Introduction
1.1. Foreword
Intertextuality is a term that has often been discussed in the linguistic analysis of literature texts. More recently it has become a popular term in media research, especially the analysis of advertisements. But what about Intersemioticity? Intersemioticity is a term that was coined only recently by Lipka (personal note). Like intertextuality, it deals with the relationship of texts to each other but refers not only to textual and verbal messages
but also to non-verbal information such as pictures or sounds. It can simply be seen as a web of references that link the textual, visual and aural elements of a primary message with textual, visual and aural elements from other messages. Even the interaction of
semiotic modes within a message marks a form of intertextuality which can be referred to as intra-semioticity. In modern TV advertising, both intra- and intersemioticity play an
important role as visual and verbal information continually overlap each other and consequently can no longer be defined as independent referential systems.
Prestige is a relatively broad term that, according to the Cambridge Online Dictionary (dictionary.cambridge.org/), is used to refer to the "respect and admiration given to someone or something, usually because of a reputation for high quality, success or social
influence". In advertising, it is often associated with luxurious goods or prestige items such as expensive cars or watches but also with personal prestige. Celebrated public characters often advertise for a product, which enhances the value of both the product
and sometimes the celebrity. In a more cultural context, prestige refers to the respect and admiration that is given to a cultural group because of its positive values and qualities.
In the opinion of most Australians, Australian culture stands for: friendliness, liberal thinking, personal independence, naturalness, openness, good humour, sportsmanship, nature loving and national pride. Advertisers who wish to boost the sales of an
Australian product to Australian consumers often address their target group by making references to these highly estimated "national characteristics".
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Foreword
1.2. Structure and objectives
2. Aspects of Australian TV advertising
2.1. Principles of TV advertising
2.1.1. Frequently bought products
2.1.2. Open or hidden message
2.2. Australia’s cultural image
2.2.1. Multiculturalism and the incorporation of ethnic groups
2.2.2. The role of Sydney 2000 as prestige marker
3. The concept of intertextuality
3.1. The development of intertextuality
3.2. Dimensions and structures of intertextuality
3.2.1. Vertical intertextuality
3.2.1.1. Text and intertext
3.2.1.2. The pre-text
3.2.1.2.1. The concept of pre-texts
3.2.1.2.2. The reproduction of pre-texts
3.2.1.2.2.1. Individual pre-texts
3.2.1.2.2.2. Referential systems
3.2.2. Horizontal intertextuality
3.2.2.1. The text genre
3.2.2.2. Intra-textuality and intra-semioticity
4. Semiotic structures in TV advertisements
4.1. Communication processes
4.1.1. The bi-directional communication process
4.1.2. The one-way communication process
4.2. Semiotic language
4.2.1. Visual language
4.2.1.1. Semantic properties of an image
4.2.1.1.1. Iconicity and cultural responsiveness
4.2.1.1.2. Indexicality and photographic evidence
4.2.1.2. Syntactic properties of an image
4.2.2. Interaction of semiotic modes
4.2.2.1. Text - image interaction
4.2.2.2. Text - image - sound interaction
4.3. The concept of intersemioticity in advertising
5. Functions of intertextuality
5.1. Quotation
5.1.1. The authenticity of quotations
5.1.2. The transmission of quotations
5.1.3. The effects of quotation
5.2. Reference
5.3. Allusion
5.3.1. The mechanics of allusions
5.3.2. Differentiation of allusions
5.3.2.1. Marked and unmarked allusions
5.3.2.2. Quotational, titular and onomastic allusions
5.3.2.3. Comparative and assimilative allusions
6. Analysis of the corpus
6.1. Corpus coverage
6.2. Analytical approach
6.3. Levels of intertextuality in Australian beer ads
6.3.1. The VB spots
6.3.2. The Cascade spot
6.3.3. The Hahn spot
6.3.4. The Foster’s spot
6.3.5. Evaluation
6.4. Semiotic interaction in competitive airline advertising
6.4.1. The Ansett spots
6.4.2. The Qantas spots
6.4.3. Evaluation
6.5. Celebrity endorsements as intertextuality markers
6.5.1. The Telstra celebrity campaign
6.5.2. The Ansett celebrity campaign
6.5.3. Evaluation
7. Summary and conclusion
Research Objectives and Focus
This paper aims to investigate the concept of intertextuality and intersemioticity within the context of Australian TV advertisements, specifically focusing on how these concepts are employed to construct "prestige advertising." The primary research seeks to understand how various semiotic modes (text, image, and sound) interact to convey national cultural identities and influence consumer behavior.
