Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ADVERTISEMENTS
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for Degree of Strata One (SI)
BAHTIAR RIFA’I
NIM. 105026000928
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2010
LEGALIZATION
Examination Committee
Signature Date
iii
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief. It contains no material previously published or written by
another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the
award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher
learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.
Bahtiar Rifa’I
iv
ABSTRACT
The study in this paper concerns with the way the author explores the
meaning of sign in semiotic signification. The writer focuses on five
images of Coca-Cola’s advertisements and wants to know about the sign
system and meaning in connotation and denotation level.
The method used in this paper was descriptive qualitative analysis with
textual and pictorial analysis where the writer describes and interprets the
sign on the 10 images of Coca-Cola’s commercial advertisements.
From the analysis, the writer concludes that each of the sign of Coca-
cola’s advertisements has a system and formed by pictorials, texts, and
contexts. These elements contribute a meaning in denotation and
connotation meaning. Finally, the writer concludes that Coca-Cola’s
advertisement support an idea about capital system, cultural and
ideological term in connotation meaning.
i
APPROVEMENT
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for Degree of Strata One
BAHTIAR RIFA’I
105026000928
Approved by:
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH
JAKARTA
2010
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………… i
APPROVEMENT .................................................................................. ii
LEGALIZATION ……………………………………………………. iii
DECLARATION …………………………………………………….. iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT …………………………………………….. v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………. vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study ................................................ 1
B. Focus of the Study …………………………………….. 6
C. Research Question …………………………………….. 6
D. Objective and Significance of the Study ……………… 7
E. Research Methodology
1. Research Methodology …..…………………….…. 7
2. Data Collecting Technique ……………………….. 7
3. Data Analysis Technique ………………………… 8
4. Unit Analysis ……………………………………. 8
vii
CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Description Of Data ..…………………………………… 20
B. Data Analysis …………………………………………… 21
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSIONS
A. Conclusions ……………………………………………..
42
B. Suggestions …………………………………………….
43
REFERENCE ........................................................................................
44
APPENDICES ........................................................................................
46
viii
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
ignore it. But we tend to ignore it; advertisers find a new way to make it more
media. It’s designed to provide information that will help to persuade people
identifiable sponsor, and it’s controlled, its means, the paying sponsor controls
when, where and how the ads appears. The advertising is impersonal, it
advertising to the consumer society is very close into their life especially, in a
big city where the societies live on. The advertising manifests about the
commercial product into the variety ways, the product manifests into billboard
all along the road, street banner, and even in the mass media such a
newspaper, radio and television, internet, with a very wide range of people can
watch it.
1
Thomas M. Pasqua, et al., Mass Meedia in the Information Age, (New Jersey: Prentice-
Hall, Inc, 1990), p. 185.
1
Afterward, the development of advertisement and advertising system
in the consumer society altered to the any problem of social and cultural
landscape. The problem primarily about the usage of sign, the image that
appeared, and the information that told, a meaning, and how the advertising
can influence the perception, understanding and people behave. Whether the
advertising extends the information about the product offered concretely or,
societies with the messages and the ideology systematically inherent in the
product that advertised in the media, but advertising created the system of the
idea with the specific values and stood on that system, autonomously.
message. A message created with a many codes aimed to the audience for
understanding it. The code appears directed to influence the audience to buy
the product advertised, and this is not arbitrary codes, but it’s a code with a
contained a message for us to interpret the sign from the advertising, the term
2
Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika Tafsir Cultural Studies Atas Matinya Makna,
(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2003), p.280
2
for approaching the sign that appears in the advertising, especially for Coca-
linguistics, look forward to a science that studies the life of sign within
general approach to the study of sign in every cultural life, and even of culture
explains:
sign, relating the signifier as the form of the word or phrase uttered, to the
signified as the mental concept. And it’s important to note that according to
pragmatism. He preferred use a term of Semiotic, and defined the object sign
3
Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in General Linguistic, (New York City: McGraww-Hill
Paperback, 1966), p. 16.
4
Ibid. p. 67
3
1. Icon is the connection between sign and object because of its
book S/Z proposed another term to understand the sign by arranging and
grouping codes into five, there are a hermeneutic code, semantic code,
signification, and uses some of the semioticians’ theory. The writer uses a
symbol), Roland Barthes’s theory is to analyze the codes that appeared in the
code and cultural code), and Saussure’s theory is to find the meaning of the
5
Syukron Kamil, “Semiotika Teori dan Hubungannya dengan Sastra”, Al-Turas Mimbar
Sejarah, Sastra, Budaya dan Agama, Vol 07, No.11 (Januari, 2001), p. 40.
