THE DENOTATIVE AND CONNOTATIVE MEANINGS

IN THE AXE - ADVERTISEMENTS

A Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty of Letters and Humanities in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for Degree of Strata One (S1)

ZAENAL MUTTAQIEN

NIM. 106026001034

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT

THE FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES

SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

JAKARTA

2011

THE DENOTATIVE AND CONNOTATIVE MEANINGS

IN THE AXE - ADVERTISEMENTS

ZAENAL MUTTAQIEN

NIM. 106026001034

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT

THE FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES

SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

JAKARTA

2011

ii

ABSTRACT

Zaenal Muttaqien, The Denotative and Connotative Meanings in the AXE

Advertisements, Thesis; Department of English Letters, Faculty of Adab and

Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, 2011.

This study is aimed to explore the meaning of signs which consist of

denotative and connotative levels. The writer focuses on five images of AXE

Advertisements and wants to know about the primary and secondary sign systems.

The method in this study is qualitative method and all the collected data

will be analyzed through descriptive analysis technique.

This study shows that the five AXE Advertisements: AXE Nun; AXE

Chocolate Month; AXE Vice with forbidden fruits; AXE Hillary and AXE

Phoenix have primary sign as denotative level and secondary sign as connotative

level.

From the analysis, the writer concludes that each sign of AXE

Advertisements has a system and it is supported by object, context, and text in the

advertisements. These elements contribute to the meaning of denotative and

connotative level upon products. And the last, the writer states that AXE

Advertisements manipulate and create the symbol and sign values upon products

to persuade the consumers.

iv

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best

my knowledge and belief. It contains no material previously published and written

by another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for

the award of any other degree or diploma of the University or other Institute of

higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been in the text.

Jakarta, August 16, 2011

Zaenal Muttaqien

v

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

May peace and blessing of Allah by upon all of us

All praise be to Allah, lord of the Universe, who gives the writer guidance

and strength, so this paper could be finished well. Peace be upon to dear prophet

Muhammad SAW for his conveying the words of God, the light humanism and

peace.

Many people have assisted the writer in writing this paper. Therefore, the

writer would like to give the sincerest gratitude to his beloved parents Ubaidillah

and Hulduniyah, and his beloved brothers for their support, understanding, and

contribution.

The writer also wants to give gratitude to Drs. H. Abdul Hamid, M.Ed, as

the writers advisor for his time, guidance, patient, kindness, and contribution in

correcting and helping him in finishing this paper.

The writer would like to give special thank and appreciation to:

1. Prof. Dr. Komaruddin Hidayat, MA., the Rector of Syarif Hidayatullah,

State Islamic University of Jakarta.

2. Dr. H. Abdul Wahid Hasyim, M.Ag., the Dean of Adab and Humanities,

State Islamic University of Jakarta.

3. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd., the Head of English Letters Department.

4. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum., the Secretary of English Letters Department.

vi

5. The Lecturers, especially Inayatul Chusna M.Hum and the Staffs of

Faculty of Adab and Humanities.

6. All Librarians Center of State Islamic University, Jakarta Library.

7. All Librarians of Faculty of Adab and Humanities Library.

8. His big family, Kiki Muhammad Hakiki, Ade Mushofa, Lidiniyah, Iin

Muthmainah, Ida Kholidah, and Budi Hariyadi.

9. His beloved friends in UKM BAHASA FLAT (Foreign Language

Association), Felix, Caesar, Giska, Amir, Hilman, Bara, five Rangers,

Renovations, Flawless, (thanks for your practices in English Language).

10. His beloved friends in KOMPAK (Komite Mahasiswa dan Pemuda Anti-

Kekerasan), Hafiz, Sidik, Edi, Adam, Mustofa, Bahtiar, Ade and Daulay.

11. All his classmates in the English Letters Department, Cahya, Rasyid,

Damanhuri, Arif BW, Herman, Apang, Lya, and others that could not be

mentioned one by one.

12. Reisha Suci Arimbi, thank you for your support and smile.

13. To all which the writer could not mention one by one both mediated and

unmediated in helping and completing this thesis.

Finally, the writer hopes this paper will be useful especially for the writer

himself and for who are interested in this study. May Allah bless us. Amin.

Jakarta, August 16, 2011

The writer

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVEMENT .. i

ABSTRACT .. ii

LEGALIZATION .. iii

DECLARATION iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENT v

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study .. 1

B. Focus of the Study 8

C. Research Question 8

D. Significance of the Study .. 8

E. Research Methodology

1. The Objective of the Research 9

2. Data Method of the Research . 9

3. Data Analysis Technique 9

4. Unit of Analysis 10

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Semiotics .. 11

1. Charles Sander Pierce . 16

2. Roland Barthes 21

a. Denotation . 23

b. Metalanguage and Connotation .. 24

c. Myth .. 27

viii

B. Advertisements . 32

1. The History of Advertisements .. 32

2. The Definition of Advertisements .. 33

3. The Effect of Advertisements . 36

CHPATER III RESEARCH FINDINGS

A. Data Description .. 38

B. Data Analysis 41

CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

A. Conclusion 75

B. Suggestion . 76

BIBLIOGRAPHY 78

APPENDICES .. 80

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

Globalization era is a process of dynamic condition which is signed by every

state in economical term globally interacts. It stimulates the seeds of economical

development to push every company to gain the consumer trust. The company

must be accustomed to the environmental change of economical competition. The

competition upon products gaining the consumer trust is the main core of

consumption. Consumption is the consumer activity of consuming products.

An early production process, all companies produce some products to be

sold and to be beneficial to fulfill consumers as what their need is. But, nowadays

the globalization era stimulates the process of creative production. Globalization

burns the competitive condition among companies upon products. The main core

which is consumer trust is the future prize of competitive condition among

companies. Balancing the consumer trust upon products in market place involves

strategic companies to have a position in marketing economy.

Then, an economical circulationproducer, product, and consumeris

being developed and manipulated by the capitalism actors, they criticize the

economical circulation. They focus on the production condition and consumer

need. The capitalism actors think that how to increase advantages, but in other

side the production has filled the consumer need and then it well gives a problem

2

condition which is the economical circulation is stuck, circulation product cannot

be operated, full of product stock.

This condition pushes the capitalism actors to solve it. The aim which

increases the advantages upon products as much needs a creative strategy. And

one thing that is a solution is media role which is advertisement media; the role of

advertisement media holds the economical circulation and to be heart of

economical promotion besides quality of products. By an advertisement, the

product is promoted and introduced to consumers to fill the consumer need and by

an advertisement also products which is first not to be need is being need then.

Afterwards, the future aim of an advertisement is consumer trust, the future

prize. Advertisements have capability to change state of consumer mind. How

could it be? Creating symbolic and sign values which are prestige, life style,

honor, luxurious, glamour, and new brand is the strategic of capitalism actors to

involve advertisement media. The intention of capitalism actors which paying

much money to advertisement agent must be having a motif; the motif is to

operate the economical circulation.1

Advertisements (ads) have a power to change state of mind; it is the main

core of capitalism actors to be pressed. Capitalism actors manipulate the consumer

need to be commercial term. Advertisement media and capitalism actors pull the

psychological aspect. They produce some products by involving advertisement

agent (media) which creating the symbolic and sign values (glamour, prestige,

luxurious and new brand) upon products to change state of consumer need.

1 Audifax, Imagining Lara Croft: Psikosemiotika, Hiperealitas dan Symbol-Simbol Ketaksadaran,

(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2006), p. 102.

3

Advertisements promote them in the electronic or non electronic, such on

television, radio, internet, and newspaper where the consumers may watch them

easily.

Then, they which using strategic marketing, achieving quality product that

to be beneficial to consumer need and involving ads media to create the symbolic

and sign values in the product operate the economical circulation successfully.

The strategic combination between production process and advertisement intends

to have the market position in the competition and to have responses back from

consumers (consumer trust).

