Part.1 How can we use semiotic analysis to confront mythologies perpetuated by Nike advertising?

Many of us have to acknowledge the fact that our consumer behavior has created a consumer society, which in turn uses mass media and mass production to attract consumers like us and stimulate our consumer demand for more. Many people may not realize that people are actually buying products under the influence of advertising. This paper studies the mythology in Nike advertising with the help of semiotic analysis. We will attempt to explain how semiotic analysis applies to Nike advertising and to understand how advertising myths are generated by the sender and interpreted by the viewer. Specifically, we will make full use of Roland Barthes' theoretical basis for both semiotics and mythology, as well as his rational thinking on their application in real life, to explore the lasting and important influence of myth on advertising, as well as his scientific criticism of bourgeois mythology. This research analyzed comparative of mythology in Nike advertising. A variety of advertising designs are selected to illustrate how myths apply to design objects or systems, such as the whirlwind logo, the Nike slogan - just do it, energetic sports stars. These case studies are compassed descriptive text, pictures and semiotic analysis.

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To demythologize the myth of advertising, it is necessary to have a deep understanding of semiotics. Barthes' semiotics developed from Saussure's linguistics. It is worth mentioning that Saussure believed that symbols are the combination of signifier and signified. He defined the concepts of signifier and signified respectively, the former being something that can be read and written, and the latter being mental imagery or mental concept (Saussure 2011). In actual social life, signifier and signified are interdependent and inseparable. Bart, as a follower of Saussure, based on the theoretical structure proposed by Saussure, extended Saussure's theory to all aspects and applied it to various disciplines and industrial fields. On the one hand, to some extent, he occurs with Pierce that there is a multivariate interaction mode of two-way communication between reader and sign, and on the other hand, he differs with Saussure on the inclusion relationship between linguistics and semiotics. He saw semiotics, the science of signs, belongs to linguistics. Everything in the world can be represented by signs. For Barthes, semiotics is an academic study that deals with everything that is regarded as a sign. Therefore, it is not only an important cultural research method, but also an effective method of ideological criticism, which can be used to observe complex social phenomena. Modern advertising mainly resorts to the performance of image. Visual image plays a vital role in advertising and can facilitate the performance of text in advertising. This is because people can draw faces and images more accurately and quickly than they can recall words (Beasley and Danesi 2002, 123). Here we take a simple example of the Nike logo and explain how to use semiotic analysis to understand advertising design. As figure 1 shows, we regard the Nike logo as a signifier, and the Nike company and Nike products as a signified. The signifier should be easily recognized by visitors and not easily confused with the signifier of other companies. Even if the signified is not there, when the audience sees the signifier, they can easily associate it with the signified. In fact, the history of changes in the Nike logo shows that the simpler a logo is, the more likely it is to stand out from the crowd and impress viewers or consumers.

The omnipresence of advertising in life has become our primary source of information about a product. We can not only have access to advertising design in public spaces, such as subways, bus stations and shopping centers, etc., but also receive the information conveyed by traditional media, such as book covers, newspapers, magazines, movies, TV programs, and the Internet. It can be seen from this that the carrier of advertising is various. Although many Barthes papers on myths discussed in this paper are outdated from a contemporary perspective, it is interesting to consider the application of their specialties and critical strategies to contemporary art. For Roland Barthes, everyday objects are full of potential meaning. We can see clearly that all kinds of signs used in advertisements are not only used to represent (denote) something, but can also trigger a series of connotations related to signs. In other words, advertisements create a meaningful system of signs (Williamson 1978), aiming to arouse people's emotional resonance. Barthes calls this phenomenon the formation of the myth. According to Baudrillard, advertising has a certain practical meaning, so when we consume a product, we consume its meaning through advertising (1998, 252). Nike's advertising design encodes a variety of visual symbols. The goal is to make visual symbols have as much impact on consumers as possible. First let's talk about the logo "Swoosh", which is an abstract representation of the feathers on the wings of the Greek goddess of victory. The logo has many meanings, such as speed, movement, gentleness and victory. After many modifications by designers, the Nike logo has become more and more abstract and simple. Also because of this, the more connotations are derived from the logo. Once consumers have a higher explanatory weight on a thing, the attraction of the thing to consumers is greatly enhanced.

Next, we give an example of Nike's slogan — Just do it. This slogan has several advantages. First of all, this slogan has fewer words, which is convenient for individual memory and word of mouth. Secondly, every word in this slogan is simple and easy to understand. Thirdly, the slogan is catchy and endearing. As figure 2 shows, it is not difficult to find that the combination of logo and slogan is deeply rooted in the hearts of people, which reflects the sportsmanship of Nike company. It has a variety of meanings derived from it. For example, it encourages teenagers to seize the opportunity, do not lose confidence on the way to growth, not to doubt themselves, and encourage people to see the bright side of life. The slogan subtly persuades consumers to buy Nike in the form of imperative sentences, making consumers believe that buying Nike is a right and urgent move. In addition, "Just do it" has become a catchphrase and many people unconsciously use and spread the slogan to promote the brand for free. Many people agree with the position or idea conveyed by the brand. Subconsciously, they mistake it for their own personal consciousness, so they mistake it for active consumption, but in fact it is passive consumption. At this time, what the consumer buys is not the use of the product, but the symbol of the product. Oaks' theory that the function of products is useless fits the current situation very well (Baudrillard and Jean 1988).