4
Coca-Cola advertisement in level of connotative meaning and denotation
meaning. 6
In order to limit the research, the writer only focuses on the Coca-
image of it advertisement models. The next two images are from Coca-cola
that usually showed in billboard and street banner or even in the magazine.
aspect of an object of sign (Pierce), the codes (Barthes) and the meaning of the
C. Research Question
advertisement, the writer wants to explain and analyze each of the signifiers
whole sign appears in the advertisement. The questions are consists of:
6
Sumbo Tinurbuko, Semiotika Komunikasi Visual (Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2008), p. 23
5
1. What are the sign systems used on the coca-cola commercial
advertisement?
semiotic signification?
Based on the research question above, the writer has several objective
commercial advertisement
cola advertisements.
media in the term of semiotic, could give some of advantage for the reader
who is interested in the semiotic field for analyzing the cultural code that
E. Research Methodology
1. Research Methodology
analysis with textual and pictorial analysis where the writer describes and
6
2. Data Collecting Technique
and observing the icon, index and symbol element that appears in Coca-
edition. Beside it, the writer uses other resources in data collecting technique,
such as resources from any documents from books, journals, and internet.
To analyze the data, the writer analyzes the meaning of the pictorial
advertisements from the icon, index and symbol sight. Then the writer
4. Unit Analysis
7
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Advertisement
1. Definition of Advertisement
means to turn toward or to take note of. Certainly, the visual and the verbal
copy, the radio and television provide entertainment but are also laden with
product or services.
1
Jorge Reina Schement, (ed.), Encyclopedia of Communication and Information
(Volume 1 ACA-FUN),(New York: Macmillan Library Reference, 2002), p. 10.
2. The Function of Advertising
differentiate it from the other, this create an awareness of the product and
the product, its attributes and its location of sale, this is function known as the
to try a new product and to suggest reuse of the product as well as new uses,
2
Ibid. p. 11.
3
Kasiyan, Manipulasi dan Dehumanisasi Perempuan dalam Iklan (Yogyakarta: Penerbit
Ombak, 2008), p. 149.
10
advertising communicated through a mass medium to a large number of
people.
3. Advertising Effects
society by raising the cost of merchandise and inducing people to buy a thing
they don’t need. There are four common of the advertising effect and
misconception. 4
Beside it, advertising has its detractor on its appearance and the a
message laden on it, here are the details of the common criticisms in
A sentence “John tastes good like a cigarette should” may help sell
4
Ralph E. Hanson, Mass Communication Living in a Media World, (New York:
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2005), p.413.
5
Thomas M. Pasqua, et al., Mass Meedia in the Information Age, (New Jersey: Prentice-
Hall, Inc, 1990), p. 187.
11
2. That is too much advertising, and this make life less pleasant that it
might be.
to housekeeping.
B. Semiotic
1. Definition of Semiotic
the Greek semion, which mean sign. Semiotics is a general study about the
semiotics, we can only know culture and reality by means of the sign, through
the process of signification. Beside it, much of semioticians said that semiotic
is a theory related to the lie, fake or generally as a theory of the lie. Semiotics
lie.
6
Uberto Eco, Teori Semiotika, Signifikasi Komunikasi, Teori Kode, Serta Teori Produksi
Tanda, (Yogyakarta: Kreasi Wacana, 2009), p. 7.
12
According to a definition by Eco, the theory of lie is in definition of
semiotic, but implicitly inherent in this definition as the theory of the truth.
Because if the sign couldn’t show it reality, it’s couldn’t show his lies. Finally,
even Eco define a Semiotic as the theory of the lie, implicitly he define a
Pierce. These two founders put the fundamental aspect in semiotic through
modern linguists build the semiotic based on the language as the system of the
sign. And Pierce build the theory of semiotic based on the pragmatic and logic
philosophy. Generally, most of the expert of the semiotic differs between the
Actually, in these two differences has a same interaction each other, even in
the system of the language sign and in the communication as the language
context. 7
7
Kaelani, M.S. Filsafat Bahasa Semiotika dan Hermeneutika, (Yogyakarta: Paradigma,
2009), p. 169.
13
2. Semioticians and his Theory
1. Ferdinand de Saussure
taught for a number of years in Paris, and then returned to the University
of Geneva in 1981 and dead there in 1913. His importance work, not in
representation and the way his model of language shaped the semiotic
fields.
1. Saussure defined the linguistic sign as two side entity. One side of
8
Paul Cobley and Litza Jansz, Semiotic for Beginner, (London: Penguin Books, 1997),
p.10.