Generally in advertisements, the function of advertisements is to introduce

products and services and to promote them to societies; it needs the roles of

human resources such as technology and creative design. The aim of

advertisements is how societies have trusts upon the products and services.2

The production process, achieving quality product as like what Karl Marx

recommended about dynamic economic upon products which has beneficial and

price to fill the consumer need is substituted by advertising to be symbolic and

sign values in products by involving the role of human resources on

advertisements. Nowadays, consumers consume the products both beneficial and

symbolic and sign values.3

Jean Baudrillard received the argument that the consumption activity

basically is not just caused by the need reason, but it is completely caused by

2 Benny H. Hoed, Semiotika dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya, (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2011), p.

249. 3 Audifax, Imagining Lara Croft: Psikosemiotika, Hiperealitas dan Simbol-Simbol Ketaksadaran,

(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2006), p. 102.

4

symbolic reason; they are honor, status, and prestige. Furthermore, the products is

consumed or bought that is caused by symbolic meaning which is in, and not

caused by beneficial, price, function, and need.4

The symbolic and sign meaning, luxurious, prestige, honor, and sensuality

are the semiotics field. Semiotics holds the question why do human (consumers)

consume products in luxury? As the filling consumer satisfaction, human jumps to

see the products as the functional to the symbolic and signs values. Human is

pushed to consume more not caused by the functional, but it is caused by filling of

satisfaction.

Barthes said that advertisements cooperate with modern era to perform

something new (new brand) which is not common in societies.5 In this term,

modern era intends to persuade consumers to follow the dynamic development.

Advertisements have a power capacity to influence the state of consumer mind

with the word new or modern.6 Advertisements often change the paradigm

values in societies which are good/bad, beautiful/simple, suitable/unsuitable, high

class/low class, and trendy/odd.

Modern era could open state of mind to imitate the new values above, good,

beautiful, high class, trendy etc. All are the capacity of capitalism actors by

involving advertisements to create a connotation process. A connotation process is

the extension of content/signified (sign). It is the place given by producers upon

4Ibid., p. 103.

5 Barthes (1957) called as nomania which is addicted to something new

6 Modern era is a response to leave from traditional condition to something new (western

influence).

5

products to consumers, and then the consumers will react an active respond to

give a meaning upon products based on their culture and ideology.

An active respond (connotation process) is something that products which

are produced by the motif of capitalism actors and advertisement media are

assumed by all human (consumers) in many interpretations. The interpretation

upon products that has symbolic and sign values is recognized as semiotics or

smiologi field.

A connotation model of Barthes may apply to an element of non-language,

advertisements. As long as it has sign system.7 And advertisements have a power

capacity with including their system via television, radio, newspaper, images on

billboard and so on to create the symbolic and sign values, luxurious, prestige, and

sexy, as the following explanation about the motif of capitalism actors above. And

one of advertisements is Axe advertisement. Axe is one of perfume products. Axe

was launched in France in 1983 by Unilever Company. It was inspired by another

of Unilever's brands, Impulse. It is assumed that by using this product, Axe

perfume, be able to get sexiness, beauty, and other symbolic and sign values. It is

the development or extension of signifi (signified) which is responded by

consumers (sign users) actively, connotation process.

Afterwards, based on sign users (consumers), Barthes explained that how to

interpret in which assuming the same perception about a sign. He gave in his

book, S/Z, some codes to interpret the hidden sign (symbolic sign) on

advertisements. Advertisements send a message to consumers upon products.

7 Jonathan Culler, Saussure, (Fontana Press, 1976), p. 93.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unileverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impulse_%28body_mist%29

6

And semiotics field which is developed by Roland Barthes attempts to open up,

open the hidden sign. These codes are hermeneutic, semantic, symbolic,

narrative/proairetic, and cultural code.

Umberto Eco states that a code is aturan yang menghasilkan tanda-

tanda sebagai penampilan konkretnya di dalam hubungan komunikasi.8 Seeing

the definition above, a code is a rule or collective convention, which are signs that

may be organized. It pushes a message to be operated between communicators,

sender and receiver.

In Elements of Semiology, Roland Barthes gave models of denotation and

connotation. He defined a sign as system consisting of Expression (E) on signifier,

in relation (R) to content (C) on signified. Such primary system can become an

element of a more comprehensive sign system. The primary sign (E1 - R1 - C1) as

denotative level becomes the expression of secondary sign system E2 = E1 - R1 -

C1. Then, in connotative level is the combination of E2 - R2 - C2.

According to Yasraf Amir Piliang in his book, Hipersemiotika: Tafsir

Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna, said that advertisements have usually three

special elements as dominant elements in the advertisment images. They are

object, context and text. Object is an object image or product which is advertised,

context is the environment of advertisements that giving meaning to the object.

And the last is text (written image); they, the elements, intend to strengthen the

advertisement meaning.9

8 Umberto Eco, Teori Semiotika, Signifikansi Komunikasi, Teori Kode, Serta Teori Produksi

Tanda, (Yogyakarta: Kreasi Wacana, 2009), p. 48. 9 Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika: Tafsir Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna, (Yogyakarta:

Jalasutra, 2003), p. 280.

7

These elements are produced by the capitalists to express the messages

shown on products (advertisments). The messages, denotative or connotative may

be appeared on the elements of advertisements. Denotative is what is shown and

connotatative is related to the understanding of sign user (consumers) upon

products.10

Semiotic field is designed to be able to have a chance or opportunity to

criticize in critical thinking in facing or understanding that there is no authority

that controls a meaning or an interpretation upon everything which happens in

social culture. It means that this study concerns about the place that has given by

and has interpreted by.

With this attempt, the writer wants to implement the Roland Barthes

concept to the images of Axe advertisements. This is to seek the denotative and

connotative meanings in the images which are based on the elements of

advertisements, the object, context, and text.

The images of Axe advertisements are assumed that they have sign and

symbolic values to manipulate the consumers with the messages that shown in

the Axe images. The messages of Axe advertisements are expressed to consumers

by giving the authority meaning to control the consumption of consumers. So,

Semiotics is suitable as the science of the study, because this field has designed to

criticize the meaning that controlled by the Axe Company.

10

Ibid., p. 261.

8

B. Focus of the Study

To limit the research, the writer only focuses on Axe advertisements. Each

product has full of messages that shown as the denotation, connotation, and myth

meanings upon products which is expressed in the elements of advertisements,

object, context, and text that built to express the message. The concept from this

research is referred to Roland Barthes concept that started from primary sign of

denotation and secondary sign of connotation.

C. Research Question

In order to gain the early interpretation of Axe advertisement, the writer is

going to explain and analyze each advertisement which has signifiant/signifier as

a denotative meaning. Then the writer involves the assumption of consumer

respond to Axe advertisement in level to interpret the connotation meaning

(signified) and in addition to open codes upon products. The writer will purpose in

two research questions. The questions are:

1. How is denotative meaning described in Axe advertisement?

2. How is connotative meaning stated in Axe advertisement?

D. Significance of the Study

The writer expects the readers to have better understanding about

advertisements by applying semiotics field. As a science, semiotic could be

applied in interpreting anything, verbal or non verbal language, as a sign, as long

9

as it is being assumed as something that has meaning. And it may be one of

references for students who want to do a similar research.

E. Research Methodology

1. The Objective of the Research

The writer hopes that this research would help readers in

understanding about:

1. Knowing the study of a sign which is represented in advertisements

2. Knowing and understanding of denotation, connotation and myth

meanings which are constituted in advertisements.

2. The Method of the Research

The method which is used in this research is qualitative method. It is

based on the documents (verbal and non verbal) where the documents will

be analyzed by the writer descriptively. The description means giving an

explanation about Axe - advertisement images.

3. Data Analysis Technique

To interpret the documents, the writer has several steps as technique

for doing the research, the writer selects five Axe advertisements which

represents about symbolic and sign values, such as sexiness, power, luxury

etc. Then, The data is explained as opened-interpretation, not closed-

interpretation. The main point of the interpretation is the logical

10

interpretation upon the objects. And the writer tries to find the meaning

upon AXE perfume products. Even it is denotative and connotative

meaning. And also the myth that born. To complete the interpretion, the

codes are used as keys.

