Semioitics and Target

In Advertising and Imagery we were assigned to apply what we learned in class about semiotics to an advertisement of our choice. My partner Erin and I came across an ad for Target. Along with choosing an advertisement that appealed to us we also had to, separately, find five significations within the advertisement.

• The waffle iron the woman is holding is a signifier. The waffle iron signifies molding of an object from waffles, hair, or the image of the woman herself.
• Another signifier is the color of the clothing that the woman is wearing. Black signifies modern and sophistic characteristics, which with the two characteristics combined can ultimately lead to a position of power within the advertisement.
• A subtle use of type on the left side of the woman as well as the right side of her is the signifier. This small type that displays the price of both the black v-neck sweater the woman is wearing as well as the waffle iron signifies the importance of that which is being displayed. It's almost as if the price of the selected items is completely irrelevant to the Target ad that it must be nearly unnoticeable to allow viewers to concentrate on the woman and waffle iron.
• The hair of the woman is the signifier, both the curly and straight sides. This representation of two different styles signifies the different personalities a woman can have by changing the style of her hair. On the side that that is straight we can observe a sleeker and clean-cut personality, on the other hand, the side that has been mutated by the waffle iron has molded the once sleek personality into a more vivacious and lively persona.
  
• Finally, the word, "Waffling" is the signifier. The signified is that the true meaning if waffling is not that of making a breakfast treat but is referring to having more than one interpretation of something. This single word wraps up the entire ad into one diverse advertisement. Waffling not only ties into the waffle iron, but also supports the idea of having two different personalities via hair.