14
Inseparably from the signifier in any sign, engendered by the
signifier is what Saussure calls the signified as the mental concept. The
word “dog” in English made up the signifier /d/, /o/ and /g/, what is
engendered for the hearers is not the real dog but a mental concept of
“dogness”.
Signified
Signifier
9
Ibid, p.15.
15
collective mind but substituted for each other without forming a
system.” 10
In this term, Pierce determine the subject of the sign as the part that
Sign/ground
Interpretant Object
10
Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in General Linguistic, (New York City: McGraww-Hill
Paperback, 1966), p. 99.
11
Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika Tafsir Cultural studies atas MatinyaMakna,
(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2003), p. 266.
16
In the other name, a sign, is a fisrtnes which stand in such a
on sign).
connection between sign and object becouse its similiarities), Index (the
connection between sign and object its causalities and effect), and
Symbol (the connection between sign and object becouse the convention
language structure. It express the message with the certain language and
advertisment.
17
According to the semiotic signification, advertisment has contain more
than a signs, it consist of the language element which arraged from a signifier
things that gives the contexs of and object. And the text of advertismets in
ideology. 13
code that exist in usual texts is a linguistic code refer to what the texts
another term to understand the sign by arranging and grouping codes into five,
12
Ibid, p. 280.
13
Ibid.
18
there are a hermeneutic code, semantic code, symbolic code,
Before he defines a sign into five codes above, he made two order of
pieces of cultural and material product such advertisements and explained that
Culture
Reality Sign
Form
Connotation
Signifier
Denotation
Signified
Content Myth
The first order is based from Saussure work on semiology. In this first
order shows a relation between signifier and signified in sign and between a
sign with other reference in external reality. Roland Barthes called this order
14
Roland Barthes, S/Z, (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990), pp.19-20.
19
in connotation level. In this case, denotation tends to be described as the
interpreter’s class, gender, and so on. Sign according to Barthes are more
These are definition of codes that Barthes proposed in his second order
of signification:
chance events which can either formulate the question or delay its
15
John Fiske, Introduction to Communication Studies,(Jogjakarta: Jalasutra, 1990), p.
119.
16
Ibid.
20
4. The last code which Barthes called as cultural code, which code
21
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Description of Data
object of the research. The data are collected from coca-cola coke and coca-
cola zero images edition that has an identical characteristic as sign. The data
of the images that the writer obtains can be presented on the table below:
21
are extra taste to consume.
B. Data Analysis
object of the advertisement and the contexts that gives the context to an object
22
denotative meaning (an explicit meaning of sign) and connotative meaning (a
Due to advertising has it referring codes, then the writer analyzes the
code that laden in the coca-coca’s advertisements. This code may show its
connotation meaning.
of life”.
(Image 1)
23
support its symbol elements. In the picture above, a bottle of coca-cola is
prominently among others color shows the ideas about coca-cola is very
expression text ‘welcome to the Coke side of life’ in a middle of the pictorial
in the middle of the picture. The sign as a whole is the printed text: “Welcome
24
to the Coke side of life”. The signifiers are the letters or words as individual
drink product.
people or some community that they consume the coca-cola’s drink products.
magazine and television. In addition, this why a coca-cola drink is the product
that so close to people life due to its advertising process signified for people to
25
The third signified concept is the most important concept of the
advertisement above. The phrase about “Welcome to the Coke side of life”
Influences to the audience that coca-cola is a part of people life. This pictorial
After identifying the signifier and the signified elements, the second
analyzing the signifier and the signified above or in denotation meaning, the
writer bear the meaning into connotation interpretation or what is the meaning
of the sign in cultural term or ideological term. However, as identified the sign
in level of the signifier and the signified, the sign above dominantly told about
the coca-cola as the drink product and also a product that consumed by a
whole people around the world, this is what the sign told about in connotation
meaning.
referring codes of the advertisement. There are also certain codes, refers to the
code.
under the phrase ‘welcome to the Coke side of life’ applied any symbols as a
26
symbolize to someone entity. A red bottle, actually designated a coca-cola as
(Image 2)
In this advert, a very dominant through pictorial symbol consists three
coke labels with a red color. These three elements are object of the sign
bottles, manufacture, and its symbol has a relation each other to a sign in
The writer agreed that an object of the pictorial aspect of the adverts
above has a sign and meaning. A bottle of the coca-cola has its interpretant, a
27
factory and a label too, has its relation to interpretant element of Piercian
model of semiotic.
coca-cola product as an object of the sign intention above. Based on the role of
the sign by Piercian model, if there are signs that represent on the reason or
red coca-cola logos. These two objects represent to an interpretant about coca-
cola units whole elements, including a factory activities and labels. Each of
How does the pictorial sign above have a meaning? To answer this
question, the writer determines these three pictorial sign and compared it with
of coca-cola factory, its bottle and even its red label as a dominant, gives a
capital system.
element of a sign. The sign as a whole is the printed text: Continuous quality
28
is quality you trust, Coca-Cola Coke, Ask for it either way…both trade-mark
mean the same thing, 5$, copyright the Coca-Cola Company. These signifiers
cola drink products as the best quality that trusted by the audience.
