Semiotics

February 13, 2013

Apply semiotic analysis to three advertisements: one television, one print, and one outdoor.

The goal of an advertisement is to entice a consumer into buying a product. There is a trick called semiotics that help advertisers do this. Semiotics are signs and symbols placed into advertisements that trigger an emotion or feeling from the consumer. An ad that executes semiotics well can make the consumer desire a product without really having a need for it.

State Farm insurance launched a few television commercials that featured a “magic jingle.” A person who was in some sort of predicament would sing, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there” and a State Farm insurance agent would appear. This gives the consumer a comfortable feeling, as if State Farm has there back should something ever go awry. Some of the commercials also have another person try to get help from their different insurance company, who is no where to be found. This makes State Farm look much more dependable.

When the iPod came out, Apple launched an outdoor campaign featuring colorful billboards. The advertisement featured a person listening to an iPod and dancing. The person was completely black, and the background was a solid color. These billboard advertisements used the fun and wild aspect of dancing and music to entice consumers.

A magazine ad for Longines, a watch company, makes two different images look similar in a semiotic way. A woman dressed in a very fancy and elegant dress is next to a watch that is positioned to look just like the woman. This makes the viewer think the watch is very fancy and elegant, just like the woman. The advertisement is completely black and white which adds to the elegance.