Semiotic Analysis of Advertising

Print Ad: 

The print ad is a simple room with only two walls showing, side wall has three pitcher frames with a white dresser in front of it.

To the right of the dresser there are six young boys in different positions going in a row; from left to right: standing and stretching, screaming and pulling his hair, on his knees with hands on top of head, sitting on the ground, one on his back (feet up), and laying on the grown in the fetal position.

You look closer and you can see that it is the same boy; he is just in different stages of a tantrum or just crying. It took me a minute to figure out what this ad was trying to sell. The child is a symbol of the volume symbol. The child is showing that with BOSE Noise Cancelling Headphones any noise can and will not be heard if you don’t want to hear it.  The boy(s) are not just a symbol of the volume symbol but the symbol of loud noise(s) in general. 

Outdoor Ad:

 

This is a large board that is out side by a large body of water. The board has shapes cut out leaving negative space that is allowing us to see the background. There is a bright light at a low angle. The negative space creates a silhouette of a woman, only the face (lips, nose, and eye) and her hair. You can tell it’s a woman because of the long hair, plump lips and female eyes; which is all made from the negative space of the board.

The “woman” with long golden hair (thanks to the sunset or sunrise) is symbolizing that her hair is beautiful and it can only be beautiful if you used Koleston Naturals produce. This billboard sells the symbol of beauty by showing off the long wavy hair that is over the shoulder (or would be if it was a real woman).

This ad would really only work during sunset, sunrise, or the night. You get brilliant golden hair during the gold hour and jet black hair during the night. It would look a little bit off if you see this during the day with a blue background. Not saying blue hair isn't beautiful, just that it is not natural; which this ad is trying to portray because the slogan is “Koleston Naturals”. 

TV Ad:

This ad is of several different objects that are round with bands. They are rotating slowly, showing the front and sides of these objects. They are placed on a simple black background. In the background there are different people talking and/or sounds. When the new object is on the screen, a different voices or sounds would be playing in the background. Till the last object, it rotates so we can see its sides and only its sides. Then in the next scene you see the object full face, and a human finger swiping at the screen.

Star Trek communicator from the 1979 

What we as the viewer sees is objects that you put on your wrist. All of these wristwear are from TV shows and movies that have been on in the last 60 years. These objects are iconic to every generation it comes into contact with. They also become symbols in there own right. Take the Star Trek communicator from the 1979 movie; it is a symbol on the future technology that we aspire to obtain. Which we have with the product that is being sold here; the Samsung Galaxy Gear: Evolution is the new future. It looks and acts like so many iconic images that we have seen over the years. This commercial makes us remember our childhood and makes us want to capture our childhood by buying this product.