Semiotics

Icon, index, symbol: blog task

Create a new blogpost called 'Semiotics: icon, index, symbol blog task'

1) Find three examples for each: icon, index and symbol. Provide images or links.


2) Why are icons and indexes so important in media texts? icons and indexes are universal things as everyone understands them as theyre pictures. these help people understand things such as signs posters e.g. road signs .


3) Why might global brands try and avoid symbols in their advertising and marketing? not everyone would be educated about the symbols as theyre learnt from culture or religion. for example roman numbers are taught by culture and if not everyone understands it it wont appeal to everyone so their target audience would be small.

4) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) where the producer has accidentally communicated the wrong meaning using icons, indexes or symbols. Why did the media product fail?


this bic advert is good as it doesnt influence racism and segregatea males and females as it shows a black woman looking smart as she could be important as nothing is wrong with this demonstrating equality. on the other hand the symbol causes problems as it shows females to be weak as it says "think like a man" showing whatever females suggests isnt good enough as  they have to be compared to males. also "look like a girl" it makes females look bad clearly this woman isnt a little girl showing that females arent taken serious. overall this displays women to be weak and inferior to men as they show women to be clueless.

5) Find an example of a media text (e.g. advert) that successfully uses icons or indexes to create a message that can be easily understood across the world.


this advert is successful as the icons are the people in this advert whom are multi cultured and mixed gendered(male and female). this demonstrates how society should come together and that we shouldnt judge each other based on our skin colour or gender. this displays equality and that we're the same and shouldnt treat each other badly as of appearance and sexuality. the indexes connotes that an equal society is planned in the future and that noone should get judges or left out because of race and gender. this also implies that the new generation isnt capitalized and that theyre open minded about stuff so they dont see women to be weak or races to make people different.