2. A phrase ‘ask for it either way…both trade-mark mean the same thing’
products.
The signifier ‘continuous quality is quality you trust’ as the writer said
in the previous page that this expression as a claim of coca-cola that it is the
this term of interpretation, the writer agreed that a phrase ‘continuous quality
29
These signified concepts are supported by a pictorial element appeared in
whole sign above. Beside it, other signified concept of the previous interpreted
consume and to believe that the quality of coca-cola drink is the best quality
among other.
mark mean the same thing’ signified about an idea of industrial capitalism that
coca-cola had built is the best among other drink products. A structure
they are seeing this advertisement. A phrase that expresses an invitation to the
in the phrase ‘ask for it either way’. This expression phrase in active sentence
and signified to the audience to think another product except coca-cola. The
audience may think about, is there something else but coca-cola, or is there
phrases ‘both trade-mark mean the same thing’. An expression of this signifier
signified to think about another coca-cola drink product and to find another
best quality in other products, but in second phrases, the audience stimulated
to believe that coca-cola is the best product after all. The audience has to
30
believe both trade system, and coca-cola label (trademark) is the best drink
The look ‘Coca-Cola Coke’ and ‘5$’ which is located in front of the
think about coca-cola’s price, and version. This assumption might be the first
conclusion but not merely a right assumption. When this advertisement mode
The means of this signified concepts aim to the audience who ever saw this
minor element built in the advertisement above. This signifier also means to
tell the audience about a copyright of every coca-cola drink labeled by coca-
signifier also provides other claim about capital industry and trade system or
concept which arranged in the sign above, there are also latent codes
throughout the sign. In this assumption, the writer identified that there is a
31
Consideration of the code’s role and interpretation from many signifier
3. Semiotic analysis on cola-cola coke edition, “How to live up the day after
the holiday too!”.
(Image 3)
are main sphere interests, identified as the sign itself, the code or system in
which the signs are organized and the culture which these codes and signs are
32
analyzing a sign of coca-cola which expresses about “How to liven up the day
sandwich.
context meaning that audience know something about coca-cola drinks. In this
interpretation step, the sign in pictorial elements show ideas about coca-cola
product as a special drink and suitable for any occasion in holiday with a
sandwich. On the other side, the audience or the viewer of this advertisement
are (sign) influenced to consume a coca-cola drink when they are eating a
identified as signifier element of sign. The signifiers printed in; “how to live
up the day after the holiday too!”’ is as the main purpose of the
33
advertisement. A paragraph as explanation of coca-cola and sandwich, is
written in “It’s the day after. You open the fridge and all that’s left are the
leftovers. This is your change to pile up all your favorite holiday taste into one
giant super-sandwich. Now… if you can just find one chilled bottle of Coke
somewhere between the carton of eggs and the last of the turkey, you’ve got it
Coke… you know how taste it disappears!”. Every lines referred to sandwich,
is written in, “the last of the cocktail olives” , “Uncle Jim’s annual Virginia
ham”, “The best turkey that I ever cooked”, “Aunt May’s candied yams”, “Our
family favorite stuffing ”. The last signifier is a phrase “Coke Adds Life”.
1. A phrase “how to live up the day after the holiday too!” is a question
statement to the viewer of the whole sign. A whole sign perceive that a
2. A paragraph “It’s the day after. You open the fridge and all that’s left
are the leftovers. This is your change to pile up all your favorite
holiday taste into one giant super-sandwich. Now… if you can just find
one chilled bottle of Coke somewhere between the carton of eggs and
the last of the turkey, you’ve got it made” is a story about the coca-cola
34
3. A phrase “Stoke up on plenty of Coke…you know how taste it
35
term. Connotations meaning derives not from the sign itself, but it is from the
way of the society value use both the signifier and the signified.
