Hall, Sean. This Means This, This Means That : A User’s Guide to Semiotics, Laurence King Publishing, 2012 (Chapters 1 & 2) pgs 21-67.

Here are the questions to which you should respond in your reading response:

  • Using an example, define Saussure’s terms sign, signifier, and signified in your own words.
  • How are signs employed in visual communication? Provide a visual example from contemporary or historical advertising and explain why the example is considered an icon, index, or symbol in Peirce’s terms.
  • How are non-literal devices used to convey meaning in advertising and/or social media? Provide a visual example from contemporary or historical advertising and explain which type of non-literal device (simile, metaphor, metonym, synecdoche, irony, lies, impossibility, depiction, or representation) is being used and why.

A sign is a symbolic representation of something else already built on foundational knowledge. A signifier is the physical form of a symbol, sound, or image that represents an underlying concept or meaning. A signified is the meaning attached to the sign that expresses an idea or a concept. An example is the school crossing sign near pre-schools and middle schools to help you be aware of reducing your speed in the car and looking out for any kids that might run out or cross the street. This example is a symbol because of the black figures in the sign. One figure is smaller than the other representing the child and the tall figure represents the adult crossing with the child.

An example is the school crossing sign near pre-schools and middle schools to help you be aware of reducing your speed in the car and looking out for any kids that might run out or cross the street. This example is a symbol because of the black figures in the sign. One figure is smaller than the other representing the child and the tall figure represents the adult crossing with the child. Coca-Cola’s “Happiness” campaign is an example of using non-literal devices, specifically the non-literal device of simile.  The “Happiness” campaign uses similes to create associations and cause positive emotions. One of the well-known slogans from the campaign is “Open Happiness,” which employs a simile to compare opening a Coca-Cola to experiencing happiness. The simile suggests that the simple act of having Coca-Cola can bring about feelings of joy and contentment.  Using similes, Coca-Cola aims to tap into the audience’s emotions and create a positive association with their brand.