Many advertisements these days employ different strategies to attract consumers. Some involve high-paying celebrities while others use connotative images to appeal to audiences interest. Despite these differences, most attempt to create meaning based on consumers experience in order to convey the meaning successfully. In BMWs 2007 advertisement, creators Wacker (director), Eskelinen (copywriter), and Brandt (photographer) used an image that represents both the product it promotes and the target consumers. The print advertisement shows the image of a black Great Dane staring at some meager dog food in front of him. At first glance, people will find it difficult to discern the relevance of a Great Dane to BMW. Nevertheless, a careful analysis may provide an in-depth explanation for the use of the image.
Barthess (1972) essay, Mythologies helps to analyze the message in the advertisement, particularly the relation between BMW cars and the Great Dane. In his essay, Barthes claims that the message that such an advertisement conveys is a myth because for him, everything can be a myth provided it is conveyed by a discourse. (Barthes 109) Clearly, in the BMW advertisement, the caption and the image serve as the language to reveal the myth. Complementing each other, these verbal and nonverbal languages make up a myth or a message addressed to BMW clients.
Barthes (Ibid.) underlines three important factors that make up a myth the signifier, the signified and the sign. Based on his explication, Barthes refers to the signifier as the object used to signify something (also called as the signified). Specifically, in the BMW ad, the Great Dane staring at the dog food serves as the signifier while power is the concept being signified. The sign, which according to Barthes is the associative total of the two terms (Barthes 113) is BMW vehicle itself. Since the association between the two terms (signifier and signified) brings out the sign, it is better to understand first how the creators employed the two terms before showing their relevance to the sign. This way, it will be clear whether the creators of the advertisement made an appealing and appropriate promotion of the product.
First, let us look at the signifier the black Great Dane staring at the meager amount of food being offered to him. To evaluate whether the use of the Great Dane is both appealing and appropriate to both the signified and the sign, let us consider a semiotic characterization of this breed. This means relying on both historical and collective consciousness of people familiar with this kind of dog. The Encyclopedia Britannica (2010) offers information on the historical account of this breed, saying that Great Danes are a breed of working dogs that were developed in Germany hundreds of years ago. They are fast in hunting, and the tallest breed of dogs. Considering this information, the audience may easily see the relevance of using a Great Dane in the BMW advertisement. Being fast and tall, the Great Dane connotes power, which is what BMW hopes to convey. Based on this, the myth that the advertisement conveys is too easy to comprehend. It does not bear any underlying concepts that could lead the audience otherwise.
However, modern culture does not see Great Danes in the way history recalls it. This is due to the changes that the breed has gone through the past years, in accordance with historical events. As people converted many lands for commercial industries and houses, the Great Dane swho were known before as working dogs now came to be known as domestic animals. In the article, Ten Surprising Facts about the Great Dane, (2008) the author points out that despite their hugeness, Great Danes can easily adapt to the home environment, such as an apartment. Great Danes are also extremely sensitive, and need to have close contact with people. Considering these, the use of this signifier to convey vehicular power is rather weak and unconvincing. In addition, the posture that the dog shows does not seem to be suggestive of vehicular power characterized by speed and force. Therefore, we arrive at the question, what is the significance of the dog to the signified and the sign or to power and BMW, accordingly If the Great Dane is known for its domesticity and gentleness, it is then inappropriate to use it to mean vehicular power.
Failing to see the relevance between the signifier and the signified, let us examine other concepts associated with the signifier. We have analyzed it using history and culture, but neither seems to fit appropriately. Therefore, let us look into another aspect aesthetics. When we see something based on aesthetics alone, we judge it by its color and appeal to the eye. Hence, in considering the Great Dane in the photo, we are easily attracted to the even blackness of the hair. We perceive things as such due again to the mythical elements embedded in our culture, which Jung (Guerin 47) suggests as archetypes. These archetypes are stored in our mental faculty as we interact with the environment around us. Although we may have different perceptions of images, there also exists a certain commonality in the way we perceive things for we live in the same milieu.
Applying this to the image, we may say that the blackness of the dog, and its healthy and shiny hair suggest to us a common archetypal image, that of the night with its beauty and elegance. Thus, more than vehicular force and energy, the power that the signifier suggests is the achievement of aesthetic beauty, elegance, and stylecharacteristics which are greatly associated with wealthy people for they are the ones who can afford elegant and stylish cars. With this in mind, the sign that the signifier and the signified reveal is not a fast and high-performing vehicle but an elegant, stylish, and luxurious BMW.
In this view, we come to a conclusion that the image of the Great Dane in the advertisement is separate from the caption. While the caption that says More power, less consumption, denotatively means less energy consumption, the image of the Great Dane which suggests luxury and style is used connotatively. Particularly, the creators of the advertisement used the Great Dane to address wealthy clients. They did not use an animal such as a cheetah to emphasize speed, because, this is not what they want to promote in the first place. They used the Great Dane to imply power achieved by buying a luxurious and stylish BMW vehicle. Importantly, we should also consider that the signifier used is not a common dog it is one that requires high maintenance, which not all people could afford.
