An analysis of this advert can be carried out using Semiology. Semiology is the study

of meaning, and it can be applied to media texts.

This advertisement shows a women floating above flowers on a nice summers

day. The image of a floating women gives the impression

of weightless and uplifting volume. It gives off a warm

and summery feeling from using rich colours like

oranges, pinks and yellows. The use of the signifiers,

pink flowers and nectarines result in the signified smells

of the product, for the audience. The ‘sign’ in the

advertisement would be the Herbal essences symbol in

the top left hand corner, as the audience of the media text

may recognise this sign it will result in a signified

opinion of the product, due to the individuals past experience. Using the words ’The

great escape’ makes the audience feel relaxed and suggests paradise and freedom.

Using the theory of Pierce the advert can be broken down into icons, indexes

and symbols. In the magazine advert of Herbal Essence, we see a blonde, white young

women who is a symbol of beauty. The indexical sign is that shampoo is makes hair

look good. The symbolic signs are nectarines fruits, a sign of health and nature, and

shampoo containers in bright orange colour, and the logo in modern font. The words

say that the volume of the shampoo uplifts you, as if you are to take off. Shampoos

have a connotation of being associated with hair, thereby persuade that in looking

after hair, not only will they look good, but will have good health.

The advert can also be analysed using the theory of Roland Barthes. Barthes considers

the denotation, connotation and mythologies present in a media text. Denotation is

what we accept at the primary level of viewing the print advert. The denotation is an

advert for herbal essences shampoo. However if the advert is analysed at a

connotation level, the associations that are presented in the advert can be analysed.

The central image of the blonde women has connotations of beauty, reflecting that this

is what the product will result in. The flowers in the advert also have connotations of

beauty and femininity. Barthes addresses myth as the values accepted throughout

culture and act to serve the privilege. The main myth in this advert is what is

beautiful. The women in the advert is blonde, slim and white this reflect the

stereotypical view of female beauty. She is depicted as what women aspire to be.

In relation to deep structure the signs are arranged in a particular way to convey a

specific message. The image of the women is central to the advertisement attracting

all the attention to her. The herbal essences logo is positioned at the top right corner,

so the readers eye is attracted to it after viewing the large central image. However if

the reader does not notice the top left logo the bottle containing the logo is positioned

in the bottom right corner, so the reader will not miss the companies name.Visual

icons are selected, cropped, edited and placed together with text to create a desire

affect. Colours for this advert are carefully selected to bring out meaning which is

richness, nature, outdoor, sky and coming rain. The presentation is also strategically

edited to anchor polymesia. The advert can be interpreted as a witch flying or an

extract from a sci-fi film or magazine. In this instance the advertiser used ideal tools

to create rhetoric which suggest to the consumer that good hair improves self esteem

and personality.

Suzie, Tendai, Towards and Faye