Semiotic Analysis of two advertisements
Adverts have been used for centuries and are an effective way of drawing consumers to products. The main aims for a advert are to catch a potential consumers attention and then to sell the product to the potential consumer. Adverts have changed a lot since the nineteenth century the ‘Pears soap’ adverts, technology has improved greatly and the audiences for adverts have changed too. However the generic conventions of adverts have remained similar throughout time. The ‘Pears soap’ adverts look very simple compared to today’s adverts but they all do contain hidden messages for the audience to pick up on. This essay is going to compare two adverts, which are the adverts for the ‘Samsung P400’ mobile phone and ‘Horlicks’ hot drink.
The ‘Samsung’ advert is aimed at a wide range of people, but particularly younger more trendy and energetic females. This can be seen because the lady that is in the picture is quite young and by looking at what she is where it can be assumed that she is quite trendy and fashionable. This advert addresses the need of having to look good and have the best accessories, this will make it appeal to women because they are more image conscience and generally take more trouble about their appearance. The position that the woman is standing in isn’t natural and does look like it has a lot of energy and fun in it, this will make younger people want this phone.
The ‘Horlicks’ advert is aimed at older people and probably people who are in long term relationships. It is for older people because it is set in a bedroom and teenager generally don’t share bedrooms, and for people in relationships or want to be in relationships because the two pairs of feet look very cosy and they could even be seen a phallic. The need to be have satisfaction is being addressed here, whether it is the satisfaction of a good nights sleep or something less innocent is up to the audience to decide for themselves. The audiences for these two adverts are very different and the advertisers use different methods to catch the attention of their audiences.
The lady is representing the phone and the phone the lady, in the ‘Samsung’ advert. The lady is striking a pose similar to the way in which the phone has been left, as the lady is striking this pose she is representing that the phone is just as flexible as she is, she is young and normally is it expected for young people to be flexible. The phone is representing the women because it has her face on the screen and is being used to say that the phone is just a smart, sophisticated and fun as the lady. The connotation made from this advert is that the phone is almost a person it is doing as the lady does and because of that is it like the lady and can do what the lady can do – it is smart and technologically advanced.
The ‘Horlicks’ advert uses the audience’s imagination to make ‘Horlicks’ seem sexier than it is. The word ‘fulfilment in the bedroom at last’ have double meanings, the advert is claiming that it means a good nights sleep at last but sexual imagery is being represented by the image of the feet and the text. It is only apparent that the advert is not sexual when the small print is read. The connotation is that the ‘Horlicks’ will make you sleep better. Both adverts have hidden meaning, connotations, that aren’t apparent at first, however the phone adverts connotation is just boasting more about the product, while the ‘Horlicks’ connotation is the actual meaning of the advert.
The ideas that are being presented in the ‘Samsung’ advert are that young women are fun, smart, flexible and sophisticated. These ideas are generally thought of in society and the advert has used these general views on young women to save them from having to write out a lot of words, the audience knows what young women are generally like and can see why the women has been used sub-consciencely.