4. Unit of Analysis

Unit of analysis used in this research is the advertisement documents

of images. Those are five Axe images which are Axe Nun edition, Axe

chocolate month, Axe Vice with forbidden fruits, Axe Hillary, and Axe

Phoenix. The images are taken from the Axe web address, theaxeeffect.com.

11

CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

A. Semiotics

Discovering knowledge may be analyzed as someone who always tries to

gain what is called as truth. In this case, someone tries to see a reality objectively,

and tries to paint it in the name of truth. Trying to gain the truth here is mediated

by semiotics discussion and it is brought by the semiotician.

Semiotics is a science to study a sign in human life. It is agreed as the study

method in the first conference, Association for Semiotics Studies in 1974. A sign

is something that means something else for someone. On etymology, semiotics is

taken from the Greek word, semeion which means a sign. A sign at that time

means a thing which is referred to other thing. And on the terminology side,

semiotics is the study of object-scale, culture, event, as a sign, said Umberto Eco.

Semiotics is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign.11

According to Berger, this study has two founders; they are Ferdinand de

Saussure and Charles Sander Pierce. They developed this study in different

method and place and did not know each other. Ferdinand de Saussure is from

Europe and his background is Linguistics. Charles Sander Pierce is from United

States of America and his background is Philosophy.12

11

Audifax, Re-seach: Sebuah Pengantar untuk Mencari-Ulang Metode Penelitian dalam

Psikologi, (Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2008), p. 317. 12

Sumbo Tinarbuko, Semiotika Komunikasi Visual, (Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2008), p. 12.

12

Semiotics has two classification studies based on their background. Then,

they will focus on structural aspect as de Saussures classification and pragmatist

(human role or subject) as Pierces classification.

To understand the descriptive study of a sign, semiotics, firstly should be

explained the definition of a sign. And it will help to compare the basic that

developed by de Saussure and Pierce works, but the writer will focus on

Ferdinand de Saussure13

concept which is developed by Roland Barthes

(denotation and connotation).

According to de Saussure, a sign as Janus head-character, it consists of

signifier/signifiant and signified/signifi. Signifier is defined as an abstract form

or an expression and signified is meaning or concept.14

Signifier is something like

material aspect of a sign (sounds, images) and meaning or conceptual aspect

which is pointed by a material aspect is called signified, but the description of

those may be sensed in cognitive. Signifier creates material aspect of language

and then signified creates meaning aspect of language.15

13

De Saussure was born at 1857 and died 1913. He taught at Ecole Pratique de Hautes Etudes, French 1881 1891. He is from Swiss and to be a professor of languages at Sorbonne University,

French (1881-1891) and Geneva University, Swiss (1891-1912). His masterpiece is Course de

Linguistique Gnrale (1915) which has been published by Payot Press, French (1916). Its

masterpiece is from de Saussures study that collected by his students, Charles Bally and Robert

Schechaye, now they are professors at Sorbonne University, French. 14

An abstract form is an image that formed in users cognitive upon sounds, colors, or something

that stated in human life, de Saussure called signifiant/signifier as an acoustic image because he

talked about a sign in actual usage of language. 15

Muhammad Al-Fayyadl, DERRIDA, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2005), p. 37.

13

To describe the illustration above, it may take the diagram below:

Signifier (signifiant)

Sig

n Signified (signifi)

(Figure I: The sign model of de Saussure)

De Saussure stated that the sign relation (signifier + signified = sign) as

structural-relation which is a sign is described as unity between a something that

a material aspect (signifier) and a something that a mental or conceptual

(signified). And this cannot be separated as like sides of a paper.16

For example,

the word Axe perfume could be a sign; it has signifier (the word itself) and

signified (the water composition that can give good smells). The unity of the word

and the water composition gets Axe perfume to be a sign (something which is a

product that could give good smells when it is sprayed).

To scheme the example above, it may be described as follow:

Signifier/

Axe perfume Sign/Axe

product Signified/

The water composition that could give

good smell to the body when it is sprayed

(Figure II: The meaning elements of a sign from de Saussure)

16

Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika, Tafsir Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna, (Yogyakarta:

Jalasutra, 2003), p. 47.

14

In other hand, every sign could not be stated away from the contextual role

of a sign (reference) in the reality. Because the context could give meaning as

what is expressed.17

For example, a rose flower has two different meaning when it

is in garden (just a plant) and it is picked and sent to a girl (a symbol of love). It

means that the meaning of a sign (a rose flower) should be based on the contextual

role as social convention of sign users, because the meaning of a sign is arbitrary,

the meaning of a sign could sometime be changed.

De Saussure said that a sign consists signifier/signifiant and

signified/signifi and they are unity as sides of a paper like structural aspects and

also the relation of a sign to the context of a sign, the sign users (society) as

reference. To draw the example above, here is the scheme:

Signifier

A rose flower

Signified

It is a plant when it is in the garden.

A symbol of love when it is given to a girl.

Sign

(Figure III: The sign model of de Saussure)

De Saussure on Course in General Linguistics said that smiologi or

semiotics is the study of sign role as a part of society. Semiotics learns the relation

17

Muhammad Al-Fayyadl, DERRIDA, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2005), p. 37.

15

between the sign components (signifier and signified), and also the relation

between the sign components to the sign users (society) as reference.18

(Source: McQuail, 2000)

In the following discussion about a sign from Saussure above, there are

actually three principles of de Saussures concept about a sign. The first is

structural relation, the second is unity and then the last is the convention of sign

users as reference.

The first principle, de Saussure saw that the structural relation, a sign is

consists of signifier as the material aspect and the conceptual aspect or meaning

which is pointed by signifier as signified. The second principle is unity. A sign is

consists of signifier, material aspect (sounds, words, images) and signified,

conceptual aspect (meaning, idea); this unity is like sides of a paper. And then the

last principle is the contextual role of sign users (convention). The structural

relation between signifier and signified depends on what is called convention, the

social agreement.19

18

Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika, Tafsir Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna, (Yogyakarta:

Jalasutra, 2003), p. 256. 19

Ibid., p. 47 48.

16

Furthermore, the other discussion about a sign; here is Charles S. Pierce who

focuses on the human role as central subject to interpret a sign (pragmatist).

1. Charles Sander Pierce (1839 - 1914)

A theory of semiotics focuses on a sign; it is something that represents

something else. Danesi and Perron wrote that a theory of semiotics which is

something that represents something else has existed since Hippocrates (460-

377 B.C). At middle ages, a sign is defined as aliquid pro aliquo, something

that hidden from something. Or in Health field a sign is as physical symptom

which represents sickness, ill.20

Charles S. Pierce was born at 1839 and died 1914. He studied and was

graduated at Harvard University, 1859. And after years, Pierce joined in

Harvard observatory and Coast Survey. He was a philosopher and taught at

John Hopkins University, and one of pioneer in semiotics theory (a theory of

sign).

Pierce argued that a sign/representament (R) is a part of object reference

(O) which could not be separated, and also the understanding of subject

(interpreter) upon a sign, interpretant (I). This elaboration appears that Pierce

emphasizes the subject (interpreter) as a part of signification. In fact, Pierces

saw a sign is something which stands to somebody for something in some

respect or capacity.21

20

Benny H. Hoed, Semiotika dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya, (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2011), p.

19. 21

Winfried Noth, Handbook of Semiotics, Indiana University Press, p. 42 43.

17

(Figure IV: The sign model of Pierce)

On cognition, the relationship process between a sign (representament) to

object is called semiosis (semeion). In signification about sign, semiosis

process is not already done yet, because it should have another process which

is an interpretation process or understanding about a sign (interpretant) by

involving human role/subject as interpreter. So, signification of a sign happens

in a semiosis process which is from the concrete thing to the human cognition

and it is interpreted by.22

This figure IV informs three primary elements that form a sign; it is

representament (something that represents something else), object (something

which is represented) and interpretant (the interpretation or understanding of

subject about a sign).23

For example when I ride a motor cycle, the red color on traffic light is on,

so I should stop my motor cycle. The traffic light is on (a sign/representament).

