous narratives can disarm defensiveness and foster emotional engagement, particularly among young audiences (Skurka et al., 2018). The poster’s storyline uses bizarre elements (e.g., a cow at a press podium announcing her departure), maintains a happy tone, and avoids moral judgment. This amoral and playful framing reduces resistance and moral fatigue, which is common in climate change messaging (Boykoff & Osnes, 2019). Research shows that such humour-driven, storytelling-based communication can improve message recall and emotional engagement,  especially among young audiences (Nabi et al., 2007; Skurka et al., 2018). However, research shows that humour and storytelling alone rarely change behavior; they raise awareness and likability but need to be combined with broader interventions, such as changes in food environments or peer modelling, to influence actual dietary choices (Robinson et al., 2014). Thus, the poster effectively grabs attention and shifts attitudes but works best alongside systemic support.

Key information on the poster:

Communication Approach: Storytelling, humor, visuals

Message: This poster holds the message that shifting from animal-based foods to plant-based alternatives, such as legumes and pulses, can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen environmental pressure (Xu et al., 2021). By depicting a cheerful cow celebrating its "retirement," the poster humorously suggests that reducing meat consumption is not a loss, but a step toward a more sustainable future (Poore & Nemecek, 2018; Skurka et al., 2018). Scientific studies have shown that diets rich in plant-based proteins not only mitigate climate change but also support long-term food system resilience (Clark et al., 2019; Poore & Nemecek, 2018).

Target group: The poster targets students and other members of the university community who use the campus cafeteria ("Mensa"), focusing on young adults who frequently buy meals there. Research shows that many students see meat as essential to a healthy diet, with over 60% believing it is necessary and doubting the satisfaction of meatless meals (Wolfson et al., 2025). The poster aims to challenge these norms by reframing a plant-based meal as fun and climate-friendly. This audience is typically more receptive to communication that uses humour, internet culture, and visual storytelling (Skurka et al., 2018). This demographic is crucial for climate communication, as their dietary habits are still forming and can be shaped by sustainability messages (Graham & Abrahamse, 2017).

References

Anderson, A. A., & Becker, A. B. (2018). Not Just Funny After All: Sarcasm as a Catalyst for Public Engagement with Climate Change. Science Communication, 40(4), 524–540.

Boykoff, M., & Osnes, B. (2019). A Laughing matter? Confronting climate change through humor. Political Geography, 68, 154–163.

Clark, M. A., Springmann, M., Hill, J., & Tilman, D. (2019). Multiple health and environmental impacts of foods. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(46), 23357–23362.

Graham, T., & Abrahamse, W. (2017). Communicating the climate impacts of meat consumption: The effect of values and message framing. Global Environmental Change, 44, 98–108.

Kaltenbacher, M., & Drews, S. (2020). An Inconvenient Joke? A Review of Humor in Climate Change Communication. Environmental Communication, 14(6), 717–729.

Morris, B. S., Chrysochou, P., Christensen, J. D., Orquin, J. L., Barraza, J., Zak, P. J., & Mitkidis, P. (2019). Stories vs. facts: triggering emotion and action-taking on climate change. Climatic Change, 154(1-2), 19–36.

Nabi, R. L., Moyer-Gusé, E., & Byrne, S. (2007). All Joking Aside: A Serious Investigation into the Persuasive Effect of Funny Social Issue Messages. Communication Monographs, 74(1), 29–54.

Poore, J., & Nemecek, T. (2018). Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers. Science (New York, N.Y.), 360(6392), 987–992.

Robinson, E., Thomas, J., Aveyard, P., & Higgs, S. (2014). What everyone else is eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of informational eating norms on eating behavior. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(3), 414–429.

Sangalang, A., & Bloomfield, E. F. (2018). Mother Goose and Mother Nature: Designing Stories to Communicate Information About Climate Change. Communication Studies, 69(5), 583–604. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2018.1489872

Skurka, C., Niederdeppe, J., Romero-Canyas, R., & Acup, D. (2018). Pathways of Influence in Emotional Appeals: Benefits and Tradeoffs of Using Fear or Humor to Promote Climate Change-Related Intentions and Risk Perceptions. Journal of Communication, 68(1), 169–193.

