Abstract
Advertising communication is a unique genre with a distinct set of language rules that use several mechanisms to attract the attention of the target audience. This article examines the value of three visual sign types to attract the attention of the intended target audience. The value of this investigation lies in its consideration of the value of the unstable connotative meanings of the visual signs of modern advertising communication. Semiotics is touched upon as the broad theoretical background to the study. Thereafter, the discussion moves to the use of indexical signs, symbols and icons in modern print advertising in South Africa to ensure audience involvement in the construction of a plausible and implied marketing message. A typical example from South African print media (magazines) in each semiotic category (index, icon and symbol) are analysed to illustrate the role of the target audience as co-creator of the implied marketing message. The data illustrates that the meaning of these signs in print advertising may be unstable/vague even though a specific marketing message was intended. The analysis of these visual signs as impulse to support audience involvement is broadly based on Leeuwen and Jewitt’s (2001) visual analytical method and focuses on the characteristics of creativity by authors Stuhlfaut and Yoo (2013) and Koslow (2015).
Highlights
Communication in advertising constitutes a unique genre with a distinct set of characteristics. McQuarrie (2008: 110) maintains that advertisements use visual-based signs more than lexical signs
This article examines the structural expression and nature of semiotic signs in print advertising communication and the enhanced involvement required by the target audience to make sense of the meaning of visual sign types in modern advertising communication in order to construct a plausible implied marketing message
The examples in the data analysis confirm that irrespective of the unstable meanings of the signs used in advertising communication, a consensus meaning needs to be negotiated between the audience and the copywriter to arrive at a plausible marketing message
Summary
Communication in advertising constitutes a unique genre with a distinct set of characteristics. McQuarrie (2008: 110) maintains that advertisements use visual-based signs more than lexical signs. The use of a cross to signify religion, or Christianity to signify the church, is well known, but the use of skimpy women’s underwear to signify seduction in an advertisement for iced tea is a new sign. It has been used before in a McCain’s chips advertisement with the heading: “ there is one less thing to feel guilty about”. Skimpy underwear could be a sign of seduction, or the perfect body, or health and fitness, depending on the intended meaning shared between the brand owner/advertiser and the target audience. Because of the innovative style of advertising communication, creativity is the impulse behind the creation of new signs (lexical and visual) and new connotative meanings of existing signs
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