It represents something else, experience (the physic or mental); the traffic light

is shining as object. And I as the interpreter may interpret this sign (the red

22

Ibid., p. 12. 23

Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika, Tafsir Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna, (Yogyakarta:

Jalasutra, 2003), p. 267.

18

color) based on my experience (the police rules) as the decision to stop my

motor cycle; it is called interpretant.

The other example, the name of Sarah Azhari, the word of Sarah Azhari is

something (sign/representament). It represents something else (the physic or

mental experience about her (real Sarah Azhari) on magazine, television and so

on) as object. And someone may interpret Sarah Azhari based on his

experience as an artist or sexy woman (interpretant). This process of three steps

is called semiosis.

(Figure V: The meaning of a sign from Pierce)

Afterwards, based on his focusing on Philosophy, Charles Sander Pierce

argued that a sign is something that represents something else and it consists

of three types, index, icon and symbol. Index is a sign that the relation between

a sign/representament and its object is causality directly like smog and its

objective reference to indicate fire. Icon is a sign that the relation between a

sign/representament and its objective reference is similarity like a photo and its

real object to indicate a person. Symbol is a sign that the relation between a

sign/representament and its objective reference is based on social convention

Real Sarah Azhari/object

An artist and Sexy/interpretant

Sarah Azhari/sign

19

like Indonesian flag and its object, the existence of Indonesia state.24

So,

Charles S. Pierce who named his study as semiotics said that a sign is not

structural aspect, but it is the three process steps which are caught by senses.

He also argued that the process of interpreting a sign is not once

interpretation only; it is unlimited interpretation (unlimited semiosis). In

addition, Charles S. Pierce added that the process of interpretation a sign has

category, first semiosis, second semiosis, and third semiosis. First semiosis is

where human interprets a sign as guessing, the process (semiosis) of

sign/representament which is caught by senses represents something else

(object) as guessing. Second semiosis is clearer, and third semiosis is a sign

that is caught by senses is to be a sign which is caused by convention (habit) in

social life.25

It depends on the human experience (physical or mental).

For example in theatre, if we see an actor, he plays as the character of a

king, and then he holds a stick which is as symbol of a king. It may take the

scheme as follow:

(Figure VI: The semiosis process of Pierce)

24

Benny H. Hoed, Semiotika dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya, (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2011), p.

241. 25

Ibid., p. 91.

A stick/object

A part of wood/sign

A symbol of a king/interpretant

20

From this process (semiosis), this sign produces the other sign; it is to be

the actor who holds a stick in this theatre show is a king. He must be the king.

Then, the unlimited semiosis, the king which is just an actor is interpreted as he

has a power in this show.

Therefore, the different terminology smiologi which de Saussure

called structural aspects (sign = signifier and signified) and it is being used in

Europe tradition. But, semiotics terminology is from United States of America,

Charles S. Pierce, which is used by English language and it is discussing about

a process of three steps and distinguishing three types of signs, index, icon and

symbol. Both terminologies focus on the orientation, the orientation is about

the structural aspect and the process of three steps.26

In time, the conference,

Association for Semiotics Studies in 1974, has stated that in the general science

of a sign is now usually called semiotics, and now semiotics terminology is

more popular than semiology terminology.

In other hand, the development study of a sign, semiotics, is used and

developed by Roland Barthes to criticize the cultural phenomena in French, he

used and developed it as study method. But he still applied the concept of de

Saussure (signifier/signifiant and signified/signifi) or Europe tradition to his

concept, even though he criticized de Saussure concept to be dynamic then.

26

E.K.M. Masinambow, Semiotik: Kumpulan Makalah Seminar, (Depok: Pusat Penelitian

Kemasyarakatan dan Budaya Lembaga Penelitian Universitas Indonesia, 2000), p. iii.

21

2. Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes was a Professor for The Chair of Literary Semiology at

Colleg de France at January 7, 1977. Before 1975, there was rumor that

Barthes was an eccentric and stylist person. This rumor, according to the

Professors at Colleg de France, was unsuitable to be a Professor. The

Professors said that to be a Professor should be formal, not a fashionable

person like Roland Barthes and also Barthes works was not as thick and many

as other scientists. But his effort to introduce and explain about semiotics

decreased the rumor there. Barthes applied to be a Professor which the

interviewer was Michael Foucault.27

Roland Barthes was a son of Navy, Louis Barthes, his mom was Henriette

Barthes. He spent his time to bear and develop semiotics and became one of

editors in Tel Quel magazine with Julia Kristeva and Phillipe Sollers. He was

born November 12, 1915 and February 25, 1980, he got an accident which

caused by truck crashed, laundry truck, at Cherbourg, Normand North, French.

It happened after having lunch with Michael Foucault and Francois Mitterrand,

the president of French. And he died March 29, 1980.

He studied at Sorbonne since 1935 1939. At 1939 1948, he was

spending his time to get degree in language and philology study and teaching at

French, Rumania and Egypt. In time, he was one of newspaper contributor,

Combat, which was then to be the place that revealed the first work, Writing

Degree Zero (1953). At 1952, Barthes got a position in Centre National de

27

Roland Barthes, Mythologies, (Paladin: 1983), p. 9.

22

Recherche Scientifique when still studied sociology and lexicology. And in this

time, he released his essays to Les Lettres Nouvelles and then it would be the

anthology essay, Mythologies (1957).

Barthes started reading de Saussures work in the middle of 1950. He said

that I was dazzled during the chance that given from semiotics to break the

relation phenomena between language, culture and ideology. So semiotics was

chosen as scientific approach. By the systematic and program of semiotics was

fixed to criticize the cultural phenomena as ideologycriticizing by

signification analysis.28

Then, Barthes learnt and did with teaching, writing, and discussing with

other scholars, from this activities, Elements of Semiology (1964), was released

for teaching semiotics tools.29

And also Mythologies was a founding text to

analyze media culture. These works look like that Barthes is serious to be

semiotics as scientific approach. And at 1970, Barthes released his work, S/Z,

as the criticism to Sarasin from Balzac, it according to scientists is the most

wonderful work from Barthes.

In other hand which is from his life, the writer is going to turn on one of

Barthes study of cultural phenomena which Barthes took from French

phenomena, denotation and connotation which will explain as points next.

Barthes developed the concept of de Saussure (1916) signifier (signifiant) and

signified (signifi) to be dynamic.

28

Ibid., p. 20. 29

Roland Barthes, Introduction: The Semiological Adventure, p.5.

23

He said that in social-cultural life the understanding of signifier

(signifiant) and signified (signifi) is a process of two steps. Because signifier

is a process which is not only caught by senses in human cognition but also it is

produced by. So that Barthes based on sign users said that signifier is called

expression (E) and signified is contenu (C), content or concept.30

Based on the theory of de Saussure, a sign which is a relation (R)

between (E) and (C) is in human cognition and it would be more than just a

sign, said Barthes. And he concluded that this concept is to be E-R-C model.31

He based on his work, Elements of Semiology (1964), developed this theory to

be the theory of denotation and connotation then and distinguished them to

pursue the meaning in related to socio-culture.

a. Denotation

The first step in social cultural life, sign users define a sign just as

denotation meaning, meaning of a sign as common sign, and it is being

caught by senses of sign users at the first time which is R1 between E1 and

C1.32

Denotation is what is exactly shown (the level of explaining the

relation (R1) between signifier/E1 and signified/C1) or it is a sign in which

refers to a reality. It would produce the meaning explicit, and direct as

social convention. For example, an image photo of my face on Senior

High School Certificate (signifier/ E1) is (in relation to/ R1) what I look

30

Benny H. Hoed, Semiotika dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya, (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2011), p.

84. 31

Ibid., p. 13. 32

Ibid,. p. 84.

24

like in real life now (signified/ C1). So that, denotation is a simple sign

(signifier in related to signified), the real meaning of a sign in which the

signifier has the level of social convention and Barthes stated that this is as

primary sign system.

