Overview
“Rhetoric is the ‘technique of using the means of expression to persuade’. The hallmark of all rhetoric is that it involves at least two levels of language, the primary or denoted (non-coded) and the figurative or connoted (coded).”
Aesthetics of Photography
You will be reading and annotating an excerpt from Roland Barthes’ 1977 essay, “Rhetoric of the Image.” This essay is challenging, but it contains important tools for deconstructing visual design using a semiotic approach, including “close reading” of visual images. The use of visual images to communicate meaning is called “Visual Rhetoric.”
Key Themes and Takeaways
Roland Barthes was a prominent French thinker associated with the field of semiotics and the Structuralist movement. His essay, “Rhetoric of the Image“, was written in response to a series of articles that Barthes had been following in a well-regarded linguistics journal. Barthes attempts to demonstrate that images contain most of the same semiological elements, ie, signs, signifiers, signifieds, as a spoken or written language.
Building on Saussure and Peirce, Barthes argued that when we construct a sign (encoding), its reception (decoding) does not take place in a vacuum. Our individual experience, society, and culture impact its meaning and how it is interpreted.
- Semiological elements (signs) are present in an image, yet according to Barthes, they differ from language in that they imitate nature, and are non-linear.
- Every image, especially those in advertisements, consists of 3 messages: (1) a linguistic message, (2) a non-coded iconic message, and (3) a coded iconic message
- The linguistic message of an image is the textual component that works alongside visual representational aspects of an image (most advertisements combine text and image)
- A linguistic message can direct the viewer toward a clear interpretation, or invite unexpected interpretations
- The non-coded iconic message of an image is the “denotational” (objective, literal, perceptual, innocent) meaning that can be understood from the image.
- The coded iconic message of an image is the “connotational” (subjective, cultural, symbolic, ideological) meaning that can be understood from the image.
- Images are rhetorical in the sense that coded elements perform functions similar to those of persuasive linguistic devices
Key Terms
- Encoding: creating a message for transmission (i.e., creation and distribution of an advertisement)
- Decoding: the process of interpreting a message (i.e., watching and interpreting an advertisement)
- Denotation: literal meaning (a message without code)
- Connotation: symbolic or cultural meaning (a coded message)
- Linguistic message: words used to convey meaning
- Non-coded iconic message: an image with literal meaning
- Coded iconic message: an image with a coded message
Helpful Resources
Because this can be a difficult text with many new terms, consider reviewing some or all of the following before reading the text:
- Full image with caption
- Video giving an overview of how to close read “Rhetoric of the Image“
- Breakdown of “Rhetoric of the Image” by Lesley Lanir
- Breakdown of “Rhetoric of the Image” by Hugh McCabe
- Full Text: Roland Barthes “Rhetoric of the Image“, Image â Music â Text, Translated by Stephen Heath. Hill and Wang, 1977. pg32
Due Date(s)
Your reading response is due the day before the next session to allow time for review.
Instructions
1. Open the reading and enable Hypothesis
In a new tab, open the essay excerpt Roland Barthes’ “Rhetoric of the Image“ essay from Image â Music â Text, Translated by Stephen Heath. Hill and Wang, 1977.
If the reading above doesnât automatically open Hypothesis, use the Paste a Link feature. Login to your account and select our group COMD Theory Spring2024 Group (IMPORTANT!) from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group.
2. Consider these questions/prompts
As you read, make note of all key terms listed above, especially if their meaning is unclear. Respond to the following prompts:
- Define and identify the three types of messages that Barthes breaks down in the Panzani advertisement (linguistic, coded iconic, non-coded iconic).
- How is the Panzani advertisement trying to persuade and influence the viewer?
- Record a list of questions you have concerning the reading.
3. Read & Annotate.
Consider the questions/prompts listed above. Start to formulate the answers to these questions while you practice close reading with annotations. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates.
Add the tags: Rhetoric of Image and Reading Response 3 to your annotations in Hypothesis.