The above analysis of BMWs 2007 advertisement thus reveals to us a shocking myth that while some advertisements may sometimes look plain, simple, or even funny, there hides underneath it a message that discriminates among people. In particular, the use of the Great Dane to underscore beauty and elegance makes it clear that the advertisement is addressed only to the rich. Unable to discern this, the common people become susceptible to such discriminatory thoughts. Nevertheless, by employing Barthess idea on the signifier, signified and sign, the audience can easily discern and criticize such biases that some media people promote.
Barthess (1972) essay, Mythologies helps to analyze the message in the advertisement, particularly the relation between BMW cars and the Great Dane. In his essay, Barthes claims that the message that such an advertisement conveys is a myth because for him, everything can be a myth provided it is conveyed by a discourse. (Barthes 109) Clearly, in the BMW advertisement, the caption and the image serve as the language to reveal the myth. Complementing each other, these verbal and nonverbal languages make up a myth or a message addressed to BMW clients.
Barthes (Ibid.) underlines three important factors that make up a myth the signifier, the signified and the sign. Based on his explication, Barthes refers to the signifier as the object used to signify something (also called as the signified). Specifically, in the BMW ad, the Great Dane staring at the dog food serves as the signifier while power is the concept being signified. The sign, which according to Barthes is the associative total of the two terms (Barthes 113) is BMW vehicle itself. Since the association between the two terms (signifier and signified) brings out the sign, it is better to understand first how the creators employed the two terms before showing their relevance to the sign. This way, it will be clear whether the creators of the advertisement made an appealing and appropriate promotion of the product.
First, let us look at the signifier the black Great Dane staring at the meager amount of food being offered to him. To evaluate whether the use of the Great Dane is both appealing and appropriate to both the signified and the sign, let us consider a semiotic characterization of this breed. This means relying on both historical and collective consciousness of people familiar with this kind of dog. The Encyclopedia Britannica (2010) offers information on the historical account of this breed, saying that Great Danes are a breed of working dogs that were developed in Germany hundreds of years ago. They are fast in hunting, and the tallest breed of dogs. Considering this information, the audience may easily see the relevance of using a Great Dane in the BMW advertisement. Being fast and tall, the Great Dane connotes power, which is what BMW hopes to convey. Based on this, the myth that the advertisement conveys is too easy to comprehend. It does not bear any underlying concepts that could lead the audience otherwise.
However, modern culture does not see Great Danes in the way history recalls it. This is due to the changes that the breed has gone through the past years, in accordance with historical events. As people converted many lands for commercial industries and houses, the Great Dane swho were known before as working dogs now came to be known as domestic animals. In the article, Ten Surprising Facts about the Great Dane, (2008) the author points out that despite their hugeness, Great Danes can easily adapt to the home environment, such as an apartment. Great Danes are also extremely sensitive, and need to have close contact with people. Considering these, the use of this signifier to convey vehicular power is rather weak and unconvincing. In addition, the posture that the dog shows does not seem to be suggestive of vehicular power characterized by speed and force. Therefore, we arrive at the question, what is the significance of the dog to the signified and the sign or to power and BMW, accordingly If the Great Dane is known for its domesticity and gentleness, it is then inappropriate to use it to mean vehicular power.
Failing to see the relevance between the signifier and the signified, let us examine other concepts associated with the signifier. We have analyzed it using history and culture, but neither seems to fit appropriately. Therefore, let us look into another aspect aesthetics. When we see something based on aesthetics alone, we judge it by its color and appeal to the eye. Hence, in considering the Great Dane in the photo, we are easily attracted to the even blackness of the hair. We perceive things as such due again to the mythical elements embedded in our culture, which Jung (Guerin 47) suggests as archetypes. These archetypes are stored in our mental faculty as we interact with the environment around us. Although we may have different perceptions of images, there also exists a certain commonality in the way we perceive things for we live in the same milieu.
Applying this to the image, we may say that the blackness of the dog, and its healthy and shiny hair suggest to us a common archetypal image, that of the night with its beauty and elegance. Thus, more than vehicular force and energy, the power that the signifier suggests is the achievement of aesthetic beauty, elegance, and stylecharacteristics which are greatly associated with wealthy people for they are the ones who can afford elegant and stylish cars. With this in mind, the sign that the signifier and the signified reveal is not a fast and high-performing vehicle but an elegant, stylish, and luxurious BMW.
In this view, we come to a conclusion that the image of the Great Dane in the advertisement is separate from the caption. While the caption that says More power, less consumption, denotatively means less energy consumption, the image of the Great Dane which suggests luxury and style is used connotatively. Particularly, the creators of the advertisement used the Great Dane to address wealthy clients. They did not use an animal such as a cheetah to emphasize speed, because, this is not what they want to promote in the first place. They used the Great Dane to imply power achieved by buying a luxurious and stylish BMW vehicle. Importantly, we should also consider that the signifier used is not a common dog it is one that requires high maintenance, which not all people could afford.
The above analysis of BMWs 2007 advertisement thus reveals to us a shocking myth that while some advertisements may sometimes look plain, simple, or even funny, there hides underneath it a message that discriminates among people. In particular, the use of the Great Dane to underscore beauty and elegance makes it clear that the advertisement is addressed only to the rich. Unable to discern this, the common people become susceptible to such discriminatory thoughts. Nevertheless, by employing Barthess idea on the signifier, signified and sign, the audience can easily discern and criticize such biases that some media people promote.
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