VERBAL AND NON VERBAL SIGNS IN APPLE’S OFFICIAL VIDEO ADVERTISEMENT
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VERBAL AND NON VERBAL SIGNS IN APPLE’S OFFICIAL VIDEO
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By
I GEDE NGURAH PRIMANDA S RAHADIARTA
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
Abstrak
Apple Inc. merupakan salah satu perusahaan multinasional Amerika yang mengembangkan, memproduksi, mendistribusikan dan menjual produk - produk elektronik. Untuk menarik minat para konsumennya, Apple memproduksi iklan komersial yang menarik, baik cetak maupun elektronik. Salah satu iklan elektronik yang dibuat adalah iklan audiovisual yang didistribusikan melalui internet. Pada iklan audiovisual yang berjudul “Apple - Introducing MacBook Pro with Retina Display”, terdapat unsur verbal dan nonverbal dimana dalam unsur tersebut terkandung makna dan fungsi. Dari unsur – unsur verbal dan nonverbal yang ditemukan, kemudian dianalisis menggunakan teori meaning and function yang dikemukakan oleh Leech (1974). Jenis – jenis fungsi yang digunakan antara lain, Informational function, expressive function, dan directive function. Sedangkan jenis – jenis makna yang digunakan antara lain, conceptual meaning, affective meaning, dan connotative meaning.
Kata kunci: Apple, makna, fungsi
As human being, people are individual and social. In order to implement their social attitude, people need to communicate with each other. Communication is a critical component of people’s life; it enables people to express who they are and allows them to relate to one another. Communication is a process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions through speech, signals, writing, or behaviour. In communication process, a sender encodes a message and then using a medium or channel to send it to the receiver (or receivers) who decodes the message and after processing information is send back as appropriate feedback using a medium or channel. There are various types of communication. The types of communication are based on the communication channels used and based on purpose and style. The types of communication based on purpose and
style are formal and informal communication. Types of communication based on the communication channels used are verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication refers to the form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word or mouth and a piece of writing. Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages or communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language, posture, or facial expressions. Words, images, gestures, body languages, postures or facial expressions are the forms of signs. Sign is the smallest unit of meaning, which can communicate information to the one who interpretes or decodes the sign. Signs occur in many aspects of our life, one of them can be found in advertisement.
Advertisement is a media of communication between people, companies, organizations, or governments to their addressees which widely use types of languages. Based on the way of an advertisement delivered, there are three types of advertisements; audio advertisement, visual advertisement and audio visual advertisement. Nowadays the application of audio visual advertising can be found not only on TV but also on the internet or commonly known as online advertising. Online advertising is the marketing and promotion of products or services that use the Internet that delivers marketing messages to attract customers. Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer Inc., is one of many companies that uses online advertising, especially audio visual advertisement. It is one of the most popular consumer electronic companies in the world. In order to attract the consumers, Apple used many kinds of advertisements. One of them is audio visual (video) advertisement. In their videos, Apple shows product’s intensity and explains every detail about their products. In this study, the analysis is focused on an audio visual advertisement classified as commercial costumer advertising published through online channel worldwide which is entitled “Apple - Introducing MacBook Pro with Retina Display”. This commercial video advertisement was produced by Apple Inc. that explained about their new product called MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It used many kinds of symbols, pictures, colours, movements and others.
What are the function and meaning of the presented verbal and nonverbal signs in Apple’s official audiovisual advertisement entitled “Apple - Introducing MacBook Pro with Retina Display”?
Based on the problem formulated above, this study was intended to analyse the function and meaning of the presented verbal and nonverbal signs.
Every scientific writing and research contains methodology. To get the goals of the research, the research method used in this study is as follows:
The data were taken from Apple’s video advertisement, Apple -Introducing MacBook Pro with Retina Display, which was downloaded from Apple’s Channel in YouTube. This video was chosen because it applied different way of advertising compared to other video advertisement. Instead of directing consumers to buy the product directly, this video explained about Apple’s new line of MacBook Pro which adapted a Retina Display technology. It is explained about the product’s superiority and why it is an appropriate product for consumers’ activities or jobs.
The methods of collecting data were observation and documentary method. The techniques of collecting data were by note taking, observing and documentary. The data were collected systematically. The video was downloaded from Apple’s Channel in YouTube. Then, the video was played in GOM Player in order to cut the certain scene in the video that is important and appropriate for the analysis. Signs that appeared in the video were noted. Scenes of the video were observed and documented in order to find verbal and nonverbal signs appearing in the video in every scene.
The data were analyzed descriptively through the following steps: First, the data (verbal and nonverbal) were analyzed based on the theory of verbal and
nonverbal aspects in advertisements by Dyer (1993). Second, the verbal and nonverbal data were analyzed using the theory of meaning and function proposed by Leech (1974).
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5. The Analysis of Meaning and Function of Verbal and Nonverbal Signs Found in the Apple Audiovisual Advertisement
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5.1 Verbal Signs
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5.1.1 Key Words
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In key words discussion, there were two verbal signs founded, the words new and best. Those words were part of “... new MacBook Pro with Retina Display …” and “… the very best computer that we've ever built …” sentences. Informational function is reflected through the words “new” and “best”, because it informed the consumers about the state of the product, which had new technology and innovation, and built for professional purposes which make it the best among the others. While the meaning conveyed is conceptual meaning. The word “new” here means something innovative and recently made, whereas the word “best” means the purpose and the quality of the product.
