Semiotics: the study of signs and symbols and their practice within interpretations.

Monday’s lectorial focused on this central study of semiotics and its contribution towards different interpretations according to four main factors:

Culture

Country

Experiences

Beliefs

This further distinguishes connotative / associative meanings from the literal / denotative meanings. In order to grasp this broad concept of textual analysis, we were to analyse a Brook’s Brothers’ advertisement as an example “text” through a range of signs, denotative meanings, connotative meanings and codes. Below I replicate this activity through a Farage advertisement featured in GQ magazine.

http://www.farage.com.au/publication/gq-septemberoctober-2013/

To objectively sum up the photograph’s message/story/meaning, it’s a man adjusting his suit outside.

The tailored suit could denotatively advocates a dress code or uniform but also connotatively suggests his occupation in the white collar industry. Possibly in a highly professional position by the tie clip and deliberate placing of the handkerchief. Since the obvious colour palette is blue, it is thus associated to a male target audience.

One may also interpret this man to be dressed for a wedding or formal occasion due to the employment of naturalistic lighting and the presence of an architecturally “exotic” building/object in the background. Moreover, his clean cut hair, cleanly shaved moustache and along good looks is emphasised with him in the centre of the image with the trees and (presumed) building in the background.

His European ethnicity is associated with the brand itself and implies high quality clothing for men while his youthfulness and the addition of the website targets a young-adult demographic. The simplistic “Farage” title further highlights the male subject and it’s placement on the man himself in the centre. Its simple font, the fact that it features in GQ magazine and high quality formalwear extends to middle to upper class customers.