But in case, how if a sign interacts with emotional, gender,

psychological, belief, and cultural of sign users. It is used by sign users to

mean a sign to get meaning, a subjective meaning of sign users. Barthes

said that it is the secondary sign system which getting meaning or

interpreting a sign as more complex which called connotation meaning.

b. Metalanguage and Connotation

Based on sign users, the relation (R) between in the context E1 R1

C1 (primary sign system) will push to the extension of secondary sign

system which is E2 R2 C2. And Barthes added that secondary sign

system has two orientations. They orient to the extension of expression

and the extension of content/concept (contenu). The first which is the

extension of expression, E2 = (E1 R1 C1) R2 C2 is called

metalanguage and the second is connotation, E2 R2 C2 = (E1 R1 C1).

Secondary sign system which orients to signifier/expression (E) is the

extension of signifier (expression/E2), but to the content/concept/signified

(C2) is not changed. Barthes stated that it is metalanguage which the

25

R1

process of relation (R) between (E) and (C) is informed by using the

difference expression (E).33

Image: Metalanguage

E2 (signifier) C2 (signified)

E1 (signifier) C1(signified)

(Source: Barthes 1967)

For example the word women, this word has signed the word of

women (E1) as expression, in relation to (R1) the real women as content

(C1). This word is extended and related (R2) to be the other kinds of

women such as Mrs., Madam, Girl and Female as the expression (E2), but

the content is same, the definition of women (C2). This system is oriented

to the extension of expression/signifier (E2) which is called Metalanguage.

It can be described as scheme below:

E2/Mrs, Madam, Girl,

and Female. C2/ The definition of women

E1/ The word

of women

C1/The real

women in reality

(Source: Barthes 1967)

33

Ibid., p. 158.

R2

R1

Secondary sign

system

Metalanguage

Primary sign

system

Denotation

R2

Primary

sign system

Denotation

Secondary

sign system

Metalanguage

ge

26

In addition, sign users as subjective position also want to extent to the

secondary sign system which orients to the content/concept (C) is the

extension of signified/content (contenu/C2). But the signifier/expression

(E2) is not changed. This is called as connotation. Connotation is a process

of the relation (R) between (E) and (C) that is interpreted by sign users to

develop the content, concept, signified (C).

Image: Connotation

E2 (signifier) C2 (signified)

E1(signifier) C1 (signified)

(Source: Barthes 1964)

For example back to the word women, this word is extended and

related (R2) to be the other description of women such as sexy and

beautiful person or as complex description like dependent person,

powerless or sexual-object; it is as the extension of content/signified (C2).

But in other side, the expression is same, the definition word of women

(E2). In this case, what has explained is the extension of content/signified

(C2), but the expression/signifier is not changed and Barthes called this

extension as connotation.

To paint the example above, here is the scheme:

R2

R1

Secondary sign

system

Connotation

Primary sign

system

Denotation

27

E2/The definition of women

C2/Beautiful,

sexy, dependent

person, sexual-

object

E1/The word of

women

C1/The real

women

(Source: Barthes 1964)

But how if a connotation stays in for long time?, In Mythologies

(1957), Barthes based on sign users argued that a connotation could

dominate a society. For example, it would be handled by major

community who wants to give some connotation (negative or positive)

to minor community, in order to be a myth concept for long time. Myth is

produced by major community to minor community or on the contrary via

a connotation process that given.

c. Myth

The word myth is difficult to explain because there are some

definitions that categorizes it to a theory or a definition only. According to

An Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary, the word myth is

explained that myth as (1) a, an old story, primary it is related to an early

R2

R1

Primary sign

system

Denotation

Secondary

sign system

Connotation

28

events of nature. b, natural story (2) a thing or peoples imagination.34

As

literal definition, myth is a story which is used by a society to explain or to

understand some aspects from a reality or nature. Primitive myth is about a

life and death, human and god, goodness and badness. In other hand,

Barthes imitated the concept of primitive myth to be used to the concept of

a connotative process to uncover the hidden meaning in advertisements,

fashion and so on.35

He added that myth now days is about power, success, masculine,

feminine, or something that could not be questioned such a black person in

French as sub-ordinate person caused by colonialism at last time, but it

was shown on Paris-Match magazine mid-1957 by wearing French

uniform and saluting a French flag as French is a state and does not

differentiate any person. It lives on a community that given to naturalize

something or naturalize history. For the example in French at the barber

shop on Paris-Match magazine Barthes read and knew that a black person

been colonized but on Paris-Match magazine was not happen anything by

saluting a French flag.36

In the definition of Barthes concept about myth which is in Kris

Budiman, Kosa Semiotika, is a part of speech that taken to be read in

34

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary, 1995, p. 770. 35

John Fiske, Introduction to Cultural and Communication Studies, (Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2007),

p. 121. 36

Ibid., p. 122.

29

advertisements for example as something, something natural, or the way

to conceptualize something.37

In his work, Mythologies essay, Barthes said that myth is from

secondary sign system process which connotation is stable or to be

dominant on a community (convention). He opened up that what has been

natural in French is the connotation process, showing black person

saluted a French flag, to be myth then, it seemed there was no a question

about black person, all was under controlled by French as a great colonial

Empire.

Furthermore, Barthes added that what he had written Mythologies

(essays) is to criticize the cultural phenomena in French. His theory is to

dismantle something that has been dominated. However, he wrote that

what has been nature in a community is produced by a connotation

process (the extension of content/signified (C2) in a community), if a

connotation stays alive or to be fixed, it is going to myth, and in other time

it would be ideology.38

In other words, myth which is used by a sign users (community) is a

connotation process which is the deepest meaning that produced by a

convention of community to naturalize something, even it transforms

37

Kris Budiman, Kosa Semiotika, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 1999), p. 76. 38

Benny H. Hoed, Semiotika dan Dinamika Sosial Budaya, (Depok: Komunitas Bambu, 2011), p.

18.

30

history to be nature, in attempting to strengthen or to give a message,

a foundation, in nature to a community.

A connotation and myth are operated in secondary sign system which

is the place of the interaction sign users with gender, emotional,

psychological, religion and cultural. They are the ways of sign core and

live on a community. They follow a period of time and will be changed if

it could not be needed again. But how if the difference community

operates or wants to interpret a sign that given by to sign users; Barthes in

his great book, S/Z (1970), explained that there are five codes,

hermeneutic, semantic, symbolic, narrative/proairetic and cultural codes in

which everything that could be read as meaning is based on codes.

A code is the combination of signs which is agreed as social

convention to give chance that transformation of messages (sender and

receiver) is understood; it is like the system mind or paradigm.39

To

understand a sign, a code should be applied. In simply definition a code is

to get sameness perception. After interpreting a sign as denotation,

connotation or myth process, Barthes classified those codes into a next

interpretation. The five codes are defined as below:

Hermeneutic code is a code that follows to interpret any argument,

question, or something that would drive to arrange, deny, or even to

answer it. To interpret this code, it should check every detail of a sign that

39

John Fiske, Introduction to Cultural and Communication Studies, (Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2007),

p. 126.

31

shown in order to gain the answer that informed. Semantic code is

something that contains a position which is a connotation is built such as

masculine, feminine, or it is arranged to give a masculine connotation,

feminine, and so on. Symbolic code is a grouping code via any ways and

textual elements to recognize something easily. Narrative code is a code of

action which is based on a capability to attempt a result or to determine a

result from what has done rationally or it contains a story. And the last

code is Cultural code, it is a reference code; it seems collective acceptance

of morality, wisdom, history, knowledge, art, myth or any representation

as common.40

As addition, Barthes in his book, S/Z (1970), redefined the denotation

meaning. He said that denotation is what is exactly shown (the level of

explaining the relation (R1) between signifier/E1 and signified/C1) or it is a

sign in which refers to a reality. It would produce the meaning explicit,

and direct as social convention. But there is something case here, as

what Barthes intention to criticize phenomena in the world especially in

French, denotation is not what is exactly shown, literal meaning or natural

a sign; it tends to naturalize as definitional, commonsense and literal.

Denotation is as the final result of a connotative process as what Barthes

said:

40

Kris Budiman, Kosa Semiotika, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 1999), pp. 62-62.