4. Draft your Reading Response.
Write a draft of your 200+ word response in your Writing Portfolio focusing on the prompts above. Also, include anything that you don’t understand from the reading.
Check for grammar/spelling errors using Google Docs spell-grammar check or Grammarly. Use the word count tool too. Add a numbered or bulleted list of links to at least (3) of your Hypothesis annotations. In Hypothesis, select the Share icon and copy the URL. (see Using Hypothesis > Share).
NOTE: Please embed you links rather than pasting the entire URL.
5. Paste your Reading Response in a comment.
When ready, add a comment at the bottom of this post. Paste your reading response from your Writing Portfolio into the comment box. Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting.
NOTE: Please embed you links rather than pasting the entire URL.
6. Review and reply to your colleagues’ responses.
Acknowledge the responses of your classmates. Is there anything that surprised you or that you disagree with? Let them know. If you would like feedback from the Professor, please ask.
Print this page
As I read through this essay, I was able to make out a few of these messaging terms that I think can all relate to the same answer/solution. The Panzani advert in the reading basically concludes that itâs advertising fine Italian dining to an audience in France. Itâs simply about analyzing the image. Three things that I can make out from this advert is decoding what is being presented to me. I can interpret that these are the essential ingredients that most Italian foods or dishes are comprised of. That can also tie in into connotation, the symbolic and cultural significance of what the advert is. Again, this is a Panzani advert showing to me certain ingredients of Italian food. Such ingredients as tomatoes, mushrooms, spaghetti, cheese, onions, all of the great stuff. Iâm denoting the advertisement as itâs literally presenting itself. All of these objects that represent a certain topic at hand. Ingredients for Italian food. The certain color palette this advert consists of represents the colors of the Italian flag: green (pepper), white (cheese or mushrooms), red (tomatoes) and the addition of yellow (spaghetti). The French text on the bottom of the ad implies that this ad is being shown to a French audience. Since this essay and ad was originally published in 1977 for France, to me it shows that these two European cultures that are geographically close to each other must both share a similar style in food sense.
Annotation 1
Annotation 2
Linguistic on the Panzani advertisement is just the Italian image behind the whole image, Coded iconic would be the symbol would be the spaghetti and the colors that stand out for Italy. Non-coded iconic would be the ingredients mentioned in the ad towards whats being advertised. – Viewers towards the Panzani advertisement are persuaded and influenced by what might be their favorite type of food which is Italian food but don’t know if this is made by Italians and just want to buy it to make some type of pasta. – My questions though are, do people research before they buy? Do advertisements always make people just buy without questioning? Why do other countries/continents create and sell with someone else’s ethnicity lifestyle other their own?
A1
A2
A3
“Why do other countries/continents create and sell with someone elseâs ethnicity lifestyle other their own?”
This is such a good question! And I counter with pizza. It’s American, it’s Italian American, and as focaccia, it’s Italian. So what do we do? It’s all of these things.
What about Mexican food in these United States? I mean, to me that’s just food, but then we have Taco Bell, and that’s a fabricated, or commercial version. Is it less authentic, probably, yes. Is it _not_ Mexican once it’s been appropriated? That seems silly. Is it less than Mexican for being made maybe incorrectly, so commercially? According to whom? Where in Mexico? Where in these United States?
Sometimes I feel like semiotics just leaves us with more questions.
I like the thought process. It is certainly interesting to think about what constitutes cultural identity in the realm of advertising. While I can see how it feels dubious (and even exploitative in some cases) to use a foreign cultural identity for personal gain, the fact that it has worked and been very effective in the past in a reflection of our brain’s dependency on “schemata” (plural of schema) to interpret the world.
If there’s one thing I learned in my time studying psychology, it’s that our brains are designed to minimize the amount of work it needs to understand our surroundings. It much rather compartmentalize everything and their associations to each other in “black and white”, because grey is a lot more work. Once something is designated or labelled, there’s no need to “reclassify” it until it doesn’t fit anymore.
For example, if I were to ask you to think of a stapler, and where it might be found in the world, you’re likely to think of an office setting, a desk, a chair, dull-colored walls, etc… That’s what constitutes a schema.
