Semiotics:
Signs, Syntax, and Linguistics Describe Advertising

Mickey Mouse ears, sleigh bells, snowflakes, dog houses, mail boxes, and stop signs; chances are you know at least one of these things if not more. How do we describe them? In what way are they described to us? And above all How do we recognize and accept these things? The theory of semiotics aims to explain how we recognize these symbols in our lives and, more importantly tries to describe the way we communicate to, with, and around objects. The theory of semiotics has been around since the late 1800’s. A Swiss linguist, Ferdinand de Saussure developed the theory and explained it early on as the use of language and how certain symbols and objects obtain meaning. The theory or science of signs and their meanings became known popularly as semiotics. Language is something of a system of mutually defining entities. Saussure distinguished between diachronic and synchronic linguistics. Simply put the use of linguistics defines objects and the way that we, as a culture, see and describe the world with which we interact. From its inception the theory of semiotics has been useful in regards to all different aspects of communication. It can be used to examine persuasion, social interaction theory, media cultivation and penetration theories as well as interpersonal communication. This wide range of applications for this theory make it particularly pertinent to the discipline of communication. Large companies and organizations use this theory in advertising. This use of semiotics in advertising can be helpful when developing large brands and companies take advantage of it on a daily basis. The advertising world uses semiotics in a number of different ways. Delving into the use of this theory in the field of advertising allows many different avenues within the field of communication to be explored.