- Analysis of theoretical foundations of intertextuality and intersemioticity.
- Investigation into the semiotic structures and communication processes in modern TV advertising.
- Evaluation of specific case studies: Australian beer advertisements and airline commercials broadcast during the Sydney Olympics.
- Examination of the role of celebrity endorsements as markers of intertextuality.
- Identification of the relationship between national cultural imagery and persuasive advertising strategies.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1. Frequently bought products
Most products that are advertised on television are so called "frequently bought products" (Joy 1998: 221) and refer to products such as food, cigarettes, cosmetics, toiletries, liquor etc. but also cars, furniture and household equipments. Frequently bought means that "the same consumers make repeated purchases of the same products monthly, weekly and even daily" (Joy 1998: 222). The advertising of these products makes up more than 90% of the whole advertising market in Australia, which means that the advertisers need to change their concepts quite frequently in order to keep up the consumers' interest in the same product. 20 years ago, when the consumer market was not as competitive as today, it was possible to advertise a product by showing a few nice pictures and pointing out the qualities and advantages of the product. Nowadays where there are dozens of clones of one products, marketing strategists have to work harder in order to establish a particular product on the market. Once established, these products or at least their adverts need to undergo regular modifications or face-lifts in order to continue to be competitive (cf.: Buss: 23). Coca Cola, for example, is a well-established product. However, it is necessary to regularly remind the Cola drinking community that Coke still is the best choice on the market.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the theoretical scope and the research goal regarding intertextuality and prestige in Australian advertising.
2. Aspects of Australian TV advertising: Discusses the general principles of TV advertising and the specific cultural context of Australia.
3. The concept of intertextuality: Provides a deep dive into the historical and structural development of intertextual theories.
4. Semiotic structures in TV advertisements: Examines communication processes and the semiotic roles of language, image, and sound.
5. Functions of intertextuality: Defines functional categories like quotation, reference, and allusion in an advertising context.
6. Analysis of the corpus: Performs a detailed evaluation of specific beer, airline, and celebrity-endorsed TV campaigns.
7. Summary and conclusion: Synthesizes the theoretical and analytical findings, affirming the role of intertextuality in promoting national prestige.
Keywords
Intertextuality, Intersemioticity, Australian TV advertising, Semiotics, Prestige advertising, Cultural image, Communication process, Visual language, Quotation, Reference, Allusion, Sydney Olympics, Branding, Consumer behavior, Celebrity endorsements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic work?
The work focuses on analyzing how intertextuality and intersemioticity are used in Australian TV advertising to create prestige and appeal to national identity, especially within the context of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
What are the primary themes discussed in the paper?
The paper covers the theoretical development of intertextuality, the communicative structures of television ads (encoding/decoding), the importance of cultural image, and the functional use of quotation, reference, and allusion in marketing.
What is the primary research goal or question?
The primary goal is to outline a semiotic concept of intertextuality and apply it to understand how Australian advertisements establish "Australianess" and prestige through intertextual references.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper employs a discursive-semiotic analysis, grounding its approach in semiotic theory (Kristeva, Barthes, Fiske) and applying these to a corpus of 18 specific TV commercials.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section details the communication models in advertising, the semantic and syntactic properties of visual language, the interaction between text-image-sound, and the specific functions of intertextual references.
How would you summarize the keywords of this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as intertextuality, intersemioticity, semiotic structures, prestige, Australian identity, and specific advertising techniques like celebrity endorsements.
How does the author define "prestige" in the context of Australian advertising?
Prestige is defined through the cultural values of the Australian society, such as friendliness, sportsmanship, and personal independence, which advertisers leverage to build emotional bonds with the target audience.
Why was the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games chosen as the context for the corpus analysis?
The Games provided a unique opportunity to analyze a concentrated set of advertisements that were explicitly designed to boost national prestige and showcase Australian values on a global stage.
- Quote paper
- Christian Wöller (Author), 2001, Intertextuality and Prestige Advertising: A discursive-semiotic analysis of Australian TV advertisements, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/706
