Semiotics involves the study of symbols and signs as elements of communicative behaviour. A sign comprises of two main parts, namely signifier and signified. The signifier refers to any objects, image, or words on a page whilst signified is the concept the sign reflects. Gillette Advert The signifier in the Gillette advertisement is represented by a naked man’s torso with contours similar to a landscape. It is clear that the torso is of man not a woman because of the masculine physique. It is also appears that the model chosen for the image could be of Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian descent and not of an African decent because the contrast between his skin’s colour and the contours is very pronounced, an indication of two contrasting hues or colour shades. Also, the lighting of the image provides a 3-dimension view of the man’s torso to highlight hidden areas that are hard to reach with normal shaving razors. There is also an image of the shaving razor that is being advertised. The image is of the product as the customer will find it in the nearest retail outlet. Besides the images, the advertisement also features catchy phrases that identify and highlight the key …show more content…
In the case of Gillette, the concept was male grooming. In recent years, the male grooming has gained significance, especially with the rise of metrosexual men. Brands are capitalizing on the shifting perspectives regarding male grooming to market products that a metrosexual man would want to purchase. The Gillette advertisement aims at creating awareness about its new shaving razor, “Gillette Body”, which offers unparalleled shaving experience. The razor is the first of its kind because it is specially built for male body terrain, which is uneven and tough. The uneven male terrain is shown by contours covering the body. From a geographical perspective, contours connect areas of a given elevation above a given reference