“APPLIED SEMIOTICS – JURY”

Project submitted to the National Institute of Fashion Technology

BACHELOR OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

Done By
Madhumitha Ravi
R. No: BFT/20/619

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY

IDOC Plot No -2
Opp. KIIT School of Management
Chandaka Industrial Estate,
Bhubaneswar -751024
Odisha

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INTRODUCTION

The chosen piece is the Colgate visible white toothpaste advertisement. It is a relatively

recent poster that offers a great platform for semiotic analysis. In marketing materials,

semiotics plays a very important role. In a campaign, signs and symbols are used to deliver an

idea. Through a successful one, an advertiser is in full control of what images and

associations the consumer has about the product.

COLGATE VISIBLE WHITE TOOTHPASTE

Colgate is an American brand principally used for oral hygiene products such as toothpaste,

toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and dental floss. This advertisement is targeted toward young

women between the age of 20 – 35

At first glance, one is instantly struck by the beauty and the elegance of the female model.

The viewer is presented with a smiling lady in a red dress and a red lipstick holding a

glowing toothpaste package with an image of a diamond on it.

One of the signifiers in this advertisement is the glowing toothpaste package and the image of

a diamond on it. It signifies that this toothpaste will make your teeth as shiny as a diamond is.

We can also see that “PLUS” and “SHINIER” have been highlighted which also denotes the

same thing. After looking at it a while, you start to notice that the package and her earing

sparkle in the same way.

The model in this picture is a notable actor. She is wearing visible eye and face makeup and

is dressed in what seems to be a classy red dress with slicked-back hair.

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The make-up, dress, and hair connote that this woman, who would be using this product, is

style-conscious. It creates the illusion that if you use this product, you will also be as stylish

and confident as the model.

The use of these symbols shows the respondent what type of woman would use this product

and could even make the respondent feel that she could be as stylish, confident, and have a

beautiful set of sparkling white teeth as the model if she used this product.

It can be said that the Colgate visible white toothpaste is a signifier of these ideals. Elegance,

beauty, and sparkling smile now become ‘the signified’ concepts. Customers are supposed to

buy the product in the hope that they will acquire those characteristics.

She exudes confidence through her facial expression but has not overdone this. The

advertisers likely wanted to portray a strong feminine figure. Members of the intended

audience are likely to admire this woman, and many may actually want to ‘be her’.

Creators of the piece have solidified that message even more by using a celebrity like Sonam

Kapoor; Indian audiences associate her with wealth and prosperity.

Consequently, if someone as affluent as she is can endorse the product, then she is illustrating

that the product is for people just like her. Targeted audiences are likely to think of

themselves as being special because a celebrity has approved the toothpaste that they have

chosen.

The manner in which the model has posed in the photograph can also be viewed as another

signifier. She has given the audience a profile of herself and tilted her head in order to look

into the camera. She is interacting with viewers by looking right into their eyes. She has a

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confident smile while holding the product in her hand signifying that this product is the best

option for the viewers.

The background, product, dress, and lipstick are in red. The use of red colour represents

health, lively activity, acceptance, and dynamism, whereas the white colour stands for the

purity, charm, and elegance of the brand.

CONCLUSION

Through the analysis of this ad, we can understand how semiotics affects the way advertising

campaigns are developed and viewed by the public as well as how Semiotics has been used to

effectively advertise a product for a specific target market.