ISSN: 2302-920X

Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud

Vol 20.1 Agustus 2017: 35-41

Semiotic Analysis in Maybelline Lipstick Advertisement

Ni Ketut Sri Agustini1*, I Made Netra2, I Made Rajeg3

*Corresponding Author

Abstrak

Penelitian ini berjudul “Analisis Tanda pada Iklan Lipstik Maybelline”. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengidentifikasi tanda dan menjelaskan pesan yang disampaikan oleh tanda verbal dan visual pada iklan lipstik Maybelline. Sumber data pada penelitian ini diambil dari situs perusahaan Maybelline. Iklan cetak Maybelline dipilih sebagai data.

Penelitian perpustakaan dan metode dokumentasi digunakan dalam pengumpulan iklan. Iklan yang terpilih dianalisis menggunakan metode kualitatif menggunakan teori yang dikemukakan oleh Chandler mengenai konsep tanda dan makna, teori yang dikemukakan oleh Leech tentang komponen dan fungsi iklan dan juga teori tentang warna yang dikemukakan oleh Wierzbicka.

Pada umumnya, tanda verbal dan visual mempunyai konsep tanda dan makna pada setiap iklan dan saling mendukung. Iklan memiliki empat komponen seperti: kepala iklan, isi berita, capdagang dan informasi. Penyajian dari pesan verbal tepat pada pesan visual yang membuat pembaca atau konsumer tertarik membaca atau melihat iklan tersebut. Hubungan antara tanda verbal dan visual akan membantu pembaca untuk mengerti dan memaknai pesan, informasi, dan makna yang disampaikan oleh iklan lipstik.

Kata Kunci: verbal dan visual, iklan.

  • 1.    Background of the Study

According to Dyer (1993) advertising means drawing attention to something or notifying or informing somebody or something. There are two important elements in advertisements; Verbal and Non-Verbal signs. The verbal sign is the most common sign used in communication. The verbal sign includes spoken language and written

language. The spoken and written language contain conventionalized linguistic symbols such as word, phrases, and sentences that enable us to tell our thought, ideas, and feeling to other people. In advertisements, the verbal sign is the word, like slogans and all the words in the advertisements. This study analyzes the semiotics signs used in product advertisement using semiotic

theories. Chandler (2002) states that the semiotic study can analyze not only the written and spoken language but also a visual element of the advertisements. This study focuses on the analysis of the semiotic signs and messages conveyed by the color, especially in “Maybelline” lipstick      advertisements.      This

advertisement has many semiotic signs the meaning of which should be known. This study analyzes in order to avoid confusion of the public in understanding the message in the advertisements. By analyzing advertisements, this study can give a better understanding of the elements that effectively grab the attention of lipstick product.

  • 2.    Problems of the Study

There are two problems formulated in this study based on the background:

  • a.    What semiotic signs are found in     “Maybelline”     lipstick

advertisements?

  • b.    What messages are conveyed by verbal and visual sign in “Maybelline”             lipstick

advertisements?

  • 3.    Aims of the Study

After formulating the problem of the study, the aims of the research are:

  • a.    To identify the semiotic signs contained in “Maybelline” lipstick advertisements.

  • b.    To find out the messages conveyed by verbal and visual signs in “Maybelline” lipstick advertisements.

  • 4.    Research Method

The data source was taken from the prominent website of the “Maybelline Company” published in site https://www.maybelline.com in the form of a picture and considered as the data. The reason for choosing the source of data is that their product is one of the well-known cosmetic brands in the world and nowadays they are quite popular and many people especially teenagers are attracted to use this lipstick product. The method used in collecting data is library research. The library research method was applied to obtain detailed information regarding semiotics theories. Searching and classifying techniques were applied to collect the data from the website. The collected data are analyzed descriptively and qualitatively based on the theory of Semiotic.

  • 5.    Analysis of Semiotic Sign in Maybelline Lipstick Advertisement

This analysis presents three lipstick advertisements, such as “New Petal 5.1 Data 1

The semiotic signs are analyzed using the theory of the structure of advertising by Leech and the messages conveyed by verbal and visual signs are analyzed based on the theory of signifier and signified by Saussure.

Verbal Analysis

  • a)    The headline in advertisement 1 is a signifier “Leep So Deeply Moisturised”, signifying the benefit of this product. It means when a woman uses this lipstick product, her lips will be moisture deeply by the lipstick’s moisturizer.

Pink Collection By Moisture Extreme Lips Balm”, “Moisture Extreme Lipstick”, and “Revitalizing Color Lipstick”.

  • b)    The body copy in advertisement 1 is signifier; “Now The Summer Colors Come Alive”, “Feel The Different, Deeply Moisturising Power of Lip Balm”, “Lips look moisturized, blissfully smooth so colour come alive: pink blossom, soft plums   pop”,   “PROTECTS

WITH SPF   15. NON

FEATHERING

TECHNOLOGY”.     Those

sentence signfied to explain briefly to the target audience about the ingredients of the product.

  • c)    The signature line is signifier “New Petal Pink Collection By Moisture Extreme” signifies the brand name of the product produced by Maybelline company. “Maybelline New York” signifies the name of the company producing the new brand lipstick by moisture extreme. The slogan in this advertisement is signifer “Maybe She Born With it,

Maybe It’s Maybelline” signifying to give suggestion to the woman to use the product and that Maybelline is a cosmetic brand which dedicated and exist for woman.

