Based on lecture, semiotics is the language of symbols. According to semiotic theory, all texts convey meaning through signs and signifiers (Larson, 2007, 109). Signifiers, the signals or clues to the signified, never stand alone to explain what is being signified, which is the reference to things that are present. The signifiers interact with each other in meaningful and sophisticated relationships, which makeup the “code” of the text (Larson, 2007). More and more marketing and advertising research is being conducted from a semiological approach (Larson 2007). This gives advertisements a deeper, more complex meaning than what is expressed at first glance. Semiotics can help us understand the agenda of the persuader or where he is coming from.
The text of the DKNY advertisement seems easy to understand at first, but after diving into the meaning of objects in the ad, a viewer can comprehend the importance of the ad in its entirety. First off, the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the woman looking right back holding a green apple. The reason why the creators of this advertisement want viewers to be caught up in the eyes of this woman is to sell an image as she confronts the viewer with her eyes. She fits immediately into our code for feminity. Her blue eyes, highlighted hair, and flawless skin are the signifiers to her beauty, which is what is signified. The woman is cleverly positioned as a sign herself, the signifier being her appearance. She is well groomed and dressed in a seductive v-neck shirt, signifying a sexy, feminine code of attractiveness. Her head rests upon the man’s head signifying she is interested in him, which is being signified as well.