Demonic images in modern ukrainian advertising

Abstract

Introduction. Modern advertising reflects the cultural and historical processes taking place in Ukrainian society, in particular the establishment of the national identity of Ukrainians, which peaked in 2014 – the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Dissociation from foreign cultural traditions led to the appearance of Ukrainian demonic images in advertising – a mavka, a woodcutter, a chugaister, etc. The emotional upheaval of Ukrainians with the start of active hostilities in 2022 led to the transformation of the characters of lower mythology, who acquired the positive characteristics of Ukrainian land’s defenders. Relevance of the study. The evolution of demonic images in modern Ukrainian advertising from purely traditional to hyperbolically attractive representatives of the Ukrainian nation, the study of personified spirits of nature as a mechanism for popularizing traditional Ukrainian values appears to us to be relevant and in need of academic attention. The purpose of the article is to investigate the use of demonic images in modern Ukrainian advertising, to outline the evolution of advertising characters representing lower mythology in accordance with society’s requests for ethnic self-identification. Methodology. The article uses general scientific methods of generalization, comparison, systematization, the structural-semiotic approach at the semantic and pragmatic levels, and the hermeneutic approach. The analysis was conducted using visual methods, in particular, iconological interpretation, linguosemiotic analysis, descriptive method. The study of mythological images in relation to their modern embodiment was carried out with the help of the cultural method, namely, the method of problematization of empirical material, comparison of basic images of demons with modern visual interpretations. Results. Ukrainian advertisers adopted the globalization trend of changing the semantic content of the demonic image from negative to positive, attributive demonologizing of advertising characters, whose mystical essence does not cause disgust, since their negative influence is directed at the advertised product. With the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, representatives of Ukrainian lower mythology appear in advertising, which illustrates the radical changes in society as the formation of national identification, group psychological integrity, the formation of a national model of Ukrainian society. Conclusions. Mythological characters in modern Ukrainian advertising have acquired positive features as a response to the fight against new evil forces in the form of Russian invaders. Demonic images, traditional for the Ukrainian worldview, appear as representatives of their land, who have magical power and are able to protect their own territory, Ukrainian cultural traditions from destruction. This indicates a change in narratives in Ukrainian advertising: it gradually becomes a translator of national values, a powerful mechanism of patriotic education.