32

Denotation is not the first meaning, but it pretends to be so; under this

illusion, it is ultimately no more than the last of the connotation.41

So, denotation is defined as literal meaning which is pure and

natural. It based on Barthes who gave the example on Paris-Match about a

black person who wearing French uniform saluting French flag as his

country. By denying the history of colonialism in French at last time, a

black person is under French as a great Empire.

From the explanation above, it may be concluded that semiotics even

though the concept of de Saussure, Charles S. Pierce and also Roland

Barthes is the study of a sign which is used by societies to mean the

phenomena or is the study to analyze a true reality in the world generally.

B. Advertisements

1. The History of Advertisements

An early kind of advertisements was started from the old Greek and

Romance, at that time something like an advertisement was used for

symbolic language. Human being used it for verbal communication or the

word of mouth, especially for helping the activity of trading. And it

happened when people did not know about a word (illiteracy).

41

Roland Barthes, S/Z, translated by Richard Miller, (United Kingdom: Basic Blackwell Ltd,

1974), p. 9.

33

The similar development of an advertisement was continued after people

have already known written as delivering messages. It was shown on

printed-information like the lost slavery announcement as media message.

And the next was image media or tools to be used like stone, wall, ceramic

relieves.42

In the other hand, especially at old Romance, it was known such

as stones stamp which was used as stamp marked in slaves.

After that, Gutenberg which is from Mainz, Germany, found printed-

system at 1450; And this was the advertisement world, primarily the

development of advertisements to be commercial focus which related to the

printed media such as newspapers.43

2. The Definition of Advertisements

The important words from an advertisement are seducing, remembering,

manipulating, informing, inviting, promoting, and reputing; they are the

main focuses of producers to get advantages. In the way, when people go to

supermall or a market, they buy products as commanded by first signal in

their minds. It is said succeed advertisement to influence peoples mind.

From the etymology, the definition of advertisements previously not

from English words, but the word of an advertisement is from Latin word

adverte. It means that go forward. Berkhouver stated that every statement

which is conscious is pointed to public in any form, where it is taken by

42

Rhenald Kasali, Manajemen Periklanan: Konsep dan Aplikasinya di Indonesia, Third Edition,

(Jakarta: PT Temprint, 1993), p. 3. 43

Ibid.

34

trading actor, for achieving product or service sales.44

So that the etymology

concept here states that the advertisement is something that related to the

activity of trade communication or marketing product.

Furthermore, Websters New World Encyclopedia gives advertisement

meaning in related to the function and focusing:

any of various methods use by a company to increase the sales of its

products or to promote a brand name. Advertising can be seen by economist as

either beneficial (since it conveys information about a product and so brings the

market closer to state of perfect competition) or as hindrance to perfect

competition, since it attempts to make illusory distinction (such as greater sex

appeal) between essentially similar products.45

Coutland L. Bovee, William F. Arens in Contemporary Advertising

(1986) and Thomas M. Garret, S.J. in Some Ethical Problems of Modern

Advertising (1961) stated that advertising is the activity of delivering visual

and verbal messages to public by informing or influencing them to buy

products and services that has been produced.46

For simply definition of advertisements is a message concept to inform,

influence, seduce, remember and offer products or services (non-

commercial) to public through media to buy.

Related to psychological aspect, advertisement is said success started

from early information upon products, services, and ideas which consumers

is going to buy, or to consume them at the first sight; it is the term of

psychological process of advertising. From the psychological aspect and the

44

Winardi, Promosi dan Reklame, (Bandung: Mandar Maju, 1992), p. 1. 45

Websters New World Encyclopedia, The New Standard in Single-Volume, Ninth Edition, (New

York: The Random Century Group Limited and Simon and Schuster inc., 1992), p. 13. 46

Jeremias Jena, Etika dalam Iklan, Driyakarya Philosophy Magazine, XXIII, (No. 3, 1997), p. 47.

35

decision to buy or consume at the first sight, the producers communicate to

the consumers that is succeed communication. The transformation messages

run well.

Based on media, advertisement has two kinds of media, Electronic and

printed media. Electronic media is delivered on television, radio, film,

internet etc. Printed media is delivered on newspaper, magazine, etc.

Advertisements have four general functions, there are for educational,

economical, communicable, marketable and social. Advertisements as

educational are to explain or inform like how to save our head by wearing a

helmet, as an economical like achieving product request, as communicable

like to inform consumers where the product is, as marketable like the

strategies by involving any media, and as social like non-commercial

advertisement.47

Based on the aims of advertisement, advertising is set to support

personal selling or promoting, to reach isolated places, to avoid imitation

product, to achieve product request, to repute agency or product, in which to

get trust from consumers.

Basically according to the explanation above, the phenomena of an

advertisement is one of applied mass communication. Bittner said that

mass communication is messages communicated through a mass medium

to a large number of people.48

It means that there are so many mass media

47

Alo Liliweri, Dasar Dasar Komunikasi Periklanan, (Bandung: PT. Citra Adya Bakti, 1992), p.

47. 48

Jalaluddin Rakhmad, Psikologi Komunikasi, (Bandung: Remaja Rosda Karya, 2001), p. 188.

36

that could be placed by any message (shared information). This seems as

single address, there is no interaction between addresser and addressee.

The fast development of economic capitalism influences the

characteristics of advertisements in cases of style, contain, and function.

This characteristic is changeable in order to go forward with consumers. An

early advertisement is for achieving quality products (the need of

consumers), it means that it closes to the quality, value, function and price

of products, but now the advertisement is symbolic oriented, it means that

the consumers, which are constructed to be consumerist and always feel lack

of needs, look for the symbolic value (status, prestige,) in social position.49

In the global information era of consumerist, an advertisement constructs

a style. It means that advertisement may construct peoples life style.50

There is difference (peoples life style) between old and contemporary

advertisements, an advertisement belongs to exclusive class at last time, but

now people could imitate the life style from other which is constructed by

advertisements.51

3. The Effect of Advertisements

Producers waste so much money to set the strategies of marketing in

mass media, advertisement, mean that there is something efficient roles

(motif) that inviting producers to waste their money. The producers believe

49

Yasraf Amir Piliang, Hipersemiotika: Tafsir Cultural Studies atas Matinya Makna,

(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2003), p. 288. 50

Dick Hebdige, Subculture: The Meaning of Style, (London: Routledge, 1987), p. 100. 51

Yasraf Amir Piliang, Dunia Yang Di Lipat: Tamasya Melampui Batas-Batas Kebudayaan,

(Yogyakarta: Jalasutra, 2004), p. 302.

37

that advertisement has the strong effects to change the people mainstream

(state of mind) which the effect of advertising makes audiences buy

products where they do not need, advertising makes things cost more and

helps to sell bad products and advertising could waste peoples money.52

As conclusion, technically, commercial advertisements should be smart

manipulated to change the peoples mainstream and to seduce society. As

step, an advertisement may use everything that to manipulate, to seduce

society like involving sensuality, beauty of women, or like verbal form not

to imperative way, Buy our products now. An advertisement may take

advice position or alternative order, for example determining the beneficial,

health, beauty of products.

And the following statements above, the writer remembers the quote

which is from Pablo Picasso. He said that art is a lie that reveals the

truth. It means that a creation which is from human resources to intend

and to give a lie to a community as simple intention to stabilize any

intention, in the name of a community truth.

52

Ralph E. Hanson, Mass Communication Living in A Media World, (New York: McGraw-Hill

Companies, Inc, 2005), p. 413.

38

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDINGS

A. Data Description

In this chapter, the writer uses the images of Axe advertisments as the

research objects. The collected data have been classified into the definition of

signs based on the research questions mentioned in Chapter I.

This research puposes to find the power effects (symbolic and sign values)

which are upon the AXE products. As the assumption, these products have

capabiltity to give something more, more than just perfume products.

Afterwards, the writer wants to know the creative strategy that involved by

AXE Company to give symbolic and sign values upon the products. From several

editions of Axe advertisements, the writer takes five images, AXE Nun edition,

AXE chocolate month, AXE Vice with forbidden fruits, AXE Hillary, and AXE

Phoenix, as random samples which are described on the table below.

