As a culture we are constantly being inundated with signs; some messages more overt than others. These signs are present in many forms, ranging from traffic signals to advertisements, which may seem more subliminal. When we see a stop sign as a culture, we almost always interpret that sign as an instruction to stop. The form, a red octogonal metal road sign, signifies the idea that one should stop driving a car upon reaching that sign. While we as an American culture collectively know the way we are meant to interpret road signs, we do not collectively know how we are meant to interpret the advertisements that we are inundated with every day. Furthermore, the message intended by the advertiser may not even be the message that we receive as consumers. As an English teacher, I feel that it is my responsibility to teach my students how to read the world of advertising through a more analytical lens so that they may be more educated consumers.
Through the use of semiotics, students can be taught to analyze advertisements through a system of signs that is dyadic in nature. This dyadic system of signs was developed by linguist Ferdinand de Saussure in order to analyze language and the sign systems present within it. Since words are signs, and many advertisements contain strings of words, then it is important for students to realize that depending on their context, the same words can signify different things. For example, if the word or form “massive” (the “signifier”) is placed on an advertisement of a resort in the Bahamas, consumers can probably assume that the idea or “signified” connected to that word is that the resort is very large and expansive. This word will attract vacationers who are looking for an elaborate vacation complete with many grounds to explore. However, if that same word were used on an advertisement for a dieting program, interpretation of meaning would more heavily depend on the placement and context of such a word. Is the food amount permitted “massive?” Is the diet center facility “massive?” Does the diet center host a “massive” amount of clients? Or will someone become “massive” if s/he does not follow this diet’s plan for healthy eating? The multiple interpretations of one word or form necessitates an analysis of context as well as content.
On a larger scale, the same is also true of advertisements. The decision to place an advertisement on television, on the radio, in a magazine, on a billboard, on a bus, or on a park bench can all lead to different interpretations of meaning of the advertisement. The context of the ad placement will dictate the audience that will see the ad, thus influencing the types of people that will buy the product or service being sold. The trick to understanding the signs within the advertisement and the signs surrounding the advertisement is understanding Saussure’s system of signs first. Only then can content and context be interpreted at an evaluative level of understanding.
