Semiotics of Images: A Critical Analysis of a Coca-Cola Advertisement

This essay presents a semiotic analysis of a Coca-Cola advertisement, focusing on its visual and linguistic elements. The analysis, drawing on the theories of Roland Barthes and John Berger, examines the denotational and connotational meanings embedded in the image, including the different flavors of Coca-Cola and the red banner. It explores the advertisement's message, which aims to market the product in Greece, and its appeal to consumers by highlighting the company's reliability. The essay further discusses the ideological implications of the advertisement, considering the impact of multinational corporations on local markets and the role of the viewer as a citizen within a globalized context. The author reflects on the advertisement's influence and advocates for the protection of local businesses against the dominance of global brands.

Running head: SEMIOTICS OF IMAGES
Semiotics of Images
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SEMIOTICS OF IMAGES
The advertisement graphic shows five different flavours of the world famous beverage
having its company headquarters at the United States of America, the Coca Cola. The most
iconic and the most generic one being the red can which features itself at the right hand of the
viewers. Another very popular variation of the beverage is the white one, which bears the tag of,
‘light’ on it, which is quite popular amongst diabetic patients. There are other variations of the
original version of the beverage as well in the image. The cans hued in black, green and black-
gold combination are the lesser known versions of the beverage. They are all enshrouded in a red
banner bearing the writing of Coca Cola in its signature style. This goes as far as the visual
aspect is concerned.
French semiologist, Roland Barthes (1977) had in his articles tried to explain the art of
deriving the inherent message and idea embedded in an image. As far as his understanding and
logic is concerned, a seemingly commercial advertisement has a significance which goes way

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beyond the realm of simply marketizing a product. He had given particular emphasis on the
linguistic aspect of such images in order to derive the literal, which is the denotational meaning,
and the symbolic or the connotational message.
With regard to the image which has been made the subject of analysis bears very little
substrantial written aspect. The only form of text that is available, which accounts for the
linguistic message is the name of the product in English and in Greek languages. The
denotational message shows that the American beverage company Coca Cola is keen on
marketizing its products in Greece and reach out to masses with a variety of products and
flavours. It has been done so that people get adequate amount of motivation to choose from the
variety of products, and that shall in turn provide the company with the opportunity to earn more
and more revenues. The denotational message also shows that the company wants to cater to the
requirements of people having having different tastes.
The connotational message can be derived from the red banner that partially covers all
the versions of the beverage partially. The intention therein has been to convey that despite
bearing a hue on the product apart from classic red one, the customers must have faith in the
company and its other products are as good and as original. In other words, it is being meant that
all the products are from the same trusted company on which the people have been laying their
faith on.
From the point of view of John Berger (2008) it is the company who is speaking to the
customers through this graphic image. As a citizen I am faced with the question that in this
globalized world it has virtually become possible for the MNCs to percolate into any society and
country and enrich their revenues. It is not that Greece lacks locally produced beverages, but

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then they are losing out on their market share in comparison to the beverage giants as they lack
the logistical support. This is a matter which requires immediate attention and the intervention of
the government to save the local companies.

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References
Barthes, Roland. "Rhetoric of the Image." (1977): 32.
Berger, John. Ways of seeing. Vol. 1. Penguin uK, 2008.