The delicate balance we strive to strike as designers is understanding that this is the main mechanism we try to play on for a living, but it can get a little hazy when it comes to subjective concepts, such as identity.
Britannica describes a schema as mental structures that an individual uses to organize knowledge and guide cognitive processes and behaviour.
Michalak, Katja. “schema”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/science/schema-cognition.
Regarding the excerpt from âRhetoric of the Imageâ, by Roland Barthes
The first way the Panzani advertisement is analyzed is linguistic. Barthes points out the caption and labels are two denotational (directly describing) linguistic signifieds, whereas the name is a French idea of âItalianicityâ as Barthes puts it, full of âItalianisticâ, if you will, assonance. These signifieds are connotational. One must have a French sensibility and set of cultural references for their own ideas of what makes something Italian. Ideas of Italian in this case refer to fresh food prepared at home, by someone who is a market shopper, a gourmand. It aspires to be so good, so fresh its âItalianâ.
Barthes states:
âThus there are four signs for this image and we will assume that they form a coherent whole (for they are all discontinuous), require a generally cultural knowledge, and refer back to signifieds each of which is global (for example, Italianicity), imbued with euphoric values.â
Advertising uses signs “imbued with euphoric values” to convey message, but we can find more if we look to find larger meanings (to receivers of signifieds, or viewers).
âItalianicityâ would be based on âtourist stereotypesâ. (Barthes) The tomato plus red background, pepper plus green label color, pasta as yellow all suggest visually, as icons of food or hue what has already been said linguistically. It is thrown together without regard to order, according to Barthes, but I agree with our professorâs assertion that there is clear visual hierarchy. He describes it as âserriedâ, crowded as in a classic cornucopia. I agree. It is supposed to be a jumble, thought it’s been fluffed. The colors together meaning âItalianicityâ is coded iconic. We must learn the Italian flagâs colors to understand the reference. The fruits are non-coded iconic. We know the fruits are representing fruits at the market. We are then asked to believe the canned goods are equivalent. This is trying to use connotative association to create an equal value in the mind of the viewer.
How does the famous international Heinz ad compare? As a relatively more recent example of a mature brand and product, Heinz capitalized on the created associations of many decades of advertising by asking people all over the world to draw a bottle of ketchup. They were in no way primed with the brand first. They drew Heinz.
You can see a video of this Best of 2021 idea at AdAge. It ranged from linguistic (name) to non-coded iconic (tomato) to coded-iconic (label shape), but everyone drew the eponymic Heinz as a correlate of âketchupâ. This was learned. And the power of advertising taught it. Thatâs really powerful.
below is an attached pdf of reading response 3
Reading Response #3
Malika Pardis Research Journal:
Week 3: Reading Response
The Panzani advertisement has three types of messages: linguistic, coded iconic, and non-coded. The linguistic message includes the brand name, product description, and accompanying text. The coded iconic message includes cultural symbols associated with Italy. The advertisement aims to persuade and influence the viewer by creating an image of authenticity, tradition, and quality associated with Italian cuisine. This analysis of the Panzani advertisement, Barthes dissects its various messages to reveal the underlying layers of meaning and persuasion. The linguistic message primarily consists of the brand name, product description, and any accompanying textual content. The coded iconic message incorporates cultural symbols tied to Italy, such as pasta, tomatoes, and colors evocative of an Italian setting. Meanwhile, the non-coded iconic message encompasses the visual arrangement and aesthetic allure of the advertisement.The Panzani advertisement endeavors to sway and influence the audience by crafting an impression of authenticity, tradition, and excellence linked with Italian culinary heritage. This objective is accomplished through the strategic utilization of cultural symbols, imagery, and language that conjure the essence of Italy and its culinary customs. By tapping into these cultural references, the advertisement seeks to forge a positive emotional rapport with viewers, prompting them to consider purchasing Panzani products.
