Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Semiotics: Let's Try to Make Sense of This
"Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a Lady" No! I mean I wish! If it were that simple, that my man just had to smell like Old Spice, I would be spraying him with it in his sleep. The ad gives a simple message: If men used Old Spice instead of Lady Scented body wash he would be more like the man in the commercial. I hope I'm understanding the term correctly, but I believe this ad portrays a myth. The ideology that the denotation (If my man used Old Spice he could be like the man on the commercial)and connotation (This man on the commercial is amazing) produce extended metaphors. This whole ad is a metaphor situation. Simply put, buy your Man Old Spice, he will be like "Me". He possess a persuasive argument, he has an attractive body, a sensational voice, a boat, diamonds, and two tickets to that thing I love!!! To top it all off, he's on a hourse. What more could a girl ask for!?
The denotation in this ad are the two girls. One is saying things to the other girl, who we can plainly see is bruised and crying. We see that there are various hurtful words on the screen that are coming from the girl on the left, to the girl on the right. The connotation to this ad is that verbal abuse is just as powerful as physical abuse. The words that the girl on the left is saying are outlined in white to compile them into arms. At the end of the arms there are hands choking the girl on the right. People say hurtful things to others without considering the damage they are putting on others. This add doesn't even include a command, "like buy this" or "vacation here". Nowhere does it literally say "Do not shout horrible things to people." Everything is conveyed in the picture through the emotions shown from the girls, and the keen position of the baneful words.
This Billboard ad has a lot less time to grab the people's attention. People that will be seeing this will be driving on the road, with very little time to focus and read tiny intricate print like the hurtful words in the print ad. In big bold letters the Billboard screams "Fast, Cheap" This is the Signifier. It also shows a picture of a girl who is dressed up and posing in a way that some people may deem as hooker. At first glance the billboard signifies that the hooker is fast and cheap, then you see just below the big bold words, that the "satisfaction that is guaranteed" is actually granted by high speed internet. As a culture we relate the two because of the physical presence of the hooker. If we call the phone number at the bottom of the board we can get high speed internet. Not just only will it be fast, but it will be as cheap and satisfying as a hooker. I'm not really sure how satisfying a low cost hooker would be, so I'll just stick to my free campus wifi!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Brands Brands Brands
No, not the brand that tells people which group of cattle belong to Farmer Greg,the brands that tell people about yourself, even when you don't say a word. Sometimes people chose brands because of their status in society. Some brands, especially the expensive ones share with people that you have money. By wearing, purchasing, or driving certain brands you're making a statement that you have enough money to participate in that distinct culture. Although the brands that come with an expensive price tag are idolized, they don't always pose the best quality product. Sometimes people blindly buy things just because of the brand.
The grocery store is filled with gazillions of different and similar items. They make this sandwich cookie with a chocolaty outside and on the inside there is this sweet white icing. I'm sure the first brand that came in to mind was, "Milk's favorite cookie", Oreo! There are way more sandwich cookies out there than just Oreo, so why did Oreo come to mind? It is the most advertised. It's competitors don't make
comical print ads, or heart warming commercials that tap into your childhood. Oreo cookies aren't necessarily an expensive cookie, but when people buy Oreos, they buy the life-style. What Oreo sells along with their cookies is the notion that eating Oreos brings out the child in anyone. Oreos brings families together!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ8JZMtsqtk
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