Introduction
Semiotics refers to the study of signs and symbols to derive their meanings. The literary doctrine deals with how people assign meaning to signs, words, and symbols. The interpretation of signs extrapolates the message to create a tagline or emotional connection with the audience (Batu 2012). Therefore, semiotics is the core of advertising and the creation of marketing messages. Various semiotic theories explain how advertisements should be structured. Companies strengthen their reach to customers by effectively deploying verbal, visual, and performative elements.
Roland Barthe’s semiotic theory states that the signifier is the object while the signified depicts the symbolic representation. This theory is skewed due to its oversimplification since there is no difference between denotation and connotation (Harvey and Evans 2001). The two primary traditions in modern semiotics stem from Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and American Philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce (Faizan 2019). The two are regarded as co-creators of contemporary semiotics. Saussure’s semiotic theory reflects how a sign unites a concept and a sound or image (Oswald and Oswald 2012). According to this theory, the sound or image and the concept are arbitrarily linked and inseparable (Ferdinand 1966). The approach is based on a communications system as the sign and signifier create meaning simultaneously (Vos 2019). Peirce’s semiotic theory is based on the structure of meaning and thought, where a sign is attached to something concrete (Hoopes 2014). In this theory, a sign must be interpreted to allow people to access the signified meaning; therefore, the interpretant links the image and illustration (Eco 1979). These theories are the building blocks of semiotics adapted in the advertising world.
Advert Profile
JBL is a subsidiary of Harman International Industries, Inc, based in the U.S. JBL designs and builds audio hardware for the consumer and professional market. The product range includes loudspeakers and headphones. JBL is advertising its noise-canceling headphones that filter the environment allowing users to listen to focus on music. JBL noise-canceling advert entails a print campaign created by Cheil Worldwide based in Hong Kong (Design Swan 2020). The advert’s title is ‘Block out the chaos’ and illustrates the benefits of JBL noise-canceling headphones. The 3D illustration shows the relaxed silhouette of a person that uses the headphones in a situation that would have been impossible.
The advert was an instant hit among music lovers and advertising event organizers. The impeccable use of optical illusion made the campaign informative and intriguing. The advert won two bronze lions in print and outdoor in the 2017 Cannes Lions Festival, which honors exemplary advertisement strategies (Leow 2018). The excellent reception led to increased inquiries and product trials at HMV, the largest headphones retailer in Hong Kong (Spikes Asia 2017). The noise-canceling headphones were a massive success as they rode on the political climate during the advert. There was a substantial worldwide political tension pitting two world leaders, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, who were threatening to start a nuclear war. Major news outlets were all over the issue, and their statements were repeatedly aired. The noise cancellation earphones advert used the caricatures of these two world leaders to depict their benefits as the user would filter out the constant threats and listen to music peacefully.
Semiotic Analysis of the JBL Advert
Semiotics is vital in interpreting the sophistication of adverts. Semiotics help deconstructs an advert to discover its underlying meaning and how symbols and words are used to reinforce the message (Kucuk 2015). Adverts mediate between the product and the consumer; therefore, the semiotic analysis uses three axes, the object, the consumer, and the advertisement (Zakia and Nadin 1987). The analysis will use Peirce’s semiotic concept characteristics, including iconic, indexic, and symbolic terms (DeZeeuw-Hutton 2017). The figure below shows the JBL noise-canceling headphones advert.
The advertisement portrays the promise of a peaceful and comfortable life thanks to JBL noise-canceling headphones. The image depicts two world leaders, former U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. The JBL logo is placed on the bottom center of the image, and underneath lies the tag line, ‘Noise Cancelling Headphones.’ The idea signified within the illustration is that geopolitical politics between countries with different ideologies is uncomfortable and stressful.
The signifiers included in this advert entail the 3D illustration, the JBL logo, the tag line, and the subject faces. At a denotative level, the 3D illustration represents the indexical cue. The 3D illustration shows Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un screaming at each other (Humbert 2020). In the second order of signification, the picture elements suggest the stress and chaos associated with political differences. The situation is tense, as shown by the sweat on their foreheads and scotch tape of Donald Trump’s tie depicting possible injuries. The detail, such as holding a nuclear bomb and the detonator, shows an imminent war. The JBL logo is symbolic as it represents the product the company is selling. In the second-order of signification, consumers associate this logo with music and sound technology. In the third order of signification, the first and second-order integration shows a cultural depiction that shows consumers that the JBL brand is associated with cutting off chaos when listening to music.
The advert’s elements have been placed within the image to emphasize the context of the message for the audience to arrive at the intended meaning. The pictures of two fighting presidents denote a culture of chaos, while the connotations associated with the person in between the two presidents are peace and silence. The subjects’ expressions, such as finger-pointing and mouths wide open, shows that the two presidents are screaming at each other. The facial expressions paint a picture of recklessness and warmongering, which creates connotations of a hectic political life. This arrangement perfectly shows the effectiveness of the JBL noise-canceling product.
