Semiotics

Semiotics

Semiotics is defined as the study of sign in simple definition but more complex definition is that of Umberto Eco, who states that ‘semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign’ (Eco 1976, 7), in other words ‘signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects' (the basics semiotics Daniel chandler).

In semiotics signs can be related nearly in everything that has meaning, giving an example of signs from a commercial advert, there can be many meanings and interpretations from an advert.

These two adverts are for the same product, ‘Skyy Vodka’, from the both of the adverts we can take out many signs and meanings, but the most obvious is the way they have used sexuality. The adds use women as objects in a way to advertise a product, the man which is in a suit sophisticated but the head out of the shot and standing on top of the woman suggests that he is powerful and important, whereas the woman is laying down in little and revealing clothing suggesting that she is not so important and only used in the image to catch men’s attention. Also on the second advert we see the image of the blue vodka bottle with a ladies legs wearing red shiny leggings with red heels connoting determination as well as passion, desire, and love which is most expected of women. ‘Laura Mulvey argues that in classical Hollywood cinema the male position is the active viewing position, while the female position is that of the passive object of male visual pleasure’ (practices of looking, postmodernism and popular culture).

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Reference

The basics of semiotics, Daniel chandler

Umberto Eco, 1976