How well do advertising/brand management make use of semiotics and narratives?

Answer 1

Oh, man, that's the way they make their bread and butter! I've spent a lot of time looking into this as a part of my research into adult ed. Rather than provide a long explanation let's look at an example.

We've all seen commercials for popular laundry detergents. Ever notice that when people are doing their laundry it's always in the middle of a bright sunny day, in a large home with plenty of white and light colors. If children or spouses are present they are good looking and clean. This displays an image of health, wealth, and leisure, as if doing laundry is something even the rich and beautiful should be doing on a perfect summer's day...not in the middle of the nigh or on the weekend like most of who work actually do.

It plays to the American dream of "domestic bliss." The perfect wife, mother, home, and family. You're be programmed to equate that product with that lifestyle. On a subconscious level you're being told to buy this product in order to achieve that perfect lifestyle. That is an elegant combination of by semiotics and narrative - the symbols of the lifestyle are being used to play to the narrative of the perfect American dream.

That's why cars are always shown next to beautiful women. In fact cars themselves can be thought of sexy - not because they are, in themselve, but because were are programmed to believe that a hot car can get us a hot chick. So in the subconscious the car itself becomes a sex object.

I have found the study of semiotics, symbology, and marketing to be pretty damn fascinating!! I'd love to know what you're working on!!