Semiotic Analysis

Semiotic Analysis

The first image chosen is an advertising campaign for “Absolut Vodka” made in 1980. It shows a picture of the bottle with a halo above it and the words “Absolut Perfection”

This advert was a breakthrough in the advertising industry as it demonstrated visual power as the bottle stands alone, not with someone drinking it.

Absolut conveyed an idea through image and created a visual riddle for the viewer to join in with. The viewer has to make a connection between type and image making readers become part of the communication process.

The signifier is the halo and the light in the background that acts as a spotlight putting the bottle in the limelight making the reader concentrate on it. This signifies an angelic symbol which makes the viewer sees goodness and purity. The bottle is no longer a bottle it is a symbol of an angel.

The second image chosen is an advert for “Smirnoff Vodka” made in 1994 which followed “absolut’s” way of advertising by making the bottle visual and fun,

The advert consists of a baking tray full of ginger bread men and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka in front. Looking through the glass bottle there are happy dancing ginger bread men representing how you feel after having the drink.

These dancing gingerbread men and the bottle are the signifier and are what you are drawn to most in the image. They are also placed further forward in the image. The dancing gingerbread men, signifies happiness in a crowd and the viewer can relate to them.

lecture 6- postmodernity and the mass media

lecture 5- the document

lecture 4- the mass media and society

lecture 3- advertising publicity and the media

lecture 2- Graphic Design- a meadium for the masses

Lecture 1- modernity and modernism and the mass media

Task.- summary

- In 1900s a new form of art was introduced where and artist could express oneself, called “expressionism”.

- When the World War broke out avant garde was internationalized and the French style, cubism was being moved away from. In Berlin, Munich, Dresden and Vienna visual art started to develop and became expressive and subjective.

- Negative response to modernism was the growth of population in the cities. Lives were lived around machinery, freedom was being lost and people where becoming imprisoned

- Positive response to modernism for the richer population, as technology began to determine what your social class was.

- Marinetti brought the twentieth century “Futurism”, a form of art which involved painting, sculpture but also literature theatre and performing arts.


Harrison, C and Wood, P. (eds.) (1997)
'Art In Theory: 1900-90',
Oxford, Blackwell,
pp. 125-9.

Harvard Referencing- essay

“Advertising doesn’t sell things; all advertising does is change the way people think or feel”-Jeremy Bullmore

Evaluate this statement with reference to selected critical theories and advertisements (past and present)

Dyer.G 1996

Advertising as a communication

Routledge, London

659.1

Stanfford.M; Faber.R 2005

Advertising, promotion and new media

Armonk, New York

659.1

Vollmer.C; Precourt.G 2008

Always on: advertising, marketing and media in an era of consumer control

McGraw Hill, London

659.1

Hackley.C 2005

Advertising and promotion: communicating brands

Sage Publications, London

659.1

Berger. W 2006

Advertising Today

Phaidon Press inc. New York

659.1

Image Analysis Exercise

image 1

Savile Lumley (1915)

image 2

The uncle Sam's Range (1876)
Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York

Questions:
complare and contrast the two images in relation to the following-
1)the choice and organisation of font and style of illustration
2)the purpose and meaning of the image
3)the target/potential audience of the image
4)the social and historical context relevant to the production of the image

In the first image the type is placed at the bottom of the poster and uses a hand written like, italic font that seems personal and welcoming. The artist connects to the target audience by emphasising “you” by making it larger and underlined. In the second picture the type connects to the audience by using a western font which reminds people of America in the “cowboy and Indian” times where this font was popular, reminding the audience of their heritage.

I think the purpose of the first image is to try and get young men to join the war. It came out in the second year of the 1^st world war when they needed more people to join the army and fight. I think the artist glorifies the war by calling it “The Great War” which makes you think you would be doing something heroic and brave if you joined and makes you want to be a part of it. The text starts with the word “Daddy” and shows two children reading and playing with soldiers asking their father what he did in the war. I think the poster is trying to put the viewer in the Fathers position and makes you think what your own answer will be in the future when you have a family. It makes you want to have a story to tell your own children which guilt’s you in to joining the war.

The second image is more cluttered and gives a lot more information. The advert is for a cooker called “The Uncle Sam’s Range”. In the image there is a table to the center right and a cooker to the left of the image. There is world with arms, legs and a face sat at the table reading a bill with different counties orders on it. There are also three children, two boys and one girl placed further behind (which shows weakness). The children have “Dixie” and “west” on the boys and “New England” on the girl. There is an eagle (America’s national symbol) and a dressed up man (who is a figure head for America) at the table and a woman is offering them food. The man is in the center of the image which draws your eyes to see him first and gives him your main attention. There is also a black child servant getting food out of the cooker (this shows how much view have changed since this image was made). The image is mainly in Red, white and blue which are the colours of the American flag. I think the image is trying to say if you are American you should have this cooker and how America is better than other countries (this is shown by listing unappealing foods from other countries on the bill)