Wolfson, J. A., Altema-Johnson, D., Yett, A., Ali, E., Kim, B., Carr, N., Santo, R., Cho, C., Browning, G., & Ramsing, R. (2025). Climate change menu labels in a university cafeteria: Effects on student's diets, perceptions, and attitudes. Appetite, 211, 108001.

Xu, X., Sharma, P., Shu, S., Lin, T.‑S., Ciais, P., Tubiello, F. N., Smith, P., Campbell, N., & Jain, A. K. (2021). Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. Nature Food, 2(9), 724–732.

Image References
OpenAI. (2025). Cow at press podium with party hat [Digital image]. ChatGPT (AI conversational model).

We are all in the same boat

What can be seen on the poster?

The central element of our poster is photography of a boat. The background is light to draw the viewer’s attention to the boat in the middle. The boat is narrow and long with only one person wearing a hat on it. The rest of the space on the boat is occupied with bowls containing a variety of different fruits and vegetables in several different colours (Hegen, 2023). The title “We are all in the same boat” is written in capital letters above the boat. Below on the left, it is written “Prioritising plant-based foods: Good for you - good for your neighbor - good for the planet”. On the right side a QR-code with the information “Learn more about Planetary Health Diet” is placed.

Communication approach and what is special about it

Our communication approach for this poster relies on visuals and art to engage our target audience. We aim to attract people’s attention through aesthetics (Harvard & Hyvönen, 2023), using a clean and minimalistic design to highlight the central element: a boat filled with fruits and vegetables. This visual focus invites viewers to take a closer look.

The sentence “Prioritizing plant-based foods: Good for you - good for your neighbor - good for the planet” concisely communicates the main message. It highlights the health benefits of a plant-based diet (Willett et al., 2019), appeals to a sense of community (Burke, Ockwell, & Whitmarsh, 2018), and emphasizes the positive impact on the environment (Springmann et al., 2018). This tagline is designed to spark interest and guide viewers toward more detailed information, accessible via the QR code on the right-hand side of the poster.

Reflection

Creating this poster allowed us to reflect on the power of visual storytelling in raising awareness for complex issues like climate change and sustainable diets. We deliberately chose a minimalistic and aesthetic design to avoid overwhelming the viewer and instead invite curiosity. The boat filled with colourful fruits and vegetables served as a strong visual metaphor for shared responsibility and collective action, which is central to the message of the planetary health diet.

One of our key reflections was the importance of emotional engagement. By using the phrase “We are all in the same boat”, we aimed to evoke a sense of solidarity and urgency. We believe this emotional layer strengthens the message and encourages viewers not only to reflect, but to act. Another takeaway was the balance between simplicity and information. While the poster doesn’t provide detailed facts, it gives just enough to spark interest—offering a clear call to action via the QR code. We see this as a strength, as it meets people where they are and encourages further exploration rather than overwhelming them upfront.

Overall, we feel the poster communicates its message effectively by combining symbolism, emotional appeal, and clarity—showing that even small design choices can have a meaningful impact.

Key information on the poster

Communication approach: Visuals, art

Message: Our poster conveys the advantages of the planetary health diet (Willett et al., 2019). This is done by looking at the diet from three perspectives: One’s personal health (“Good for you”) (Willett et al., 2019), social responsibility (“good for your neighbor”) (Burke et al., 2018), and climate aspects (“good for the planet”) (Springmann et al., 2018). However, the last two aspects go hand in hand as “good for your neighbor” is aimed to allude to consequences of climate change that are directly noticeable in one’s personal environment (Reser, 2020). This sense of community regarding climate change is reinforced by the poster’s title “we are all in the same boat”. It plays on the metaphor of collective vulnerability and mutual dependence. In the context of climate change - sea-level rising, extreme weather events, rainfall, and floods (European Commission, 2025) - a boat becomes not only a metaphor but a literal symbol of survival. Our poster suggests that the planetary health diet could be part of the solution to the climate crisis (Karavasiloglou et al., 2024). By referencing the proverb “being in the same boat”, we aim to evoke emotions (Klöckner & Sommer, 2021) and a sense of community in the viewer (Burke et al., 2018). Because as humankind, we are in the same boat and have to take action against climate change altogether (Hormio, 2023).