  • d)    Standing details in this advertisement are   signifier

“Zhang Ziyi”, “Zhang Ziyi is wearing Moisture   Extreme

Anemone shade 114”. It is signified to inform that the name of the model and the result of the variant color when it is applied to our lips.

Visual Analysis

The image is a Chinese girl who looks comfortable and using pink lipstick. It signifies the women who use this product will feel comfortable because their lips will deeply moisturize by using this product. The background is a garden flower and also the flower in front of the model signifying that this product was inspired from summer time when the flower bloom, which shows the product made of natural substance; therefore, this product is appropriate for young girl and women who have a youthful spirit.The white color is used to show good, youth and purity of the

product. The pink color is used to show the affection. The red color is used to show the exicetement.

  • 5.2    Data 2

    Verbal Analysis

  • a)    The headline in advertisement 2 is a signifier “The Most Voluptuous Naturals” that this product is the greatest lipstick product which can give a physical pleasure to the consumer when she uses this product. A signifier “Deep, Nourishing Moisture”, “Never look ashy or chalky” signifies that this product can make the lips nourished in deep and the result does not cause the users look pale.

  • b)    The body copy is signifier “Deep moisture, plus new

collagen- enriched shade!”, “Lips are up to 50% smoother and visibly fuller”, “Color is instantly maximized, richer, and more sumptuous than ever before”,”SPF 15”, signifying the ingredience and the benefit by using this product.

  • c)    The signature line is a signifier “Moisture Extreme Lip Color”, signifying the brand name of the product produced by Maybelline company. “Maybelline New York” signifies the name of the company producing the new brand lipstick by moisture extreme. The slogan in this advertisement is signifer “Maybe She Born With it, Maybe It’s Maybelline” signifying to give suggestion the woman to use the product and that Maybelline is a cosmetic brand which is dedicated and exists for women.

  • d)    The standing details are signifer “Christy is wearing Moisture Extreme ™ Lip color in New Sweet     Ginger©     2007

Maybelline”, signifying to inform the result of this color when it is applied to our lips.

Signifier “Find your flattering shades at Maybelline.com” signifies to inform the target audience that they are able to acquire further information about this lipstick in Maybelline website.

Visual Analysis

The image is a woman who looks elegance on the life side wearing dress and brown lipstick. It is signified to express feeling that the product can give a phsical pleasure. The background is black to show the dramatic result by the new formulation of the product. Brown color is used to show the simplicity and comfort by using the product. White color is used to make the text readable and eye-catching.

  • 5.3    Data 3

    Verbal Analysis

  • a)    The headline includes the signifier “some women have lips as smooth as they talk, so supple so luscious, anything sounds fascinating”, “Anything sound fascinating”, signified to attract the curiosity the target audience to read the advertisement,

  • b)    The body copy includes signifier “Gift of nature?” and “Get real”, signifies the benefit of the product, and the advertiser uses the phrase to attract the curiosity of the target audience. Signifier “Conditioning formula”, “Color stay true, stay put for hour”, signifies the ingredients and the result by using this product.

  • c)    The signature line is the signifier “Revitalizing Color™ Lipstick” signifying the brand name of the product. ™ Mark beside the brand name shows that the product is distinguished from other entities. “Maybelline New York” signifies the name of the company producing the new brand lipstick by moisture extreme. The slogan in this advertisement is the signifer “Maybe She Born With it,

Maybe It’s Maybelline” signifying to give suggestion to the woman to use the product and that Maybelline is a cosmetic brand which is dedicated and exist for woman.

  • d)    The standing detail is the signifier “Model is wearing Burgundy with Everything, Also show Torrid Berry, Deliciously Red and Fiery Bronze”, signifying the result of the color lipstick when it is applied to the lips. “© 1993 Maybelline, Inc”. It signifies to target audience that this advertisement is licensed     by    Maybelline

Company printed in 1993

Visual analysis

The image is like mature women holding a telephone and using brown color lipstick on her lips. It signifies that woman using this product can be seen when they talk. Although she always says that its color will stay longer in lips she doesn’t need to use it frequently. The brown color is used to show the simplicity of the product. It means the quality of being easy to use. The white color as the

color of the text makes the text readable and eye-cacthing as the distinctive color of the backgorund. The grey color is used to show that the product is for mature women. The background is black to show that the product is elegant and it macthes for the mature women.

  • 6.    Conclusion

Based on three printed advertisements used in this study New Petal Pink Collection by Moisture Extreme Lipstick, Moisture Extreme Lipstick and Revitalizing color lipstick, it was found the verbal and non-verbal signs are related to each other. Generally, both verbal and visual signs have signifier and signified concepts in each printed advertisement to support each other. An advertisement has four structural components, as follows: Headline, Body copy, Signature Line, and Standing Details. The presentation of the verbal messages is appropriate to the non-verbal messages which make the readers or the consumers interested in reading or seeing the advertisement. The relationship between verbal and non-verbal signs will help the readers understand and figure out the messages,

information, and meanings carried out by the lipstick advertisement.

  • 7.    Bibliography

Chandler, Daniel. 2002. Semiotics: The Basics. London: Rout-ledge

Dyer, Gillian. 1982. Advertising as Communication. England: Clays Ltd.

Leech, Geoffrey. 1972. English in Advertising:  A linguistic Study of

Advertising.London: Longman Group Limited

Saussure, Ferdinand de. 1983. Theory of

Signified and     Signifier.Geneva:

McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1983

Wierzbicka, Anna. 1996. Semantic Prime and Universals. New York: Oxford University Press

www.Maybelline.com

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