24 lines
5.6 KiB
Markdown
24 lines
5.6 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: "Advertising"
|
|
chunk: 9/10
|
|
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising"
|
|
category: "reference"
|
|
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
|
|
date_saved: "2026-05-05T15:17:24.147481+00:00"
|
|
instance: "kb-cron"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Meanings between consumers and marketers depict signs and symbols that are encoded in everyday objects. Semiotics is the study of signs and how they are interpreted. Advertising has many hidden signs and meanings within brand names, logos, package designs, print advertisements, and television advertisements. Semiotics aims to study and interpret the message being conveyed in (for example) advertisements. These signs can be images, words, fonts, colors, slogans, or a combination which must be interpreted by the audience or consumer. The "key to advertising analysis" is the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the object and the signified is the mental concept. A product has a signifier and a signified. The signifier is the color, brand name, logo design, and technology. The signified has two meanings known as denotative and connotative. The denotative meaning is the meaning of the product. A television's denotative meaning might be that it is high definition. The connotative meaning is the product's deep and hidden meaning. A connotative meaning of a television would be that it is top-of-the-line.
|
|
Apple's iPod commercials, starting in 2003, used a black silhouette of a person that was the age of Apple's target market. They placed the silhouette in front of a blue screen so that the picture behind the silhouette could be constantly changing. However, the one thing that stays the same in these ads is that there is music in the background and the silhouette is listening to that music on a white iPod through white headphones. Through advertising, the white color on a set of earphones now signifies that the music device is an iPod. The white color signifies almost all of Apple's products.
|
|
|
|
== Criticisms ==
|
|
|
|
While advertising can be seen as necessary for economic growth, it is not without social costs. Unsolicited commercial e-mail and other forms of spam became so common it was considered to be a nuisance, as well as being a financial burden on internet service providers. Advertising is increasingly prevalent in public spaces, such as schools, which some critics argue is unethical. In tandem with these criticisms, the advertising industry has seen low approval rates in surveys and negative cultural portrayals. A 2021 study of TV advertising found that only a third of advertisers achieved a positive return on investment. Unsolicited ads have been criticized as attention theft.
|
|
One of the common criticisms of advertising is the predominance of advertising foods high in sugar, fat, and salt specifically to children. Critics claim that food advertisements targeting children are exploitative and are not conducive with nutritional education to help children understand the consequences of their food choices. Children may not understand that they are being sold something, and may therefore be more impressionable. Michelle Obama criticized food companies for advertising unhealthy foods to children. Other criticisms include the influence of advertising on society and that some advertising can deceive. Cosmetic and health industry advertising has created causes of concern, such as being misleading. Political advertising has been scrutinized for misinformation, ethics and political bias.
|
|
|
|
== Regulation ==
|
|
There have been increasing efforts to protect people by regulating the content and influence of advertising. Some examples include restrictions for advertising alcohol, tobacco or gambling imposed in many countries, as well as bans on advertising to children, in some parts of Europe. Some advertising regulation focuses heavily on the veracity of claims and as such, there are often tighter restrictions placed around advertisements for food and healthcare products.
|
|
The advertising industries within some countries rely less on laws and more on systems of self-regulation. Advertisers and the media agree on a code of advertising standards that they attempt to uphold. The general aim of such codes is to ensure that any advertising is 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'. Some self-regulatory organizations are funded by the industry, but remain independent, with the intent of upholding the standards or codes like the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK.
|
|
In the UK, most forms of outdoor advertising, are regulated by the UK Town and County Planning system. The display of some advertisements without consent is a criminal offence liable to a fine of £2,500. In the US, where some communities believe that outdoor advertising is a blight on some landscapes, attempts to ban billboard advertising occurred in the 1960s, leading to the Highway Beautification Act. Cities such as São Paulo have introduced an outright ban.
|
|
Some governments restrict the languages that can be used in advertisements, but advertisers may employ tactics to try to avoid them. In France for instance, advertisers sometimes print English words in bold and French translations in fine print to deal with Article 120 of the 1994 Toubon Law limiting the use of English.
|
|
The advertising of pricing information is another topic of concern for governments. In the United States for instance, it is common for businesses to only mention the existence and amount of applicable taxes at a later stage of a transaction. In Canada and New Zealand, taxes can be listed as separate items, as long as they are quoted up-front. In most other countries, the advertised price must include all applicable taxes, enabling customers to easily know how much it will cost them. |