Jackhammers and Alarm Clocks: Perceptions in Stereo

Abstract

Commercial bilingualism in Québec has prompted ingenious responses to the convergence of English and French, notably in regards to the grammatical structure and the nomenclature of brand identification. Fueled by politics and economy of message, a duality of perceptions has resulted from the necessity to communicate with both linguistic groups. In this paper, I discuss Canada’s two official languages and classify their contact with each other in the world of brand identities. What these languages must accomplish in the business world and the new perceptions that result from the contact between the two languages are also discussed. As the aesthetics of graphic design and linguistic duality merge, I submit my own theory of contact between three elements—the two languages and the participants.