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5.1.2 Slogans
There were two sentences acted as verbal signs in slogans category, “new MacBook Pro” and “highest display resolution”. The first sentence informed the consumers about the new kind of product in Apple’s MacBook Pro line; therefore, it conveyed the informational function. The second sentence is stated as expressive function because it is not completely true to state that this product had the highest display resolution while other products have higher resolution on their display. It was more to show the speaker feeling about the superiority of the product. The meaning conveyed by the “new MacBook Pro” sentence is conceptual meaning, because it implied the state of the product, which was a new kind in Apple’s MacBook Pro line. The sentence “highest display resolution” conveyed affective meaning, because it reflected the reaction of the speaker about the innovation applied in the product, in this case the display resolution.
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5.1.3 Brand Name
The verbal sign founded in brand name classification is the sentence “MacBook Pro with Retina Display”. This sentence reflects informational
function because it informed the consumers about the name of the product in order to distinguish it from other products. The meaning conveyed by the sentence is conceptual meaning, because it contained the name of the product.
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5.1.4 Formulas
In formulas classification, there was one verbal sign found, which occured in the sentence “the very best computer for today and for the future”. It reflected the expressive and directive function. The sentence was categorized as expressive function because it showed the speaker’s feeling about the product capability to be the best product. The sentence also conveyed directive function because it directed the consumers to buy the product as it was the best computer available on the market. The meaning carried by the sentence is affective meaning; because it delivered the speaker’s feeling and hopes for the product.
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5.1.5 Figurative Language
The sentence “it's without doubt the very best computer” is the verbal sign founded in figurative language category. The words “without doubt” was categorized as expressive function because it showed the speaker’s feeling about the product which was said as the best computer. The meaning reflected by the sentence is affective meaning, because it showed the feeling and reaction of the speaker about the product’s capability.
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5.1.6 Use of Imperative Form
The sentence “it’s the highest resolution display we've ever putted on notebook”, which was the verbal sign found in the category, conveyed expressive function. The meaning conveyed by the sentence is affective meaning.
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5.1.7 Intentional Omission
The verbal sign found in intentional omission category, the sentence “We focus on the features that matter most to notebook users”, carried the informational function. The sentence informed the consumers which segment was the focus of the company’ s innovation. The meaning conveyed by the sentence is conceptual meaning, because it showed the true innovation that the company developed, which was the features that matter most to notebook users. The features here mean the display of the product; therefore, it conveyed connotative meaning as well.
The age range was between 40 to 50 years old. Nonverbal signs found in age category reflected the informational function, because they informed the consumers about the age range of the five prominent actors in this advertisement. The meaning conveyed by the nonverbal signs in this category is conceptual meaning, because it showed the consumers about the age range of the prominent actors in this advertisement. However, those can be interpreted that the product was built and used by age people, which commonly had lot of experiences and used it for serious activity. Therefore, nonverbal signs founded in age category also carried connotative meaning.
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5.2.1.2 Body
Nonverbal signs found in this category reflected the informational function, because they informed kinds of body shape that the actors had. While the meaning of those verbal signs was connotative meaning, because they interpreted that any kind of people, whether they are big or small, tall or short, were suitable to use the product.
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5.2.1.3 Looks
Nonverbal signs found in this category carried informational function because they informed the consumers about the looks of the prominent actors. While it implied connotative meaning, because the purpose of verbal signs found in this advertisement actually to convince consumers that the product can be used by everyone, from any social class and job levels.
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5.2.2 Manner
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5.2.2.1 Expressions
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Nonverbal signs founded in this category reflected expressive function because it showed the actors’ reaction about the product itself. The connotative meaning implied because the purpose of nonverbal signs found in expression category was actually to convince consumers that this product was truly fascinate.
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5.2.2.2 Pose
Nonverbal signs found in this category carried expressive function, because it showed how the actors’ body reacted when they were explaining or using the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The meaning conveyed by those signs is affective meaning because they reflected feeling of the actors, including their attitude to the viewer or something the actors were talking about.
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5.2.2.3 Clothes
Nonverbal signs found in this category reflected informational function because they informed consumers how the actors dressed. Those signs also conveyed connotative meaning, since the true meaning was to persuade consumers that the product could be used in any job environments, formal or informal.
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5.2.3 Properties and Settings
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5.2.3.1 Properties
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Properties in this advertisement were an HDTV, previous version of MacBook Pro, and some instruments in MacBook’s factory. Those properties conveyed informational and directive function. They conveyed informational function because they informed consumers the quality of the product compared to other products and how the company tested the product. While the directive function was implied because those properties were also used to reassure consumers about the quality of the product, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The meaning carried by those properties was connotative meaning, because the purpose of them actually was to convince consumers that this product was worth to be bought since it’s better than others and tested properly.
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5.2.3.2 Settings
The settings in this advertisement were at a room with white background, an outdoor place, in an airplane, and in a factory. Those settings conveyed informational and directive function. They conveyed informational function because they informed consumers the places where the MacBook Pro with Retina Display can be used. While the directive function implied because those settings were also used to persuade consumers to buy the product since it can be used in any place, where the users want to use it. The meaning carried by those settings
was connotative meaning, because the true meaning of use of the settings is to convince consumers that they should have the product since it can be used anywhere the users need
The verbal and nonverbal signs conveyed directive function, as well as informational function, in order to inform consumers about the product and to persuade and convince consumers to own the product. Expressive function was also used by those signs to expose the actor’s feeling about the product. Conceptual meaning, affective meaning, and connotative meaning were used in this advertisement, because the signs conveyed about information, facts, instruction and persuasion. Those meanings are conveyed through message or content of the advertisement.
Dyer, G. 1993. Advertising as Communication. London: New York: Routledge.
Leech, Geoffrey. 1974. Semantic: the Study of Meaning First Edition. Middlesex:
Penguin Bool Ltd.
http://oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/dictionary http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
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