Skip to main content

Denotation and Connotation

Denotation:
We can clearly see a child standing next to some text that reads "Dig toilets, not graves", along with the WaterAid logo in the top right. The written code (the text), represents and promotes the campaign (what it is about).

Connotation:
Referring back to the written code, we can infer that the text most likely means that humanity not doing anything for the developing countries in need is killing them, hence the "graves" part. The child standing next to the text probably means the advert is telling you "Not helping these people have clean water sources kills them, even children". 

Analysis:
The advert helps the audience understand the situation that these people are going through on a daily basis, without overwhelming them with information. The text, "Dig toilets, not graves" helps audiences to empathise with these people as this has connotations of death. This adds to the serious nature of the advert, in which it is meant to make the audience feel the suffering the community is going through, and potentially make them donate.


Denotation:
We can see the logo of the game console in the bottom right, along with some french text on the top that says "Vous jouez comme vous bougez" which translates to "You play as you move". The main picture consists of a person holding the Wii Remote, but the shadow behind it is depicting a sword.

Connotation:
The phrase said in the ad, "You play as you move", links back to the Wii's marketing, advertising this as a "new" way to play video games. The shadow of the sword behind the Wii remote suggests how you can mimic certain actions and characters, in this case imitating a knight or Link from The Legend of Zelda.

Analysis:
The advert keeps a minimalist design whilst also telling the audience on what this system is all about. The main picture of the advert and the phrase above it suggest a new and exciting way to play video games, and a new era for the company Nintendo. The shadow of the sword has connotations of adventure and/or action, and the phrase itself has connotations of non stop activity instead of sitting down with a regular controller; you CAN play games while moving.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Gender representation in advertising

  1) 2) 3) In the 1950's/60's, women were often portrayed as inferior to men. They were often portrayed as being servants to their husbands, always working around the house and weak/not "manly". It was very common to see adverts featuring women who were cleaning or serving dinner. For example, the first ad I've shown is a tie ad where a women is serving her husband, with the tagline "show her it's a man's world". The second ad promotes a cleaning product, and it shows a woman with lots of dishes surrounding her, with the tagline "Get out of the kitchen sooner!". The last ad promotes mustard "for men", in which it's tagline is "Are you woman enough to buy a mustard for men?". 4) In the early/post-2000's, women were often sexualised/portrayed as beautiful in a lot of adverts. They were often sexualised in a lot of perfume/beauty product ads. A few examples include the ones I've shown above. The first ad isn...

Advertising: Key Connotations

  1)  - The picture of the product and it's contents (Skittles) remind us of what this advert is promoting. - The packing for the sweets is in the middle, with it's slogan under it and loads of Skittles behind it. The Skittles in the background are arranged in a rainbow, referencing it's slogan, "Taste the rainbow". - The background is a cloudy sky, further emphasising the rainbow theme of the sweets. - It's slogan, "Taste the rainbow", refers to the many fruity flavours Skittles has, and how colourful they are. - It's colour scheme is bright red with the frequent use of rainbows; this makes Skittles much more recognisable, and sets up a brand identity. 2) The USP (unique selling point) is the fact that Skittles come in many colours and flavours, allowing you to have a different taste experience from other sweets/candy brands. Many people like Skittles for the many flavours and styles they have available (e.g. Sour Skittles, Tropical Skittles, et...

BBC - Industry Contexts

  1) Inform, Educate and Entertain. 2) Through the TV licence fee; the proceeds directly support BBC. 3) To: - Provide information - Support learning for all ages - Produce creative output - Have diverse content - Reflect the UK, it's cultures and world 4) Regulation ensures inappropriate content is not broadcast to audiences. The BBC is regulated by OfCOM (Office of Communications). They oversee all TV channels and ensure no explicit content is broadcast before the 9pm watershed. The watershed is when all non family-friendly programs and advertisements can be shown. 5) Doctor Who informs the audience with it's cast, educates them on historic events and entertains them. His Dark Materials informs the audience with it's more diverse cast, educates them with their take on common issues, and also entertains them.