Semiotics

Print ad

Purina Dog Chow “Stop Treating Your Fog like a Trashcan” campaign.

This ad takes place in a well furnished home. The home is extremely detailed, furnished in a very modern way, while still keeping a rustic charm. The colors and lighting in the ad are both cool and warm. Featured in the center is a young woman, dressed in modern, trendy cloths, looking very put together and healthy.  In her hands is a plate of leftover food scraps, which she is dumping into a dog shaped like a garbage can. The “dogs” jaws are open, to receive whatever its owner is placing in its mouth. The “dog” is also modeled after a large friendly Labrador, one of the most popular dog breeds across the world. Small white text saying “stop treating you dog like a trashcan” is placed next to an image for the product, in the bottom right portion of the image.

Signifier: Dog is being used as a trashcan

Signified: Irresponsible owner

Denotation: Nice home, healthy woman, food scraps, dog shaped trashcan, text saying “stop treating you dog like    a trashcan” Purina logo

Connotation:  Owners need to make better choices regarding their pet’s health

Myth: Purina is a healthy choice for your dog

Tv Ad        

Reese’s “All Not New”

This ad mimics the typical car commercial format: Show off the lines of car, show how the design is evolving, and show off how this new car design is better than the last year’s model. This ad plays off those old tropes, saying that their formula is still the same, and it’s still delicious. The commercial starts off with a black screen and dramatic orchestra music. The camera begins to pan through a series of highly reflective dark surfaces, with the words “The all Not-new for 2015””no different than 2014” appearing in the center of the screen in a yellow bold typeface in all capital letters. The iconic sides of the candy are reveled, reflected against the still dark background as the music begins to change.  Suddenly the background turns Reese’s iconic orange color, revealing the same yellow type saying “and still perfect”. As the camera zooms out to reveal the entire chocolate treat, the words “the perfectly original, original perfect cup.” Appear in the center of the screen. Then the image cuts to that iconic image of a Reese’s peanut butter cup with a bite taken out of it, along with the brand logo, and the word “perfect” in a smaller dark type to the right of the logo.

Signifier: Reese’s is a sleek, timeless candy.

Signified: “All not-new for 2015”

Denotation: Black, orange, reflective, candy, “perfect” “no different than 2014”, Reese’s logo

Connotation:  So perfect, nothing needed to be changed

Myth: Reese’s is the perfect choice

Outdoor ad

Tylenol “Ball”

Man is suffering from a painful headache.  His fingers are pressed to his temples, his brow is furrowed, has an incredibly pained expression. A 3D wrecking ball is lodged in his forehead, and suspended from outside the billboard from a 3D crane. The background color of both billboards is red, and the smaller right billboard features the brand logo Tylenol, under that in white letters is the tag line “get back to normal”.

Signifier: Wrecking ball to the forehead

Signified: Intense pain from a headache

Denotation:  Man in pain, wrecking ball hitting head where headache pain is usually located, red, white text, product name.

Connotation:  Pain from a headache can stop you from functioning properly

Myth: Tylenol will relieve your pain, “get [you] back to normal”