III: Semiotics

"Semiotics - The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation."

In order to extensively analyse what goes into the composition of an advert in relation to it's target and how the presentation reflects the brand identity, a high understanding of semiotics is required to break down the effects an ad may give to it's audience.
Semiotics or Semiology is simply the study of signs and how those signs can be interpreted, since advertising can be taken as communication through relate-able words and images semiotics would play a big role especially when it comes to the look of an and the feel that ad gives. Simpy out, techniques in semiotics helps us in breaking down and understanding how they try to evoke a response. The basis of Semiotics is that there is the Signifier and the Signified of which generates
the sign.

Semiotics are important in the composition of visual and verbal language which is how it applies to Advertising, in essence it helps in how everything put in a conceptual work has to be there for a reason alas aiding in the removal of unnecessary content so the ad will be more focused in what it has to say.



Within semiology are certain techniques used, an example of this is Transference. This is the shift from the source material in order to make a relation to the product. In essence the main focus must be on the meaning generated through the visual and verbal communication from the ad, again creating a response and creating a want/need.



An Example -


First the minimalistic styling of the ad may represent privacy and peace with the white colouring meaning something that's clean and new, the lighting highlighting this. The white space in the ad may represent quietness as well as comfort in one's own personal space. The single figure on his may show that the class is something exclusive and new, what the figure is dressed in reinforces who is the target market, a suit equals professionalism and business and this is an ad for business class.

Key Terms
- Signifier, Signified, Sign
- Meaning, Transference
- Objective, Correlative
- Denative
- Diegesis
- Anchorage