ABSTRACT
Building upon previous discussion of the aestheticisation of commodities, this chapter examines the semiotics of advertising, and more specifically the poetics and politics of brand, brand image and logo. Like the character in H.G. Wells’s novel of 1909 we depart from the idea of the ‘commodity’ as material entity, instead concentrating on immaterial ‘values’ that become associated with the commodity through judicious marketing. Following the logic of the logo, the history of marketing starts from tangible commodities and ends with intangible values. Nike’s infamous ‘swoosh’ is a dynamic, globalised and instantly recognisable example, a visual icon that involves other associations and connotations (see Barthes (1999) on the difference between ‘denotation’ and ‘connotation’). For some, brands and logos help us articulate a sense of freedom through consumer choice, and express our sense of identity. The main focus here will be the functioning of the logo and the brand within a globalised sign-system. Later, the analysis of logos, brands and advertisements, along with ironic strategies of reading them, will tease out implications concerning representations of ethnicity and gender.
