1. Semiotics
Ferdinand de Saussure

2. Sign
signifier (DENOTATION)
signified (CONNOTATION)

16. Sign Rules
All signs have connotations
Connotations transfer

17. Signs and Connotations
temptation
Teacher’s pet
Clean teeth
healthy
food

19. Connotations transfer.
Images, ideas or feelings, then, become attached to certain products, by being transferred from signs out of other systems (things or people..) to the products’
(Williamson , 1995: p.30)

20. A product can mean anything
Any product can have any connotations
Advertising gives products connotations

21. Connecting an object with an object

22. Connecting an object with a world

23. Connecting the object with a person

25. Branding
bottle different
logo

26. Sex

27. America (freedom, youth, power)

28. Christmas (happy, holidays, giving)

29. sex
America
Christmas

31. sex
America
Christmas
world harmony

32. The first time, the first kiss
Oh! what feeling is this?
Electricity flows
like the very first kiss
The first time, the first Coke
Oh! what feeling is this?
Electricity flows
like the very first kiss

33. sex
America
Christmas
World harmony
First kiss

36. Cola
Name favourites and order
Name ones you would not drink
Name ingredients

37. Cola Test
For each cola give a mark out of 10 and guess which type it is.

38. Conclusion
The chief executive of Coca-Cola’s advertising firms once said of Coca-Cola:
“we’re selling smoke. They drink the image not the product”
The connotations, not the object.

39. Levi’s
Find the signs in the adverts that Levi’s want you to connect to jeans Eg
Steam (connotation – hot/sex)
Rocks (connotation – strength)