Semiotic and Audience Analysis
While combing through a recent bridal magazine that my fiance Melissa brought over this week, I immediately came across an advertisement for the Earle Brown Heritage Center that caught my eye. It struck me that this ad would be perfect to analyze in terms of semiotics and in terms of the audience for which it was intended.
In regards to semiotics, or the images and signs that are contained in this one page ad, it was clear that the images included in the ad were deliberately included in order to evoke certain feelings in the viewer, and to convey some implicit underlying meanings. Along the right side of the page there are four pictures. The top picture is a close up of some flowers resting on a sliver platter surrounded by jewels of some sort. The next picture is of the outside of the conference and event center, which looks like a large elegant red barn in front of which lies a gorgeous pond with a water fountain accompanied by trees, hedges, and other landscaping. Below that there is a picture of the inside of the main hall as it is set up for a reception. The hall has a rustic yet elegant feel to it as the architecture is made up of strong hardwood beams below which are white tables and napkins with soft white holiday lights strung around the pillars of the room. The last picture, then, is a close up of one of these white reception tables with a boquet of tulips as the center piece. As a collective whole, these images are meant to show the class and versatility of such a center. Like I said it has a nostalgic feel to it, but it is very modern in every sense of the word. The underlying message of these images then is that this is a reception hall that can fit many different tastes. Also, with the close ups it appears as an intimate setting where all of your guests would be close and easily accessible. In other words, it looks as though the bride and groom would be able to interact with all of their guests beyond the standard meet, greet and move on. In all, the pictures display a relaxed world of comfort and togetherness which seperate this ad from others displaying huge banquet halls and modern sound systems.
Thinking about the audience that this ad is meant for it is clear from some of the text that this is an elegant yet convenient venue in which to hold a wedding reception. The text describes the Earle Brown Center as an historic restoration that was once "a gentleman's country estate," and now it has "21st amenities and service" to go along with the classic backdrop of "abundant gardens, walking paths, and sparkling fountains." The center is advertised as being only 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, it has free parking, banquet rooms that can accomodate parties of all sizes, and on-site catering. The ad also says that, "We make planning a breeze, with an expert staff to make sure you're completely satisfied all along the way." In saying this, the ad is telling the viewer that in addition to the spectacular surroundings that the center has to offer, the "expert staff" is ready to work with a bride and groom to make sure that things go smoothly and efficiently. There is also a sense the ad gives off that if one were to use the center for a wedding reception some of the stressful planning issues would be alleviated as many things are taken care of for you. Additionally, the ad says "Contact us now for a free, no-obligation tour," and this further serves to put the bride and groom at ease as they are not being forced into making any decisions right away. Therefore, in terms of the audience, this ad is playing to the middle class bride and groom who already have a great deal on their plate. This type of bride and groom would have the money to able to afford such an elegant venue, yet, they might not have all that much time to plan every little detail. This is perfectly alright as the ad tells this bride and groom that many of these potential planning headaches are already taken care of, and for your metro guests, the center is centrally located and a relatively short drive from most places.
In the end, the semiotics work hand in hand with the text to reach the target audience of this ad. In this sense the ad is very inviting and friendly probably prompting many people in the market for such a reception hall to contact the Earle Brown Heritage Center. There is even a testimonial displayed in the upper right hand corner of the ad that further advertises what a great choice it would be to reserve this site for one's own wedding. The ad is put together tastefully and elloquently, and it evokes a sense of calm into the sphere of wedding planning. Thus, in analyzing the semiotics and the audience it is clear that this is a successful advertisement.
While combing through a recent bridal magazine that my fiance Melissa brought over this week, I immediately came across an advertisement for the Earle Brown Heritage Center that caught my eye. It struck me that this ad would be perfect to analyze in terms of semiotics and in terms of the audience for which it was intended.
In regards to semiotics, or the images and signs that are contained in this one page ad, it was clear that the images included in the ad were deliberately included in order to evoke certain feelings in the viewer, and to convey some implicit underlying meanings. Along the right side of the page there are four pictures. The top picture is a close up of some flowers resting on a sliver platter surrounded by jewels of some sort. The next picture is of the outside of the conference and event center, which looks like a large elegant red barn in front of which lies a gorgeous pond with a water fountain accompanied by trees, hedges, and other landscaping. Below that there is a picture of the inside of the main hall as it is set up for a reception. The hall has a rustic yet elegant feel to it as the architecture is made up of strong hardwood beams below which are white tables and napkins with soft white holiday lights strung around the pillars of the room. The last picture, then, is a close up of one of these white reception tables with a boquet of tulips as the center piece. As a collective whole, these images are meant to show the class and versatility of such a center. Like I said it has a nostalgic feel to it, but it is very modern in every sense of the word. The underlying message of these images then is that this is a reception hall that can fit many different tastes. Also, with the close ups it appears as an intimate setting where all of your guests would be close and easily accessible. In other words, it looks as though the bride and groom would be able to interact with all of their guests beyond the standard meet, greet and move on. In all, the pictures display a relaxed world of comfort and togetherness which seperate this ad from others displaying huge banquet halls and modern sound systems.
Thinking about the audience that this ad is meant for it is clear from some of the text that this is an elegant yet convenient venue in which to hold a wedding reception. The text describes the Earle Brown Center as an historic restoration that was once "a gentleman's country estate," and now it has "21st amenities and service" to go along with the classic backdrop of "abundant gardens, walking paths, and sparkling fountains." The center is advertised as being only 10 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, it has free parking, banquet rooms that can accomodate parties of all sizes, and on-site catering. The ad also says that, "We make planning a breeze, with an expert staff to make sure you're completely satisfied all along the way." In saying this, the ad is telling the viewer that in addition to the spectacular surroundings that the center has to offer, the "expert staff" is ready to work with a bride and groom to make sure that things go smoothly and efficiently. There is also a sense the ad gives off that if one were to use the center for a wedding reception some of the stressful planning issues would be alleviated as many things are taken care of for you. Additionally, the ad says "Contact us now for a free, no-obligation tour," and this further serves to put the bride and groom at ease as they are not being forced into making any decisions right away. Therefore, in terms of the audience, this ad is playing to the middle class bride and groom who already have a great deal on their plate. This type of bride and groom would have the money to able to afford such an elegant venue, yet, they might not have all that much time to plan every little detail. This is perfectly alright as the ad tells this bride and groom that many of these potential planning headaches are already taken care of, and for your metro guests, the center is centrally located and a relatively short drive from most places.
In the end, the semiotics work hand in hand with the text to reach the target audience of this ad. In this sense the ad is very inviting and friendly probably prompting many people in the market for such a reception hall to contact the Earle Brown Heritage Center. There is even a testimonial displayed in the upper right hand corner of the ad that further advertises what a great choice it would be to reserve this site for one's own wedding. The ad is put together tastefully and elloquently, and it evokes a sense of calm into the sphere of wedding planning. Thus, in analyzing the semiotics and the audience it is clear that this is a successful advertisement.
posted by nbuck at 11:16 AM
1 Comments:
It's interesting to see what exactly is in bridal magazines. I'm always interested those specific magazines' ads because they are definitely playing to a certain type of person, or at least the ad agents think they are. It's curious that weddings are almost always connected to something nostalgic or at the very least older. I guess the implication is that only people who are concerned with doing things the old fashioned way get married like this. The modern twist may be pretty typical for for ads in general; people seem to want new frills all the time. The "no obligation" tour defintely plays the the audience's need to reduce stress (as engaged couples usually feel pretty overwhelmed by the whole process).
Post a Comment
<< Home