Target group: This poster targets young adults. According to Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (2025), in Germany, Generation z is a key demographic for future food trends, because eating habits are formed and evolve during adolescence and young adulthood. In Germany, 12.3% of young adults are vegetarian or vegan. This percentage is growing each year, making them a key demographic to target (Bundeszentrum für Ernährung, 2025). However, there is room for growth. In a study of university educated young adults in Germany, only 17% saw vegetarian diets and 18.4% saw veganisms as part of a sustainable diet (Polleau and Biermann, 2021). It is important that this is addressed. According to a study on the dietary greenhouse gas emissions of Bavarian adults, the key barriers to sustainable eating were a high consumption of animal products, gaps between environmental beliefs and actual eating behaviours, and preference for local food over impactful behaviour change (like reducing meat). The solutions to these challenges include promoting a plant-based diet, implementing targeted public awareness and behavioural campaigns (Gimpfl et al., 2025) While communication shapes public understanding, drives behavioral change, and builds support for policies, a one-size-fits-all messaging doesn’t work, and effective outreach must be tailored to reflect audience values and beliefs (Verma et al., 2025). That is why this poster utilises visuals and arts to appeal to young adults’ sense of curiosity, community, and social responsibility to promote the planetary health diet.

References:

Burke, M., Ockwell, D., & Whitmarsh, L. (2018). Participatory arts and affective engagement with climate change: The missing link in achieving climate compatible behaviour change? Global Environmental Change, 49, 95-105.

Bundeszentrum für Ernährung (bzfe). Bundeszentrum für Ernährung. (2025). https://www.bzfe.de/essen-und-gesundheit/newsletter-fuer-ernaehrungsfachkraefte/newsletter-01-2025-3/junge-erwachsene-als-treiber-der-ernaehrungstransformation

European Commission (2025). Consequences of climate change. https://climate.ec.europa.eu/climate-change/consequences-climate-change_en

Gimpfl, S., Schwarz, S., Rohm, F., Ohlhaut, N., Röger, C., Senger, M., Kussmann, M., Linseisen, J., & Gedrich, K. (2025). Dietary greenhouse gas emissions and resource use among Bavarian adults: Associations with sociodemographics and food choices. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1542254.

Harvard, J., & Hyvönen, M. (2023). Gateway Visuals: Strategies of Climate Photographers in the Digital Age. Visual Communication Quarterly, 30(4), 221–233.

Hormio, M. (2023). Collective responsibility for climate change. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 14(2), e830. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.830

Klöckner, C. A., & Sommer, L. K. (2021). Visual art inspired by climate change—An analysis of audience reactions to 37 artworks presented during 21st UN climate summit in Paris. PloS One, 16(2), e0247331.

Karavasiloglou, N., Thompson, A. S., Pestoni, G., Suter, F., Papier, K., Cassidy, A., & Rohrmann, S. (2024). Emerging EAT‑Lancet planetary health diet is associated with major cardiovascular diseases and all‑cause mortality: A global systematic review and meta‑analysis. BMC Medicine.

Polleau, A., & Biermann, G. (2021). Eat local to save the planet? Contrasting scientific evidence and consumers' perceptions of healthy and environmentally friendly diets. Current Research in Environmental Sustainability, 3, 100054.

Reser, J. P. (2020). The nature, significance, and influence of perceived personal experience of climate change. WIREs Climate Change, 11(5), e668.

Springmann, M., Clark, M., Mason-D’Croz, D., Wiebe, K., Bodirsky, B. L., Lassaletta, L., ... & Scarborough, P. (2018). Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits. Nature, 562(7728), 519–525. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0594-0

Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., Springmann, M., Lang, T., Vermeulen, S., ... & Murray, C. J. L. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393(10170), 447–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31788-4

Verma, S., Haile, E., Adu, E., Chaudhry, L. (2025) Public Communication & Perception of Climate Change. Food, Health, and Climate Communication, Summer semester 2025. University of Bayreuth.

Image Reference:

Hegen, T. (2023). Floating market series. https://www.tomhegen.com/collections/the-floating-market-series