How we think about age is partially constructed by the way that advertising communicates themes, values and behaviour. By looking at some of the metaphors about ageing used in different socio-cultural contexts, this provides a frame for developing a semiotic map of the meaning in age related advertising. It also raises considerations for how society will ‘talk’ about age, in an area of science and medicine that is taking larger strides every year.
Tag Archives: marketing
May
10
The Semiotics of Ageing in Advertising: Our changing discussion on age
posted by Culture Decanted
November
18
Some anthropological perspectives on eating: east or west
posted by Culture Decanted
From an anthropological perspective, food is part of how we identify ourselves and also the cultures we belong to. Food structures our identities, social behaviour and frames our concepts of others. Food is one of the ways we most commonly experience foreign foods. What we don’t eat is as important to what we do in defining who we are. We can look at the similarities and differences between ‘east and western’ cuisines as an illustrative tension of formative cultural identity.
August
27
Semiotics of the Birdcage
posted by Culture Decanted
A semiotic analysis of the birdcage as a cultural status symbol. Why is this symbol used so consistently by luxury and fashion brands? What is the history of the birdcage through to today? What are the psychological drivers that influence the engagement with the birdcage in society today? Since the birdcage is linked with fashion, what does this suggest about women and how they are framed in societal discourse?
August
15
Why are we no longer in love with our Cities?
posted by Culture Decanted
Why are we no longer in love with our cities? We personify cities, give them human characteristics.
We create our identity from where we live. Are we projecting something, of how we see ourselves, onto our cities?
July
31
The Psychology of the Maze as a Modern Symbol
posted by Culture Decanted
Why are we still a-maze-d by labyrinths? With a diverse range of permutations, the Maze is a symbol that has been with humanity since the pre-historic era. So pervasive is the labyrinth within human symbolic communication, it is impossible to think of a human era where it was not a deep structural metaphor […]
June
21
How are our brains changing in the Modern Era?
posted by Culture Decanted
Our brains are changing size and we are getting stupider? It’s enough to give you a brain-ache. Do any search on the human brain today and there is a lot of contradictory information about what we know about it. Some believe it’s getting larger, others that it’s shrinking. We’re getting more intelligent or getting […]
June
16
ARE ROBOTS TAKING OVER THE WORLD?
posted by Culture Decanted
ARE ROBOTS TAKING OVER THE WORLD? “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein In my last post, I was exploring why we are scared of the future, a fact that emerged is that there is no one word or phobia to cover ‘fear of […]
June
07
What is a real carrot?
posted by Culture Decanted
What is a real carrot? About a week ago, I was speaking to a mum and the topic of shopping in supermarkets came up. It was a wide-ranging conversation and the benefits and concerns she expressed about shopping were similar to what other mums have talked about. In summary, supermarkets are convenient, good value and […]
May
29
I see my name in my soup [names: part 4]
posted by Culture Decanted
“I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden Is everything about me? From antiquity, there was power of knowing the names of things and naming the world. The way we use names and identity are changing in society, […]
May
24
A RED HERRING [ SEEING RED: PART 4 ]
posted by Culture Decanted
“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, […]
May
23
BEING IN THE RED [ SEEING RED: PART 3]
posted by Culture Decanted
“The effect of this colour is as peculiar as its nature. It conveys an impression of gravity and dignity, and at the same time of grace and attractiveness”. -J.W Goethe An evolutionary perspective alone doesn’t shed light on why we see red used in so many different contexts. As discussed previously, our attraction to […]
May
22
Why does red flag sex? [Seeing Red: Part 2]
posted by Culture Decanted
Why does red flag sex? Red is also a sensual colour. There have been studies that link the colour red to the perceived attractiveness of partners. When men or women wear red, they appear more attractive to their partners. While some connotations of red are socio-cultural, we find many shades of red in the animal world, from […]
May
22
What is our appetite for the colour Red? [ Seeing Red: Part 1]
posted by Culture Decanted
“I love bright red drinks, don’t you? They taste twice as good as any other color.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables What is our appetite for the colour Red? From an evolutionary perspective, the colour red is believed to excite and engage our eyes because it was a beneficial evolutionary-adaptation for a […]
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