The table of data description

Objects Expression forms Content forms

Images 1 - A nun with a half

Christ-necklace.

- Clothes pin tying the

nose.

- To inform audiences that a nun does

not want her promises broken by the

effect of Axe perfume product.

- The half Christ-necklace and the

dominant black and white colors are the

39

- The background is in

the room.

- The image taken is

closed up view.

- The dominant color is

black and white.

- At the bottom right

side, the Axe product is

appeared.

symbol, symbol of part good and part

bad in life. It shows audiences that this

nun which has promised to God could

be influenced by the effect of Axe, it

informs that the nun is just normal

human which has dark and bright life.

- To announce audiences that the

displayed image indicates the effect of

Axe is well effective, it is signied with

her facial expression.

- To sign that this product has made the

nun tied her nose; it indicates that the

effect can make the facial expression of

a nun to be like avoiding something

perfume effect to keep her promise to

god.

Image 2 - A woman with a half

body and long hair.

- The lips with leftover

of chocolate melted.

- The tagline Make Her

Melt.

- At the top right side, it

appears a doll standing

besides the Axe product

with full of chocolate.

- The image taken is

closed up.

- To inform that this woman is designed

as what the other women should be,

having long hair and white skin.

- To sign audiences that before the

chocolate is on lips, the woman has

kissed something that having chocolate.

- This is relating to point before, the

question is who has the chocolate? It is

shown by a doll with full of chocolate in

its body.

- To show audiences about what has

done with the woman.

40

Image 3 - A girl with untidy long

hair and half body.

- At the right side, it

shows Axe product with

the tagline with

Forbidden Fruits, Turn

Nice Girls Naughty.

- The setting is in the

room with closed up

view.

- To define that the girl at the first time

is pretty, but in this image she has

changed to be a naughty.

- To Remember Again The Story Of

Adam And Eve In Heaven.

- To see the facial expression of the Axe

perfume effect.

- The arrangements of sentences are to

strengthen the meaning to be naughty

girl.

Image 4 - It shows Hillary

Rodham Clinton with

the Obama 2008 pin.

- At the up right side, it

is shown the AXE

product.

- The tagline image is

Imagine the power of

Axe with the web

adress,

theaxeeffect.com.

- And at the up left side,

it is written 2008

Unilever.

- To inform Hillary is the representation

of women is shown as the representation

which has a power and it is caused by

the effect of Axe perfume.

- To influence audiences that the power

of Axe effect may be applied to Hillary

who has a power as the president

candidates in United States of America.

- The web address and copyright are to

indicate that all power of Hillary and

Axe product are made in Unilever

Company.

Image 5 - The dominant color is

blue.

- To describe the image that this color is

belong to the man who has made the

woman flying.

41

- The backgrund is blue.

- The man is shown with

the woman while flying.

- The tagline is Fire up

Her Imagination with

Axe Phoenix.

- This man is shining as

same as stars, but at the

other part this man

shows his black armpit.

- The fires product is

Axe Phoenix.

- At the bottom, it is

written, Axe Phoenix

Rebirth of Deodorant

Body Spray from Axe

Odor, and Flight with Its

Imaginating Fragrance

Fire Up Womens

Imagination.

- To clarify that in this ads, the woman

is to be the object of focusing Axe

Phoenix ads as shown in the tagline.

- To point audiences that the woman is

the man world.

- To imitate that the man who has black

armpit does not worry with his, he is

just using Axe Phoenix to influence the

woman.

- To the facial expression of the woman

who has influenced by the man who has

consumed the Axe Phoenix.

B. Data Analysis

In this data analysis, the writer uses theory of Roland Barthes in which it is

based on sign users (audiences). Barthes said that de Saussure concept about a

42

sign is based on the relationship of two aspects, they are signifier (signfiant) and

signified (signifi), is common sign only.

Then Barthes developed and described that the relationship between

signifier and signified is in understanding of two processing steps. They are

signifier as expression (E) and signified as contenu (C), And also Barthes told that

between expression and contenu should have relation (R). So, it may produce a

sign as appearance; it is called as first step (denotative). But in addition, Barthes

said in talking about relation (R) that it may be continued or developed by sign

users as the second step to produce the other meaning, developing contenu (C),

and it is called connotative.

The connotative will stay for long time as sign user wants. This connotation

process will be myth. Myth is a kind of the interpretation on a society which

wants to interpret object (advertisment image). And the object (advertisment) is a

message. This message is sent by producers to give to consumers. And how to

understand this message? The message has many codes, and codes are the sign

combination which is agreed by social convention to have a chance in the name of

understanding. There are five codes that given by Barthes to understand the

message.

The study of a sign, semiotics, is built as the knowledge which is used by.

This study is not the study of closed-nterpretation; it means this study is for open

interpretation, the main point of this study is the logical interpretation upon the

objects. And the writer purpose is to find the meaning upon AXE perfume

43

products. Even it is denotative and connotative meaning. And also the myth that

born. To understand them, the codes are used as keys.

1. Semiotics analysis on AXE Nun edition.

a. Denotative Meaning

(Image 1)

The first image of AXE advertisment analized here is what is

appeared. And to support the image, there are some elements (signifier/E1)

that shown. To explain what is appeared should be elaborated.

44

The image shows a woman wearing white clothe with black and

white veil and it may be concluded that she is a nun with a half Christ

necklace signed. On the exact nose, there is clothes pin tying her nose.

And the woman eyes are trying to see somewhere. She also closes her

mouth completely. The backround is abstact, but it could be guessed it is

in a room. The image taken is close up view and this picture in not

colorful; the dominant color is white and black. And the last at the bottom

right side, the AXE product is shown. For the exception, at the up right

side is the source of this image, so in this context, it does not include as

signifier,Coolbuddy.com. Those are the signifier (E1) image shown which

is the level of denotative.

b. Connotative Meaning

If this image is interpreted as connotative, this image shows a

woman who tied her nose with clothes pin. The quesiton is what happened

with a woman until she tied her nose as the image above?. This needs an

answer to be gained by audiences who see this image. Before answering

the question, let try to check the history of nuns first.

A nun is simple woman, but this woman has a special charateristic,

she denies everything in the world. This woman focuses on religion,

especially her life. This woman life is for religion only. This woman lives

in a religious convent or religious place. For example, Chatolic nun is a

woman who joined in a religious doctrint. It is like a pastor, a leader of

45

Cristiant group or church. A nun should not be marriage because a woman

who wants to be a nun, she should declare three religious doctrints. They

are purity, loyality, and poverty. These three relogious doctrints should be

kept carefully by every nun in a convent because those are volunteer

promises or agreements to God. The three religious doctrints are a

foundation life which is stated by a chruch where every member who

joined in a religious convent decides to keep, to attempt to get what the

perfectness is upon those three religious doctrints.46

Now the signifers of this image are a nun, a nose tied by clothes pin,

half crist symbol, and AXE product there. As connotaive (the extension of

signified/C2), there are two main points in this image, the first is a nun

who denies everything in the world and should not be marriage, but she

got her nose tied. The second point at the bottom right side is AXE

product.

This image looks something has happened with a nun, why does this

woman tie her nose with clothes pin?. This AXE advertisment asks

consumers to answer the image shown. It is only a joke image or caused

by something good or bad smell.

As audience knows, AXE is perfume product, it is produced by the

water composition that could give good smell. But now in this image, the

connotation (signified/C2) is AXE perfume could give a nun tying her

nose. This is really creative advertisement; this advertisement borrows the

46

http://.wikipedia.org

http://.wikipedia.org/

46

definition of nuns which deny everything in the world and should not be

marriage. It is manipulated by an AXE Company that this perfume could

influence everyone, whoever they are and what occupation they are, even

it is a nun (signified/C2).

The context in this image says that the manipulation of AXE

perfume may influence a nun and it is also strenghted by the facial

expression of a nun, her eyes and closed mouth look denying something.

The alternative answer in this context is it is AXE perfume which give

good smell. So, it is not a joke image.

