Dynamic Relationship between Commodity, Advertisement, and Consumption With an emphasis on the Ads of Korean Cars

Lee, Hyun Joo(Department of Journalism and班ass Communication The Graduate School of Sung Hyun Kawn University_

Up to date it has been recognized in the economic theories about consumer behavior that people have consumer sovereignty. It means that people consume commodities sovereignly by choosing them with their free will. But this perception doesn't consider the relationship between commodities and culture And it overlooks that consumption is made within social, cultural context. Consumption is a sort of space where the mode of production in society encounters some type of the society. Therefore, this study is Purposed to Prospect car consumption with a new dimension, Through this study, the autyor tried to find out the fact that consumption is a sort of communication by looking at how commodities-as-signs construct their meanings. And then how consumption forms, sustains and develops the social refatronship, edentity, and status.

Consumers Purchase cars to represent their social status and to symbolize their individual and group identity. On the one hand, symbolic attributes with consumption of cars emphasize "difference" In natures of cars. The distinctive attribute shows that the meaning systems of binomial opposition within signs should imply the hierarchical paradigm. In the case of cars, the distinctive attribute is signified by three natures - status, color, price. On tile other hand, the symbolic attribute with consumption of cars is regarded as a consistent attribute of commodities.

It implies product-complements, what is called a specific commodity goes with a specific place, time, and situation. It turns out to be a piece of lifestyle. These symbolic attributes are signified by advertising mediating a sort of dominant consumption discourse. Advertising is constructed or reflected by the public needs and uses about commodities.

on the basis of this perception, this study is Purposed to investigate a sort of dynamic relationship between car, advertisement and consumption First. the author attempted to find out how the mode of cars is connected to the ads. Second, the author tried to see how the ads are connected to consumption. Third, the author tried to refer to how much the consumption of cars influences on people's perception.

Therefore, the research questions are structured as follows ; Where Is the point of contact in car-as-commodity and the ads?', 'How are the distinctive or consistent attributes of car-as-commodity appealed and represented?'. 'How are the meaning systems of car ads and the structure of consumption discourse connected?', 'How is the relations between car-as-commodity, ads, and consumption linked?', 'What is the social implication of the relations?'

In order to answer these research questions. the author tried to apply research methods as follows. In the case of the first question, ice ads In the newspapor involved with cars were selected and analyzed with semiotic methods. The author toned to apply paradigmatic method to the ads. For the second research question. the general commodity consumption discourse and car consumption discourse in the newspaper were selected and analyzed with fundamental concepts of Greimas. In the third Question, the author attempted to explore the relation between car-as-commodity, ads and consumption, and social implications of their relations.

As a result, it is found that information about cars as use value Is very rare and tends to be constructed subjectively by emphasizing "the best In Korea" or "the only one In the Korea" etc.

On the contrary, meaning systems of the symbolic attributes in ads are completed through the binomial opposition with large and small cars.

In color, large cars focus on dignity and honor, taking on black. while small ones focus on youth, freshness, and liveliness, taking on red and mud yellow etc.

Large cars signify wealth and power emphasizing size, while small ones signify the economic value and the virtue of consumption emphasizing price. Large cars emphasizing status tend to focus on the successful businessmen. senior officials representing a group of leaders In society, while smail ones emphasizing profession focus on the ordinary salaried men as well as vivid. Bright or attractive woman representing people who have low positions in society.

Likewise, such kinds of distinctive attributes in ads tend of be used as a sort of "token of the social status".

The symbolic attributes of the consistency in ads represent the mode of consumption. Large cars focus on the luxury-oriented lifestyle, while small ones focus on the frugality-oriented lifestyle, or the youth- and liberty - oriented lifestyle.

The consumption discourse of cars is also constructed in terms of the binomial opposition of meaning in large and small cars. Large cars are regarded as luxunes. If someone purchases or possesses a large car, he or she consumes a luxury. It is reflected as a social pathological phenomenon of 'conspicuous' or 'imitated' consumption. Accordingly it is bald that this behavior of consumption undermines the development of the national economy. On the other hand, if someone purchases or possesses a small car. his or her consumption is considered rational and frugal.

By the way, through general consumption discourse, it turns out the consumption of large cars tends to be repressed while the consumption of small cars is encouraged. The consumption is put under such kind of double control. The control of consumption is a process of oppressing large cars demand and increasing small cars demand.

In conclusion, Members of society are forced to accept the symbolic attributes as natural ones. The object-world is endowed with intrinsic powers. values, properties and meanings. This train of thought involves commodity fetishism. This is the natural mode of representation in advertising and consumption discourse. The depict a car not a social product of man but rather as something naturally endowed with status and identity. The moaning it·stems of commodities signifying symbolic attributes are organized horizontally and vertically. This network is linked to the social hierarchy - that is, the "central" position and the "peripheral" position. and Individuals have the consistent patterns of consumption for maintaining these positions.

In short, the more visibly do cars-as-sign express symbolic attributes, the more invisibly they bring about double control of consumption.