Semiotic Analysis Of Phone Service Advertisements
Modern western civilizations are flooded with advertisements that influence consumer culture and beliefs. Advertisements are messages sent through a variety mediums to promote a company, event or brand. The ideology behind a product is implied in the imagery and text used to advertise it. These are the social perceptions and values that individuals use to relate to the world. I will be using the Straight Talk advertising for phone service, which was taken from People magazine. My advertisement displays the evolution of society through cellphones. Who they are produced for, how much they cost and for whom. My advertisements codes, signs, and intertextuality will be used to prove that my advertisement has themes related to age and class. Two components can be separated from the signs in advertisements: the signifier and signified. The sign’s sign signifier is the tangible or visible aspect that conveys its meaning. The sign’s sign signified is the person’s understanding of it. The denotation of a sign is what identifies the sign to an individual. My argument begins with the image of my smartphone, which serves as the sign. The smartphone’s rectangular, slim and dark-coloured appearance is what I see as its denotation. Finally, the smartphone’s cultural connotation is one that represents freedom and technological progress. The advertising uses the smartphone’s image in order to reach the younger generation. Modern culture has smartphones as a way to connect to the outside world and others through its range of programs and services. But many people are older and don’t have the skills or interest to use them for their intended purpose. They are unable to integrate into today’s rapidly changing culture or accept the social benefits of smartphones. Advertising also makes reference to class, as not everyone can afford the initial cellphone and services. This prevents them from connecting with a new generation of smart technology users. Peirce defined iconic signs as having a signifying relationship that is based on parallelism. The sign in question matches its communication concept (129). The second sign, the ball and the chain that are attached to the phone’s screen, is its signifier. The cannonball’s heavy, entrapping shape, as well as its larger illustration, is what the signifies. Its connotation refers to Straight Talk Wireless’s cost. Different age and class groups have different ideologies that correspond to entrapment in phone contracts. This is because no one likes being held back by rules that can’t be broken. This advertisement encourages the creation of new, cheaper, and more flexible contracts. Pierce’s theory is that iconic signs are related because the sign’s denotative imagery of a large, heavy cannonball serves to represent that force, which demonstrates how contracts with hidden or inexorable factors that impact a person’s wealth and mind (129). The bolded text under the images, which reads “Careful! That new phone might contain more than you expected,” is the third and final sign in my advertisement. This sign is denotated by the bolded fonts and darker colours. This sentence can be understood as a warning or awareness message. It can also be connected to the idea that companies can profit from more advanced technology while still offering no contracts and better deals. The sentence is applicable to all ages and classes. It is not fair for anyone who has a cell phone to be bound by a contract. This sign is an illustration of Peirce’s symbolic signs. It describes the inconsistency that exists between the sign’s sign signifier and sign. But, it also relates to the social importance of being aware what a deal entails (129). Straight Talk’s Advertisement employs more than sign language to transmit messages about ideology, age, class and modality through codes of content and technical codes. The codes are elements of images that convey and denote information through body language or setting. As an example, the advertisement’s codes of content are the colors used to highlight the letters, black smartphone, cannonball and chain. Technical codes are the techniques that underlie an advertisement and support an image’s meaning. My advertisement shows the technical codes in the image. The cannonball is attached to the smartphone and the phone’s size. Their colour stands out against the background, emphasizing the negative effects of bad contracts with other phone companies. Modality can be used to describe words like might, absolutely, and other synonymous terms in sentences using different media that convey different levels or certainty. To use an example, I have used the following quote from my advertisement: “Careful. That new phone might be loaded with more than your imagination.” This communicates a message of low-modality through the use “might” (130-131). These techniques are combined in my advertisement to promote Straight Talks phone service and create a positive image. My advertisement contains intertextuality. This is my last observation. In this instance, intertextuality is simply defined as the interpretation and connection of advertisements to other content. My advertisement is connected to similar advertisements in the same industry, but it’s mostly about avoiding advertisements with misleading advertising or hidden consequences. Volkswagen’s environmentally-friendly diesel cars advertisements were a good example. They promoted cars with lower emissions and higher prices. The advertisement was found to be false. Volkswagen had faked emissions tests for years. Customers who bought or leased cars had to keep them or purchase a new vehicle as the value of the car had fallen. My advertisement concerns the use of contracts and false statements to warn customers about other products or get publicity. Straight Talk’s advertisement for no contract phone service contains and unravels various elements of class and age, using many signs and codes to promote a modernization ideology in technology. The phone on a ball and chain is a reminder of the old ways of buying phone service. These contracts cannot be modified or left unfinished, which can create conflict between individuals and service providers. They were highlighted by bolded text and images. The lime green background also helped to highlight their presence. These elements of the advertisement reflected the collective idea of modern technology distribution and development. This advertisement is not the only one that promotes growth in our world. Sources
O’Shaugnessy, M., & Stadler, J. (2016). Media and Society (6th Edition). Oxford University Press published Melbourne.