Facial expression which are her eyes, closed mouth, and her nose

tied indicates that this nun still does not want her promise to God, the three

religious doctrints, to be destroyed by something else. It is signed by the

Christ symbol there even it is only a half part. In other hand, the audiences

may directly answer that this nun got something problem; it is caused by

AXE perfume (signified/C2).

In addition of the extension of signified (connotative), the writer

analyzes that the emphizing point of this advertisment is not what

happened with a nun?. The turning point is the AXE product could give

symbolic or sign values such as something more power, destroying the

three religious doctrints and influencing everyone. A company creates

symbolic and sign statements upon the AXE product, this products

(AXE) not just a simple perfume but also it could give symbolic or sign

values in related the image above (signified/C2). And the taken

47

advertisment image is close up, it strengthens the effect of AXE perfume

when consumers see the facial expression of a nun by saying it works; a

nun gets her nose tied (signified/C2).

Afterwards, this picture in not colorful; the dominant color is white

and black. It indicates that a nun is only human being, even she has

declared the three religious doctrints to God, she could not avoid the

power of AXE perfume. It is like white and black life. A company

interpretes that nuns as human being as consumers, they have good and

bad part lives (signified/C2).

So, Based on the composition image above, the advertisement offers

an interesting order to consumers. This is AXE perfume; it will influence

everyone, although it is a woman nun which is recognized as a woman

who promise to God. The AXE perfume will give something more

power, more than just good smell. The influence of AXE perfume may

destroy everyone belief with its power (signified/C2).

If this connotation which is used by consumers stays for long time, it

will be myth. The myth is from the connotation process of sign users who

interpret object (advertisment image). Based on the definition of a woman

who promising three religious doctrints to God, denying everything in the

world and not marriage, this advertisment gives a myth like the symbolic

or sign values, power of AXE perfume, may influence everyone even it is

a nun. From the context image, consumers will assume or believe that

what has declared or agreed by nuns to God is just black and white picture

48

and a half part of Christ symbol; it is not full of three religious doctrints

(perfectness of life) and full of Chirst symbol which is saluted by Christian

or nuns.

The image codes in this advertisment is hermeneutic code,

interpreting any argument, question, or something that would drive to

arrange, deny, or even to answer the image shown. The image shows why

does this woman is tying her nose with clothes pin?. It needs the details

elements of images to answer it. Her eyes, closed mouth, and her nose tied,

her promise (the three religious doctrints) to God, and AXE product shown

are the elements to drive to answer. As the explanation above and the

image context, this woman (a nun) is influenced by the effect of AXE

perfume.

Semantic code is about the connotation of three religious doctrints

(purity, loyality, and poverty) which declared by nuns. This nun wants her

promise still stay alive or as what this nun join at the first time, her life is

for God.

Black and white picture and a half part of Christ symbol is Symbolic

code. This advertisment gives a statement about everyone is just human

being; it is being manipulated by the company of AXE perfume to explain

that life is not perfect as nuns want about perfectness life, it has good and

bad part or a half part of Christ. It is represented by black and white

picture and a half part of Christ symbol shown.

49

Narrative code is about a story. In this image, this nun does not want

her promise to be destroyed by something else, so she keeps her nose tied,

her eyes sees somewhere, and her mouth is shut completely. Those is to

avoid the influence effect of AXE perfume.

Cultural code is about the definition of nuns which deny everything

in the world and should not be marriage. At this image, the company uses

the knolwledge definition of nuns; it tends to she does not want her

promise to be destroyed by the power of AXE perfume as the image

appearance which is on her nose tied.

2. Semiotics analysis on AXE CHOCOLATE MONTH edition, MAKE

HER MELT.

a. Denotative Meaning

(Image 2)

50

The second AXE advertisement shows what is appeared

(denotative/signifier/E1). Starting from the dominant appearance as the

first signifier is a woman image shown with half body and long hair stares

at audiences. Each part of faces like lips, eyes, eyebrows, is made up by

cosmetics. This woman also has white skin. Long curly hair falls down on

her head. The made up face and lips with leftover of chocolate melted are

shown and with half mouth opened.

The tagline with capital words MAKE HER MELT is written and

at below is the website address of AXE perfume.47

And the top right side

appears a doll standing besides the AXE product with full of chocolate and

it is written AXE CHOCOLATE MONTH. A doll looks like a man doll.

The chocolate doll and the doll position stare at audiences and its face goes

straight to audiences. The setting is in a room with the background room

shown.

Afterwards, the taken photo is close up. It shows the woman face in

staring at audiences, but the face is a little tilted. All are the first meaning

(signifier/E1) that interpreted by the writer, it is based on the image 2 of

AXE above. And it will be interpreted as connotative meaning/C2.

b. Connotative Meaning

This image advertisement is advertised the object and supported

context that building the connotative process. Based on the context, the

47

The other web address is the exception. It is shown as what written is,

rockwithhingking.blogspot.com; it is the address blog, the source of this image.

51

connotative is the second step to interpret the image by consumers,

including their roles of gender, psychology, ideology. And so on. The first

is the dominant shown; a woman with faced made up and white is

interpreted as a woman who wants to be beauty should be what this

image is showing/C2. A woman looks like beautiful because this woman

image informs beauty which is caused by cosmetics and white skin/C2.

This image informs that every woman has to be careful with her face and

skin; it should be made up and had white skin/C2.

The second is the element combination among chocolate leftover

on her lips, a chocolate doll and the tagline MAKE HER MELT; they

indicate that before chocolate on her lips, it is pointed by chocolate

leftover on her lips; this woman has kissed a chocolate doll (man doll). In

order to the element, object (AXE product) and context, a chocolate doll

standing right side AXE product represents a man who uses a product

(AXE) which is added with the tagline, it would be kissed or got

something touched or a woman would be melted by a man who uses this

product. The word melt means that a woman is going to get melting

condition that given by a doll (a man). The doll is to be subject and a

woman position in the sentence (context) is to be an object/C2.

It is like an announcement; this image seems a man and this product

are close friend, in other hand, the main core in this image is a

chocolate; it is in full of a body doll (a man). It represents to the man

power, a woman in this position which represented by her lips with

52

chocolate leftover informs that this beautiful woman also want to a

chocolate doll or want to be melted by a man who uses this product (AXE

chocolate month)/C2.

And also, this product states that it is for consumers especially a man

which is represented by a doll in the question, who wants to make a

woman to be melted (powerless)?. This image describes the man power to

make a woman to be powerless which is described a face tilted, a

chocolate leftover, and half mouth opened, and with emphasizing context

in this image, the word melt, chocolate leftover on her lips concludes

that this beautiful woman looks she really needs the chocolate in body

doll. This word is offered by the arrangement of the sentence that she is

melting like chocolate/C2.

The other element is her staring eyes. It explains that her eyes are

talking to consumers in the offering word, I want a chocolate, who has

chocolate and who wants its chocolate to be in my lips. It may be

interpreted that a consumer, which is represented by a doll, could get a

position as what a woman needs. This advertisement gives a chance

position to a consumer to get as what a woman needs. For example if a

man has a chance position (power) to manipulate a woman which is in this

context as sexual object/C2.

The setting and background also support the connotative process. In

this image, it happens in a room. A chocolate wall, a chocolate doll,

chocolate leftover on her lips and her staring eyes said that come on; lets

53

get melted together, lets to be full of chocolate. It is the strategy of AXE

advertisement to persuade consumers, You should be a doll and it will

be what a beautiful woman wants. In addition, the taken photo with close

up indicates that what woman feel (facial expression) may be close to

consumers. Facial expression is signed a woman need the chocolate/C2.

Then, how about the written web address? It explains that this image,

a representation image of AXE perfume product which is advertised. The

web address also asks consumers to visit this web address as information

only or formal legitimating of a company. AXE Company gives a web

address to continue about who gives the word melt. The consumers

would interpret that AXE Company produces AXE perfume product to

give what consumers want about a beautiful woman wants in chocolate/C2.

This is really smart strategy of AXE advertisement, giving symbol sign or

sign values upon products to persuade consumers.

If the connotation process stays for long time, it will be myth. It is

going to announce that only by c