According to the usage of connotation term, the writer argued that the
signifier told. The signifier in texts and pictorial element show the ideas to the
audience of this sign about the idea of American food and drink culture.
concepts which is arranged in the sign above, there are also semantic and
culture codes throughout the sign. Semantic code is a code in connation which
the semantic code and from each the signifier appear in coca-cola coke “how
to live up the day after the holiday too!” edition generates a meaning in
coca-cola and sandwich are describes as the special pairs of food and drink for
The second codes that appeared in coca-cola coke “how to live up the
day after the holiday too!” edition is culture code. This culture code
audience. Coca-cola coke advertisement (sign) want to show the audience that
coca-cola is general drink product that people consume and suited with an
36
4. Semiotic analysis on cola-cola Zero edition, “Taste So Much Like Coke”.
(Image 4)
In coca-cola zero edition, a coca-cola industry shows the different
concept than in Coke editions. In zero editions, coca-cola industry changed the
image of bottle as the pictorial element of sign into can. However, a picture of
text that appeared in the advertisement. In this situation, the writer decides to
classify a pictorial element and the text as the represantement of the sign.
In order to get the meaning of the sign above, then the writer applies
index to coca-cola drink in general product and the information of new coca-
cola product after Coke edition. The represantement in text elements supports
the first index of coca-cola new edition. From this classification between
represantament and indexes, the pictorial symbol and text signified and
37
indicate to interpretant about coca-cola zero is better taste claims than the
get the meaning in signified level and connotation level. A phrase “Taste so
edition.
The first of three signified above is general sense of the sign or this
advertisement. This three signified just information about the new coca-cola
zero edition with a modern design is better than the classical design. However,
it is also important signified concept in the last signified. The phrase “taste so
the audience of this advertising. A use of word “we” and “ourselves” in phrase
38
unclear entity could be represented or signified to coca-cola industry or
company.
edition that the product of coca-cola has to influence on people ways of living,
had become habit and people consumes the drink in every ways and times, an
industry innovates their product to keep the consumer. In this situation, coca-
cola industry will produce the new image or the new edition.
coca-cola industry wants to publish. When the people knew the new edition of
coca-cola product and people are influenced to know a taste of the new
edition. Actually, the industry does not change the ingredient of the taste. By
this interpretation, the writer decide to take a conclusion about the connotation
meaning in coca-cola zero “Taste So Much Like Coke” sign that the meaning
to cultural code. A sign in coca-cola zero “Taste So Much Like Coke” indicate
39
5. Semiotic analysis on coca-cola zero sugar edition, “Real Taste and Zero
Sugar”.
(Image 5)
Coca-cola Zero Sugar is a recent edition of coca-cola industry. The
concepts of the image and the color as same as the previous edition in coca-
cola zero but the newest thing appeared in this edition is added by the new
have REAL TASTE and ZERO SUGAR….why can’t big nights come with Zero
such:
40
2. Coca-cola zero sugar claims is as the real taste of coca-cola and with
zero sugar.
The last two signified concepts are the important thing of the sign
above and provide information about what the coca-cola meant and want to
signified is about coca-cola zero sugar claiming taste and positioned its edition
to the real taste among previous editions is a coca-cola fake. This fake
reality, thus expression of real taste and with zero sugar is claiming and
connotation level about capital system that the coca-cola company develops in
consumer. Although an image and text as signifier was very different, and a
thus element combined from signifier and texts, express the same thing about
41
interpretation, a sign of coca-cola zero sugar edition, “Real Taste and Zero
Sugar” indicate to hermeneutic code. By reading phrase “why can’t big nights
come with Zero morning afters?”, the audience of this advertisement asked
audiences when they are seeing this advertisement and reading a phrase they
42
CHAPTER IV
A. Conclusions
has been made and the general purposed of semiotic signification research
structure of sign system. Each of the sign has a system and formed by
meaning.
43
each of the advertisement. This denotation meaning supports an idea
about capital system and people habit as cultural and ideological term
B. Suggestions
From the conclusion above, the writer suggest some points to the
theory:
sign (advertisements).
3. Finally, the writer hopes that this study will be useful for the future
44
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barthes, Roland, Elements of Semiology, New York: HILL and WANG, 1997.
Cobley, Paul and Jansz, Litza, Semiotic for Beginner, London: Penguin Books,
1997.
Eco, Uberto, Teori Semiotika, Signifikasi Komunikasi, Teori Kode, Serta Teori
Produksi Tanda, Yogyakarta: Kreasi Wacana, 2009.
Hanson, Ralph E., Mass Communication Living in a Media World, New York:
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2005.
Pasqua, Thomas M., et al., Mass Media in the Information Age, New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1990.
45
Schement, Jorge Reina, (ed.), Encyclopedia of Communication and
Information (Volume 1 ACA-FUN),New York: Macmillan Library
Reference, 2002.
46