Sociopolitical Influence on Personal Vehicle Stickers: Semantics and Semiotics

‘Horn Ok Please’ has become the universal language of the Indian streets. The Indian streets are packed with contemporary rolling canvases of witty social messages and intricate illustrations, along with modern Mom’s Gift, Blessed, 786, Hindu, Jai Bhim vinyl stickers. Vehicle owners, just like every other human being have used car stickers to express themselves. Stickers could be seen as an informal way of expressing nonverbal messages to readers. The manipulation of visuals in propaganda or the framing of narratives can significantly influence public opinion and sway the course of political events. This paper explores the ways in which people use visual stickers on their personal vehicles to express their psychology and world-view, to identify and examine the role of religious expressions on private vehicles. There are intricate connections between these elements and individuals' perceptions, behaviours, and societal dynamics. In an orderly chaotic city like Pune, the presence of religious stickers serves as a potent means for individuals to visually articulate their religious affiliations, values, and sentiments. These affiliations provide insights into the complex dynamics of Indian society, on how people navigate and express their identities in a sociopolitical context. It has implications for social cohesion, inter-community relations, and overall societal harmony. As a graphic designer, exploring the intersection of semiotics (in the form of stickers) and identity (expressed through religious symbols) provided a unique perspective. The study has been conducted with a mixed methodology. For primary data through quantitative methods which collect statistically significant information from existing and potential users using sampling methods and sending out online surveys, online polls, and questionnaires. The insights then paved the way for qualitative data collection through interviews, focus groups with analytical visual research and photojournalism. This paper is a part of a larger project of the researcher who is working on a documentary film.