Semiotics is a field of study to help us understand how visual phenomena communicates. Signs have meaning because of analogy and association (metaphors and metonymies). On page thirty-five of Arthur Asa Berger’s Signs in Contemporary Culture: An Introduction to Semiotics, there is a chart giving examples of the differences between a metaphor and a metonymy. A metaphor is a similarity; and a metonymy is a proximity or well-known symbol of something in particular. Many advertisements use metaphors (“happy is up, sad is down”) and metonymies (“smoke means fire”, pink ribbon means breast cancer, etc.) to sell a product or election campaigns.
signifier and signified
http://blog.karachicorner.com/2012/10/50-dazzling-advertising-posters-with-clever-ideas/
Neckties shaped like sushi is a great advertising example. Tokyo is in Japan, where sushi is well known. Although they are not sushi, because they are intentionally shaped like so, we immediately think of sushi anyways. Adding a set of chopsticks lets us know that it was the intension of the designer to do this to our vision of the product. It is a very clever advertisement. The relationship between image and text is solid. The image and text compliment each other completely. Metaphor and metonymy play a role in this advertisement because of the connection between the image and text. The ties shaped like sushi are a metaphor for Tokyo , sushi is a metonymy for Tokyo.
http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/cartoons/daily-political-cartoon-8-11-13-1.184813
This political advertisement features “Obama” as the server at the “USA Diner”, serving different variations of meals to three guys that are labeled as “BIG GOVT.”, “MIDDLE CLASS”, and “OBAMANOMICS”. The “BIG GOVT.” is served high-class, as they are seen, heavily fed, wearing suits, “fine-dining”, and showing their wealth. The cartoon also has a well-trimmed hair-cut, a bib, and what I am guessing is wine with his meal. The “OBAMANOMICS” (Lower-class) guy is also eating a lot, but he is eating unhealthy fast-foods, and his hair-cut and clothing are less “clean-cut”. The “MIDDLE CLASS” guy is very thin, being served only a salad by “Obama”, and being squished by the other two guys. The suggestions that are being used as reference to personify each class has become both metaphors metonymies for each of them.
http://mass2networked.blogspot.com/2012/04/advertising-women-and-media.html
These fast food advertisements are all sexual-innuendoes that are cleverly set up, subliminal messages, that mislead people to think that fast food and beauty are some how related. We all know that fast food is very unhealthy. The relationship between image and text is very well thought out, so that most people get the inside joke while also seeing a harmless side.
http://blog.karachicorner.com/2012/06/40-stunning-print-media-ads/
I also wanted to share this Mercedes-Benz advertisement, simply because of how clever its design is. It is of both a frontal and side view of a mans face merged. The text reads “Look to the side without looking to the side”, which fits the merging of the faces. The image is a metaphor for the text, and a metonymy for the technology that is being advertised.
Works Cited
Admin. "50 Dazzling Advertising Posters with Clever Ideas." Design Blog RSS. 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. http://blog.karachicorner.com/2012/10/50-dazzling-advertising-posters-with-clever-ideas/.
Wash. Poet Writers Group. "Daily Political Cartoon 8/11/13 - Cartoons - Gaston Gazette."Daily Political Cartoon 8/11/13 - Cartoons - Gaston Gazette. Halifax Media Group, 07 July 2013. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. http://www.gastongazette.com/opinion/cartoons/daily-political-cartoon-8-11-13-1.184813.
"From Mass to Networked." : The Drive to Be Thin--Women in Advertising. 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. http://mass2networked.blogspot.com/2012/04/advertising-women-and-media.html.
Admin. "40 Stunning Print Media Ads." Design Blog RSS. Web. 04 Oct. 2013. http://blog.karachicorner.com/2012/06/40-stunning-print-media-ads/.
No comments:
Post a Comment