Fig.2 Nike logo with the slogan

The concept of a product is to tailor the product to the target consumer (Dwita and Desliana 2018). If a promotional product is targeted at a specific consumer group, the product closely related to that consumer group will become a symbol of display advertising. In consumer society, celebrities with high popularity and social influence, or have some special charm and attraction, can quickly attract the attention of the audience, and win the audience's good impression as well. Celebrity symbol is the representation of a specific social structure and ideology. The signifier of celebrity symbol refers to the name, image and voice of the celebrity and the signified refers to the celebrity himself. The connotation of celebrity symbol is a social and cultural phenomenon accompanied by celebrity effect. If we discuss the celebrity symbol from the perspective of myth, the celebrity symbol is no longer just a specific person, but the reflection and reaction of a specific social ideology on an individual. To promote business, Nike works with famous athletes, professional sports teams, and college sports teams to promote and promote its technology, design, and products. Sports stars often play a leading role in Nike's advertisements. Take Kobe as an example. Figure 3 shows Kobe in different states in turn. (a) is the picture of Kobe preparing before training. In (b), the image of kobe is put together with healthy ingredients to show his self-discipline and diet. (c) is the scene of Kobe dunking the basketball court, which means that Kobe keeps fighting on the court, making good achievements and making his career successful. Photo (d) is Kobe in the interview state, using black and white filter to show his approachability. The image of Kobe Bryant, the camera cut and the plot of the ads have given Nike a strong vitality. His achievements have made him an idol for many teenagers. People admired, followed and imitated him. He had a big impact on teenagers, who are Nike's biggest consumers. On top of that, Bryant has also experienced a low point in his life. But he did not give up, with their own efforts and achievements, regain the trust and admiration of others, which is the spirit of Nike.

The personalities and personal strengths of the sports stars are transferred to the brands and become part of the added value of the brands. The function of advertising is no longer to sell products, but to spread social culture. The reputation of the brand has been improved, which induces consumers to pay attention to the brand endorsed by stars and stimulates their shopping desire.

(a) Kobe prepares for practice (b) Kobe Bryant's diet

(c) Kobe on the court (d) A formal interview with Kobe

Fig.3 Kobe Bryant EVERY Nike Shoe Commercial (2005-2017)

In consumer society, we apply the term "myth" to the analysis of consumer culture and its artifacts, revealing that every design object conveys collective cultural values. As a sports brand, Nike's message is consistent with the universal vision of globalization. At this point, Nike has become a universal symbol. No society can avoid the existence of myths, similarly, all brands need to use their own advertising myths to sell products and promote the development of consumer culture. At the same time, we argue that society is thoughtlessly over-consuming subjective positivity, ignoring its negative effects (Huppatz 2011). It is worth noting that advertising conveys so much meaning that people unconsciously use it as a way of conveying a particular ideology or stereotype. It is a reminder to us that we should maintain adequate vigilance against the consumerist ideology behind advertising myths.

References

[1] Saussure, Ferdinand De, Baskin, Wade, Meisel, Perry, Saussy, Haun, and Columbia University. Press. Course in General Linguistics. 2011..

[2] Beasley, Ron, and Danesi, Marcel. Persuasive Signs : The Semiotics of Advertising. Approaches to Applied Semiotics ; 4. Berlin ; New York: Mouton De Gruyter, 2002.

[3] Williamson, Judith. Decoding Advertisements. Amerika: Marion Boyars Publishers Inc. Muhammad Hasyim, 1978.

[4] Crow, David, Crow, David, and Ebrary, Inc. Visible Signs : An Introduction to Semiotics in the Visual Arts. 2nd ed. Required Reading Range Course Reader. Lausanne ; Worthing: AVA Academia, 2010.

[5] Baudrillard, Jean. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. Theory, Culture & Society. London: SAGE Publications, 1998.

[6] Huppatz, D.J. "Roland Barthes, Mythologies." Design and Culture 3, no. 1 (2011): 85-100.

[7] Muhammad, Hasyim. "Myth And Ideology Construction In Indonesia Television Advertising: A Semiotic Based Approach." International Journal of Communication and Media Studies (IJCMS). 5. (2014): 1-14.

[8] Dwita, Desliana. Gender Equality in Media Television (Semiotics Analysis of Fair and Lovely Advertisement Issue of Marriage or Master Degree). 2018.

[9] Video, 2017. Accessed May 10, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYBCkz06vmQ