The Connotation of Globalization represented in TV advertisings

A semiotic analysis to institutional and government advertisings

Kim, Jin Ah (Dept. of Mass Communication, The Graduate School of Ewha Womans University)

The purpose of this study is to discover the meaning of globalization represented in TV advertisings sponsored by corporations and government.

Since globalization announced by the President Kim as the future goal of Korea, the concept of globalization has been very controversial in our society.

To reveal the connotative meaning of globalization, this study adopts a semiotic analysis.

Assuming that those advertisings symbolized globalizations concretely, this study tries to analyze linguistic messages and visual images composing advertisings.

The questions suggested in this study are as follows:

First, what signs are used to represent globalization in TV advertisings?

1) what kinds of signs do represent globalization?
2) which signs are emphasized in institutional and government advertisings?
3) what are the differences between the signs used in institutional and government advertisings respectively?

second, what is the meaning of globalization represented in TV advertisings?

1) what are the denotations and connotations of signs used in TV advertisings?
2) what are the ideololgies and social meanings of signs used in TV advertisings?
3) what are the differences between ideologies produced by institutional and government advertisings?

First of all, this study is significant trying to understand the concept of globalization which are represented by various symbols in TV advertisings. Second, many researchers did try semiotic approach to printed media, for example, posters and newspaper advertisings, and so on. But, there are few studies concerning TV advertisings even though TV has great influences on people and society.

Third, the semiotic analyses to advertising texts so far, they seldom distinguish visual images and linguistic messages in advertisings. This study tries to analyze bog messages respectively and develop synthetic analysis for both messages composing TV advertisings.

To examine the meaning of globalization, this study reviews .various literatures related to globalization, media, ideology, and semiotics and selects 12 TV advertisings which are treating globalization as a subject matter. Apply' semiotic analysis frames to linguistic messages and visual images differently, Barthes' signification model is used for synthetic interpretation.

The results of analysis show that the globalization in TV advertisings is embodied by the signifiers symbolizing economic growth and development. In other words, factory, computer, car, and high-rise buildings are used to visualize the globalization. Using these kinds of signifiers are common to both institutional and government advertisings. But institutional advertisings used visual images such as earth and space more often than government advertisings do.

Through those signifiers used in ads, social meanings and ideologies of globalization are integrated to growth-oriented mindset, science-oriented mindset, elitism, economic expansionism, and fierce competition. There are few or no differences between ideologies found in institutional and government advertisings. In the case of institutional advertisings, visual images including earth and space and linguistic messages emphasize the economic expansionism and fierce competition.

Ideological traits of advertisings make people identify with the corporations and government. Linguistic message like 'we' serve those identification process. But it is people that struggle for the heated competition in the world following globalization suggested by ruling class. The idea of fierce competition is originated from capitalism. Capitalism only concerns the increase of efficiency in production and labor forces. People should satisfy the, demand for globalization insisted by ruling class.

In conclusion, globalization is the only strategy for economic growth led by corporations and government. People are means to achieve globalization and ready to suffer to accomplish globalization. Globalization drive people to accept the survival of the fittest in our society and suppress the real intentions of corporations and government exploiting the human ability to achieve economic growth.