The JBL logo placed subtly at the bottom center of the image suggests that the picture speaks for itself. The logo and tag line take up a small space meaning the words are being said in a whisper, contrasting the chaos within the image. The logo is placed in a peaceful area where the listener is situated within the image. The scene on both sides of the listener is presented as chaotic. The main protagonist is sandwiched between the contrasting noisy presidents implying the product offers tranquility in chaotic situations by blocking unnecessary noises. The JBL logo placement at the specific position suggests that their product is the solution to the noisy political environment (Gilsenan 2015). The headphones cannot be seen in the image, adding to the image’s illusion. The negative space represents the calming effect of the noise-canceling headphones. The white space is shaped like a headphone and distances the listener from the external chaos. The JBL noise-canceling headphones bring tranquility amidst the screaming; thus, the message is straightforward for the consumer to interpret. The main character listens to music, ignorant of the imminent nuclear war danger.
The advert’s message is that politics is loud and chaotic, and JBL noise-canceling headphones effectively reduce these loud political statements. This advertisement is likely to be directed at an office working environment. A consumer is looking at the scene from a tranquil working environment, sitting peacefully at an office chair and working in a serene environment. The denoted message is that a person using the JBL noise-canceling headphones will be oblivious of what is happening around them as one focuses on work-related issues. The symbolic message emphasizes that a person who buys the JBL headphones will enter into a carefree world of relaxation even in the presence of external danger.
Reflection on the Limitation of the Approach
The semiotic approach uses persuasion and narratives to help decode and analyze the advert message. The semiotic approach tries to get the audience to associate with a denotative narrative for the content to seem familiar and easy to interpret (Beasley and Danesi 2010). The naturalization of the advert elements, such as caricatures of two fighting presidents, is through the media, where people learn of the current political climate. The semiotic approach shows how these elements combine to form a bigger picture that the audience can interpret easily (Chandler 2007). The semiotic approach relies on the narrative of reducing external interference when listening to music or performing important work. The office attire suggests a theme of busywork, complemented by a quiet space between excessive chaos in the environment. Therefore, the semiotic approach indicates that the white space shaped like a headphone is the subject of the advert.
The advert has subliminal and literal messages that stir people to need the JBL headphones. The headphones are advertised through denotation, connotation, and symbolism. The product is depicted as the solution to common issues such as unnecessary disturbances when focusing on meaningful work (Džanić 2013). The semiotic approach thus helps the audience decode the message by inducing a change in beliefs through the advert’s message, such as by reducing unnecessary external noises (DeRosia, 2008). The semiotic approach highlights the concept of persuasion as the advertising company wants the audience to believe in the product’s superiority.
The semiotic approach has some limitations regarding the process of analyzing an image. The semiotic approach is not universal since people in different social contexts may interpret the message differently (Cobley 2014). There is a need for ethnographic and phenomenological approaches to ensure uniformity in interpreting the message (Heriwati 2018). Signs may be studied differently based on cultural context; thus, the semiotic approach cannot be regarded as an all-encompassing tool (Chandler 1994). The semiotic approach developed in analyzing the JBL headphone advert focuses on photography. Therefore, there is a need for the audience to know how to interpret photographic media. The treatment of the advert as a code has a negative effect on the audience since the details of analyzing the codes are subjective (Mick 1986). The advert message’s interpreter can choose examples that illustrate the points they deem essential while discarding the rest (Rossolatos 2012). This shows the approach is dependent on the interpreter’s skill and thus does not apply to an extensive sample.
The subjective bias is inherent to each interpreter’s view of the world. According to Tsotra, Janson, and Cecez-Kecmanovic (2004), the subjective interpretation of the adverts can be reduced by using a combined approach of semiotic and content analysis. The semiotic approach can be used to identify signs that define the meaning of the headphone brand (Cobley 2005). In contrast, the content analysis can be used to indicate the cultural context of the advert. The content analysis should use explicit language to depict the focus of the advertisement (Solík 2014). The use of direct links related to the advertising brand positively impacts the audience as it can deconstruct the advert message (Van den Braembussche 2009). The number of semantic cues and the type of signs used do not determine an audience’s likelihood of decoding an advert’s message (Danesi and Santeramo 1992). The semiotic approach by Peirce, combined with a direct context message, should be used as it generalizes signs as characters, images, and symbols (Ivanov 2018). This means that the advert’s texts consist of signs and the connection between the text and the advert.
Conclusion
Semiotics refers to the study of signs and symbols to derive their meanings. The literary doctrine deals with how people assign meaning to signs, words, and symbols. The essay explores how the semiotic approach can be used to analyze the JBL noise-canceling headphones advert. The 3D illustration shows Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un screaming at each other. The pictures of two fighting presidents denote a culture of chaos, while the connotations associated with the person in between the two presidents are peace and silence. The advert’s message is that politics is loud and chaotic, and JBL noise-canceling headphones effectively reduce these loud political statements. The semiotic approach tries to get the audience to associate with a denotative narrative for the content to seem familiar and easy to analyze. The semiotic approach has some limitations regarding the process of analyzing an image. The semiotic approach is not universal since people in different social contexts may interpret the message differently. The subjective interpretation of the adverts can be reduced by using a combined approach of semiotic and content analysis. The semiotic approach can be used to identify signs that define the meaning of the headphone brand, while the content analysis can be used to indicate the cultural context of the advert.
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