Some questions I would have would be:
https://hyp.is/IptMtNElEe6gBj8lCW_0Ug/openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/spevackcomd3504sp24/files/2022/11/Barthes_PanzaniUpdatedImage.pdf
https://hyp.is/lKpMutFIEe6Myi92u5o98Q/openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/spevackcomd3504sp24/files/2022/11/Barthes_PanzaniUpdatedImage.pdf
https://hyp.is/55gMzNFJEe6k1PPpIbfXZQ/openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/spevackcomd3504sp24/files/2022/11/Barthes_PanzaniUpdatedImage.pdf
When reading this text provided, it gives a brief but very detailed explanation of the context for an french ad showing the ingredients in authentic italian atmosphere. The has a standard and appealing look to it as if the look using methods to show the meaning behind each and every element within the ad. They used methods such as the sign, the signifier and the signified for example, the sign which is the net bag full of pasta, tomatoes, and other items signifying that it looks like they came from a trip from the farmers market. That creates the signified that the ingredients are made fresh and natural so it can be even more appealing to the consumer, while still being authentic to the culture of traditional meal preparation in Italy. The use of linguistic language and Visual metaphors/Representations, can be seen here too,even though the company itâs itself is in France they still use visual attributes in order to provide the Italian aesthetic for example, like the colors of the Italian flag are green, white and red, you can see the color being shown upon the items such as the the packaging of the soup and pasta, the tomato, the mushroom, the bag showing many clues of an Italian influence. The point of these methods and techniques is to show the audience a sense of euphoria when looking at the ad, so they may consider possibly making a purchase, but also being aware of the message the company is trying to show
W4A1
W4A2
W4A3
Barthes explains that the linguistic is the literal, or that which needs no other context or understanding beyond the language itself. In other words, there is no encoding or decoding involved in understanding the âsignâ of language itself. An example of a coded icon is the color scheme, hinting both at the flag of Italy and the ingredients one might associate with pasta. The non-coded icon would be the associated ingredients themselves, such as the tomato (see A2).
The Panzani ad is clearly trying to place the viewer in the frame of reference of a farmers market, where the related concepts like fresh and organic produce are implied (through the use of the net, for example) override the more manufactured association one might typically make with boxed or prepackaged food. It also reinforces the illusion of authenticity in this way.
A lot of my questions ironically revolve around the linguistics used to describe the concepts Barthes introduces. While I believe I have a decent grasp on the ideas he presents, his use of words such as âco-extensiveâ (A1) and âquasi-tautologicalâ (A3) made decoding the concepts a little trickier. Some of the paragraphs in his analysis consist of 8-line-long run-on sentences which I struggled with.
According to Barthe, linguistic messages is the copy within the advertisement such as the caption or the labels. The only thing you need to know to read this is the ability read the Latin alphabet, not even necessarily needing to understand French. The assonance, or the close juxtaposition of the vowels, suggests to French viewers that this is âItalianâ. The brand Panzani happens to actually be French but the interpretation of the Italian language and phonetics gives a feeling of being authentically Italian.
Coded iconic messages is the subjective or cultural meaning that is interpreted within the image. In the case of the Panzani ad, its connotation is that it is fresh straight from the farmerâs market and is equating the freshness of the raw ingredients to that of the packaged good. Non-coded iconic messages is the objective and literal interpretation within the image. This is seen with the tomato, mushrooms, pasta, and sauce can within the market net bag. The Panzani advertisement uses this subtle messaging through coded and non-coded iconic messages to incite the feeling of fresh Italian food taken straight from the market to an audience largely used to shopping around and cooking.
My only concerns from this reading are the vocabulary and structuring lends itself more to an academic piece of reading rather than something understandable for everyone. I also question the use of stereotypes of the Italian people to market to non-Italians. That seems unethical in the long run and damaging of peopleâs viewpoints.
