Advertising is the way to promote product, and it is an ancient practice. Each advertisement needs a symbol in order to symbolized the item and to appeal its characteristic. The symbolism is very useful to appeal the central concerns and beliefs of consumer. In modern advertising, there are few common things in advertisement that happened to be a culture or trends which derives from ancient beliefs, emotion and psychological attitude.
1. Gender
 |
Korean male idol in female cosmetic
advertisement |
Gender depicts the target in advertising. The saying of 'sex sells' are more appealing to promote, or seduce people to respond with the promotion. Using the sexuality as a promoter, it becomes the 'attractor' and widely used in marketing. In modern advertising, women often being used as a object of desire and lust while men means dominant, and strength. Nowadays, both genders are playing their roles in advertisement in a opposite way such as woman rides the motorcycle or man in female cosmetics.
2. Car
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| Female influence in BMW car advertisement |
Cars become the icon in advertisement as the symbol of rebellious, toughness and male power. When it involves with women, the car becomes the symbol of sexy, easy-going and desirable female power. Car often being symbolized as freedom as it grows together with culture and trends, which become self-expression and dream for everyone to fulfill their desire of speed, sex, wealth and status. Nowadays, cars become the symbol of progressive, liberation and success.
3. Ancient symbol
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| Beorc Rune |
Many apparently modern corporate images are still believed in ancient practice, by adapting the ancient beliefs into their business marketing. For example, the tripartite symbol of Mercedes Benz and Mitsubishi symbolized the harmony and perfection. The ancient solar cross symbol of BMW means power, strength and dominant. The Beorc Rune (the birch tree or Betula Pendula- the symbol of spring awakening, life and growth) now similar to the symbol of Bluetooth file sharing. In medical world, the snake staff of Caduceus becomes the symbol of mediation, commerce and homeopathic medicine. The rosette symbol that relates with the planet Venus now represents as a ribbon of victory in modern times.
4. Colour
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| Starbucks |
 |
| Mc Donald's |
Colour is one of the component to persuade people in advertising. In food industry, red is the symbol of dominant as it is part of everyday food-colour such as tomatoes, strawberries, and apples. Red is also symbolized energetic, exciting and makes people hungry, which increase the heart rate. Together with red, yellow also becomes the important colour in branding because yellow means friendliness, happiness and bright in the dark which helps to stimulate the emotion and feeling. Meanwhile, green means relax and comfort so it often been used to promote product that relates with relaxation, comfortable and earthly.
5. Alchemy symbol
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| Platinum sign in alchemy |
Alchemy symbol in modern days become the component of advertising. For example, M symbol in Mc Donald is an adaptation of the alchemical sign for fire. Crescent symbol for Platinum and Silver now becomes part of logo in Red Crescent Society. The symbol of antimony is similar to the female sign while the symbol of steel in alchemy is similar to the male sign.
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Ref:
The Ultimate Illustration Guide of DSS (Hermes House: 2007)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol
http://karenhaller.co.uk/blog/branding-why-red-yellow-is-used-by-the-fast-food-industry/
http://www.colorschemer.com/blog/2007/07/17/why-food-companies-use-red-colors/
http://silvana.itgo.com/BEORC.HTM
http://mara-gamiel.blogspot.com/2007/06/beorc-rune-of-purification.html
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