Semiotics is the study of symbols and signs as elements of visual communication and is often used in advertising to signify the advertiser's message. Semiotics reflects the cultural norms, value and the established forms of communication of society. This is a classical association for artists to make out the difference between the signifiers and the signified. A sign is something that stands for something other than itself; we interpret things as signs naturally by relating them to familiar systems or conventions ( Ferreira, 2007 ).
The above is an advertisement for Palm Pilot, featuring a hand covered in scrawling with the word "chaos" above it and the word "order" above the phone that is being advertised. While this advert is seemingly simple and straightforward, it contains many signifiers which strengthen its reach to its viewers. For example, the palm pilot on the left panel is an iconic symbol of the product that is being marketed. Icons are pictures or symbols that are often the exact representation of the objects they signify, in this case the palm pilot device.
The background of the image on the left is a busy city, a procession of headlights and traffic clogging the streets represents a chaotic lifestyle which is emphasized by the word "Chaos" above it. The hand is covered in chaotic and disorganized notes and to-do list creating a sense of uneasiness as if something could be forgotten or that they would eventually disappear. The panel on the right had such contrast to the one on the left, a sleek black phone on a simple white background, neat and tidy relieving viewers from their anxiety. Furthermore, the writing "buy palm" at the bottom of the hand as if indicating that the palm pilot on the right is the solution to the person's struggles.
The orange palm logo on the bottom right of the advert represents the company, besides the word ‘palm’ on the logo, the meaning was not inherent in the logo, however it is understood by viewers as they learned to associate the logo with the company as symbols are both arbitrary and conventional, thus the palm logo is a symbolic sign. In addition, the colour of the both palm logo and the word "organize" are the same orange forming a relationship between the product and the word, signifying that the palm pilot will help you get organized. The symbolic signs within this ad also include the hand. The palm of the hand is a subtle visual pun to the brand name 'Palm', as if saying instead of writing on your palm, use 'palm' instead. A simple wordplay can be useful to communicate the product's benefit, and also make the advertisement more interesting.
The connotation of this palm pilot advertisement suggests that the palm pilot will be able to help sort out your hectic life. There could be other possible interpretations of this advert depending on the values, norms and culture of a particular society. This is a well - designed advert, it is able to convey its message straightforwardly and appeal to its target consumers using semiotics in this coherent composition.
Reference
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