This essay analyses advertisements for consumer culture, ‘the commodity culture’. By looking at semiotics and Saussure’s concept of the sign and also explaining what is meant by the signified and the signifier, we will look at the linguistic model and explain how this applies to the chosen advert or adverts that are analysed. The essay will investigate commodity culture and show the commodity fetishisms of consumers and discuss the theories of Marxism and how they also relate to the adverts. Evidence of Romanticism and naturalistic elements will be investigated using Williamsons view on ‘the natural’ and the ‘unnatural’. Finally the essay will discuss the psychoanalytical ideas of Freud and Lacan in terms of dreams, desire, fantasy and the concept of the ‘mirror phase’ from Williamson.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Structuralism and Semiology in Popular Culture
3. The Role of Advertising in Consumer Society
4. Marxist Critique of Capitalism and Commodity Fetishism
5. Romanticism, Nature, and Idealism in Advertising
6. Psychoanalytical Perspectives: Dreams, Desire, and Fantasy
7. The Mirror Phase and Consumer Identity
8. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to examine how modern advertisements construct the 'commodity self' by leveraging semiotic signs, Marxist theories of commodity fetishism, and psychoanalytical concepts such as fantasy and the 'mirror phase'. The research seeks to understand how cultural meanings and desires are artificially attached to consumer products to manufacture demand and shape consumer identity.
- Analysis of semiotic relationships between signifiers (product/words) and signified meanings.
- Application of Marxist critique to explain exchange value versus use value in advertising.
- Investigation of how 'natural' and 'unnatural' elements are used to evoke desire and Romanticist ideals.
- Exploration of Freud's and Lacan's psychoanalytical theories regarding the unconscious, repression, and fantasy in consumer culture.
Extract from the Book
Psychoanalytical Perspectives: Dreams, Desire, and Fantasy
The fantasy idea of a flying woman in Fig.1 would take us back to our childhood to remember stories of superheroes like superwoman. Also the nature part would appeal as all children love to play outside. We are not conscious of this thinking as the unconscious mind takes over here, the unconscious fantasy. The dream-like effect this advert has on the consumer will relate to some aspect in the consumers life.
Fantasy is an imagined scene in which the subject is a protagonist, and which always represents the fulfilment of a wish albeit that its representation is distorted to a greater or lesser extent by defensive processes. Fantasy has a number of modes: conscious fantasies or day-dreams, unconscious fantasies such as those uncovered by analysis as the structures underlying a manifest content, and primal fantasies. (Cowie, 1999, pg 356)
Herbal Essences disguise the idea of fantasy with the naturalistic elements it tries to put across and then it leads onto the idea of fantasy and being “weightless” or floating. The woman’s expression is dream-like and content as she looks down over the natural garden. These aspects of fantasy give the consumer pleasure away from their lives of the ‘daily grind’, feeling trapped by society’s shackles, as symbolized by the shackles on the woman’s wrist and neck in Fig.1. The costumes also indicating both a seatbelt for the phrase “fasten your seatbelt” and also it symbolizes chains and particulary covering the woman lower body. Freud states that
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter outlines the scope of the study, which examines advertisements for consumer culture and the formation of the 'commodity self' through semiotic and psychoanalytical frameworks.
Structuralism and Semiology in Popular Culture: This section introduces Saussure's linguistic model, defining the relationship between the signifier and the signified as the basis for decoding advertising imagery.
The Role of Advertising in Consumer Society: This chapter explores how advertisements create lifestyle fantasies and social values to entice consumers into identifying with advertised products.
Marxist Critique of Capitalism and Commodity Fetishism: This section applies Marxist theory to explain how advertising attaches artificial meanings to products, creating a system of mystification regarding their actual utility and value.
Romanticism, Nature, and Idealism in Advertising: This chapter discusses how the cultural concept of 'the natural' is manipulated in advertising to create a sense of moral perfection and desirability.
Psychoanalytical Perspectives: Dreams, Desire, and Fantasy: This section utilizes Freud and Lacan to explain how advertisements tap into repressed desires and childhood memories to transform products into objects of fantasy.
The Mirror Phase and Consumer Identity: This chapter examines how celebrities in advertisements act as mirrors, providing an ideal image that consumers strive to achieve through the consumption of the product.
Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that advertising successfully uses unconscious desires and ideological constructs to redefine consumer identity within the commodity culture.
Keywords
Advertising, Commodity Self, Semiotics, Signifier, Signified, Marxism, Commodity Fetishism, Romanticism, Psychoanalysis, Freud, Lacan, Mirror Phase, Consumer Culture, Fantasy, Desire
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper fundamentally analyzes how advertising campaigns within consumer culture construct the concept of the 'commodity self' by influencing consumer psychology and social identity.
What are the central theoretical frameworks utilized?
The research primarily utilizes semiotics (Saussure), Marxist critique (exchange/use value and commodity fetishism), and psychoanalytical theory (Freud and Lacan).
What is the main objective or research question?
The goal is to determine how advertisements transform ordinary products into signs of social status and fantasy by exploiting the consumer's unconscious desires.
Which scientific methods are applied in this study?
The study employs a qualitative, analytical approach, specifically utilizing semiotic analysis of visual advertisements and a theoretical critique based on established cultural and psychoanalytical literature.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines specific advertising examples (e.g., L’Oreal, Garnier, Herbal Essences) to demonstrate how these companies manipulate visual and linguistic symbols to promise a 'good life'.
Which keywords define the scope of this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as commodity fetishism, semiotics, consumer identity, fantasy, desire, and the mirror phase.
How does the 'mirror phase' relate to advertising?
The 'mirror phase' is used to explain how advertisements present celebrities or ideal images that consumers subconsciously mirror, leading them to believe they can attain that ideal state through the purchase of a product.
In what way does the author define 'commodity fetishism'?
The author defines it as a system of mystification where the original meaning of an object's production is emptied and replaced with specific, artificial commodity values intended to drive demand.
How do 'natural' and 'unnatural' elements function in the analyzed advertisements?
These elements are juxtaposed to create a 'supernatural' effect, framing the product as a gateway to an idealized life that escapes the constraints of the daily grind.
What is the significance of 'fantasy' in the consumer experience described here?
Fantasy acts as a mechanism for wish fulfillment, allowing consumers to satisfy repressed desires and identify with idealized versions of themselves as presented in the advertisements.
- Quote paper
- Lea Weller (Author), 2009, An Analytical Study into Advertisements for the ‘Commodity Self’, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/264576