In the reading ââRhetoric of the Imageââ Barthes breaks down a Pazani advertisement. Barthes says that there is a linguistic message which is the one we see right away. This is the captions and labels in french, it is linguistic because as written language we only need the knowledge of writing and French. Also this linguistic message includes the written name of the company ââPanzaniââ which by the sound we think of (signified) âitalianicityâ as Barthes says. Then, we have the coded iconic message which is the pure image and the cultural concept it represents. For instance, the colors of the image green, yellow, and red, plus the image of the tomato and pepper all together represent the concept of Italy or ââitalianicityââ. So with the coded iconic message there is a relationship with cultural stereotypes. Finally, there is a non-coded iconic message which is the literal message. For instance, it is the recognition of the objects in the image which are the vegetables and pasta and cheese. In the non-coded iconic message these products donât have a deeper concept or relationship with something, they are just exactly what the photograph is showing. I think the Panzani advertisement is trying to influence and persuade the viewer by giving the message of freshness and the experience of culinary tradition. They do this by using those three types of messages discussed by Barthes.
My only question concerning the reading is to what audience this reading is intended to deliver its message (regardless that the original reading is in a different language). I say that because there are some words that make it a little confusing to understand at first . I had to re-read some of the sentences to understand the point.
In the Panzani advertisement, the linguistic message would be the copy in the ad and the labels of the products featured. The non-coded iconic message would be that Panzani is selling ingredients used for making pasta: tomatoes, pasta, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and parmesan cheese. The coded iconic message starts with the name of the company, âPanzaniâ. âPanzaniâ sounds Italian; Pasta was first created in Italy and remains a staple in Italian cuisine. Customers would be inclined to buy pasta and ingredients from âPanzaniâ based on the assumption of the companyâs origin. The subtle usage of the colors of the Italian flag in the ad further pushes the angle of âItalianicityâ in the ad. Additionally, the open string bag that holds the products can signify that the products from Panzani are fresh almost like theyâre being bought from a market. Cooking fresher products leads to a more enjoyable and satisfying meal.
There are three types of messages being conveyed in the Panzani advertisement: A linguistic message (the message in the ad is in French), a coded iconic message,(the spaghetti and the colors of the Italian flag), and a non-coded iconic message, (the tomato, onions, and peppers). The Panzani advertisement is using different kinds of signs to show the viewers that Panzani products are fresh and what ingredients go with them. Showing these off might inspire the viewers to try the products for themselves.
Barthes breaks down the image and explains the many interpretations the image provides via linguistic,coded-iconic and non-coded iconic messages.
The Linguistic message is in native French, it is used to convey the name of the brand and its origin of France.That is the denotation aspect of the linguistic message, its literal meaning is to just inform.There is coded message within the linguistics used.
The non-coded message of the image is to signify fresh produce and the products that are being advertised.It is also just a very literal meaning of the image.
The coded-iconic message is the pairing of the packaged products being advertised and the fresh produce that are lazily enshrouded by the advertised products.This is done with purpose as it gives the implication that these products that come in plastic bags and metal cans are the same quality wise and that they are indifferent from fresh natural produce.The produce that was used consist of tomatoes,garlic,mushrooms, and onions, helping bridge the connection that not only is it a quality product but also has great flavor.
They are trying to persuade the viewer by linking their products for authentic Italian cuisine.They do this by connoting the Italian image and culture alongside their french product.
https://hyp.is/wwRUyt8mEe6MNIvHVYEx5Q/openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/spevackcomd3504sp24/files/2022/11/Barthes_PanzaniUpdatedImage.pdf
Annotation 1
https://hyp.is/XqvaSt8pEe6el3OzuiIzMA/openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/spevackcomd3504sp24/files/2022/11/Barthes_PanzaniUpdatedImage.pdf
Annotation 2
“Rhetoric of the Image”
1.
2. The Panzani advertisement trying to persuade is the serried collection of different objects transmits the idea of a total culinary service, on the one hand as Pazani furnished everything necessary for a carefully balanced dish, and the influence the viewer is telling them that this is an advertisement and which arises both from the place of the image in the magazine and from the emphasis of the labels or caption.
1. Why do they put French and Italian language on pasta products?
2. Why did they call it âPanzaniâ?
3. What is the connection between sign and image?
Annotation #1
Annotation #2
Annotation #3