VERBAL AND VISUAL SIGNS OF BRAND LOGO DESIGNS IN SOME FAST FOOD’S ADVERTISEMENTS: A SEMIOTIC STUDY
Tina Merlina Fakultas Ekonomi - Universitas Nurtanio Bandung Email : [email protected]
ABSTRAK
Penelitian ini menyelidiki tanda-tanda desain logo merek yang terdapat pada beberapa iklan fast food. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif. Peneliti mengambil data dari iklan di internet. Untuk mengindentifikasi tanda-tanda verbal dan visual dari logo merek makanan cepat saji, peneliti menggunakan teori dari Ekman (2003). Ada tanda verbal dan tanda nonverbal pada logo merek untuk makanan cepat saji. Logo “Mc Donald’s” menggambarkan keceriaan, logo “Burger King” menggambarkan kebahagiaan dan profesionalisme, logo “Subway” menggambarkan keceriaan, kemurnian, dan kesegaran, logo “KFC” dan “Wendy’s” menggambarkan keceriaan, kemurnian, dan semangat. Untuk penelitian selanjutnya dapat menggunakan logo merek lain seperti merek-merek yang mewah, merek parfum, dan lain-lain. Kata kunci: Logo, Makanan Cepat Saji, Merek
ABSTRACT
This research investigates the signs of brand logo designs which occured in some fast food’s advertisements. This is a qualitative research. The researcher takes the data from the advertisement in the internet. To identify the verbal and visual signs of brand logo designs for fast food’s advertisements , the writer analyzed the data using Ekman (2003) . From the discussions, there are verbal and nonverbal signs of brand logo designs that appear in fast food’s advertisements. The meaning of verbal sign and nonverbal sign in “Mc Donald’s” logo design represents joyful. The meaning of verbal sign and nonverbal sign in “Burger King” logo design represent excitement and professional, “SUBWAY” logo design represents enjoyable, purity, and refreshment, “KFC” and “Wendy’s” logo designs represent enjoyable, purity, and passionate. For future researchs need to be conducted with an increased sample by using another brand logo designs such as luxurious brand, perfume, and many more. Keywords: Logo, Fast Food’s, Brand
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INTRODUCTION products who have their own website to Verbal information on a product one of the advertise their products. To advertise their most important things for consumers to product, they should have a Brand Logo recognize the product and associate it with design so consumer would interest so much good attributes. One of the verbal aspects in their products. Brand Logo design is one of an advertisement is text. Words do not of the important things to advertise. By only to describe communicative feelings, looking at the brand logo design we might association and attitudes, but also bring know what kind of the products that they ideas to our minds. These are the key parts have sold, and the name of the product of speech for the advertiser. itself. Brand logo design of a products express some feelings or emotions. It There is not only verbal sign which is makes the writer interested in this research. important thing for consumers to recognize the product and associate with good In this research, the writer limit the attributes but also visual Signs. It is the issues that are analyzed from fast food’s picture of an advertisement. Pictures are advertisements. The formulations of the easier to be understood and have more study are: impacts than words, visual aspect generally (1) What kinds of signs in the brand logo has a greater opportunity to communicate design for fast food’s advertisements? excitement and mode of imagination. By presenting a visual sign, printed (2) What are the meanings of the verbal advertisement can be easily remembered in and nonverbal signs in each brand logo mind by looking at the picture. design that appears on fast food’s advertisements? Nowadays, in Indonesia, a lot of people speak to each other, update their The study titled "Verbal and Visual Signs status on social networks, write caption on of Brand Logo Design in some Fast Food’s social media, and advertised their products Advertisement: A Semiotic Study" in English. They use English even though a analyzed in order to: majority of its people does not understand (1) Describe kinds of signs in the brand English. It means that using English make a logo design for fast food’s lot of advantages in their society. So there advertisements. are a lot of products especially fast food
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(2) Describe the meaning of the verbal and the subject of the study. In other definition, nonverbal sign in each brand logo Eco in Sobur (2009) argued that semiotics design that appears on fast food’s is concerned with everything that can be advertisements. taken as a sign. The two dominant models of what constitutes a sign are those of the In this research, the researcher takes the Ferdinand de Saussure and also Charles data based on the brand logo designs in Sanders Peirce that mostly appear in the some fast food’s advertisement. Through signs definition. Saussure in Sobur (2009) this method, the writer has to learn and offered a dyadic or two part model of signs understand about the signs, but it relies on (such as words), he defined a sign as being more than a generalization corpus composed of a signifier and a signified. In examined. other hand, it also can be replaced by the The researcher tries to find the data words that signifier as the sound patterns from some fast food’s advertisement. After and signified as the concept. In the the writer find the data about the signs of linguistics example, the word “open” when brand logo design, the researcher analyzed it is invested with meaning by someone the data. After the researcher analyzes the who encounters it on a shop doorway is a data, the researcher classifies them based sign consisting of: on kinds of emotions or expressions. The (1) Signifier: the word “open.” writer conducts an analysis in terms of semiotics studies to get the meaning of (2) Signified (concept): that the shop is each brand logo design. The final step, the open for business. writer makes conclusions from the analysis. In the same ways of formulating the models of signs, Charles Sanders Peirce in Merlina (2003:86) formulated his model for LITERATURE REVIEW the sign. In contrast to Saussure model, Semiotics as The Study of Sign Peirce offered a triadic model.
Based on Chandler (2002:1) the shortest (1) The representamen: the form which the definition of Semiotics is the study of signs. sign takes (not necessarily material). Semiotics itself is very close to the signs as
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(2) An interpretant: not an interpreter but attention to the verbal signs, concentrates rather the sense made of the sign. more on the information that is to be delivered. (3) An object: to which the sign refers. Based on Peirce in Merlina (2003:86) a In its simplest form, the Peirce a sign has sign stands for something to the idea which been defined as something that relates to it produces, or modifies that for which it something else for someone in some stands is called its object; that which it respect or capacity. conveys, its meaning; and the idea to which According to Sobarna (2010:3) it gives rise, its interpretantion. According “kemampuan berkomunikasi secara verbal to Peirce in Innis (1985:8), a sign may be adalah kesanggupan yang meliputi termed an icon, an index, or a symbol. pengucapan, pengertian, kosakata, dan According to Peirce in Merlina alur”. It means that word, plot, and (2003:86), an icon is a sign which refers to speaking are verbal sign or verbal object that it denotes merely by virtue of communication. Interpretation of a verbal characters of its own, and which it sign according to Jakobson in Merlina possesses, just the same whether any object (2003:86) can happen in three ways: actually exists or not. It means that an icon intralingual, interlingual and intersemiotic. does not act as a sign; but this has nothing In the case of intralingual translation, the to do with its character as a sign. For changes take place within the same example: a picture of your face is an icon language. Thus a verbal sign (word) of you. belonging to a particular language is replaced by another sign (word) belonging According to Peirce in Merlina (2003:86), to the same language. Interlingual an index is a sign which refers to the object translation on the other hand can be seen as that it denotes by virtue of being really replacing a verbal sign with another sign affected by that object. It means that an but belonging to a different language. The index is affected by an object. According to last kind of explanation of verbal sign is the Innis in Merlina (2003:86), an index is a intersemiotic translation. Here more than sign which would, at once, lose the focusing on the words, emphasis is on the character which makes it a sign if its object overall message that needs to be conveyed. were removed, but would not lose that Thus the translator, instead of paying character if there is no interpretant. It
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means that a sign would lose the character From Morris’s explanation, the writer and also its object, but it would not lose concluded that Semantics is the study of the that character. For example: a man with a relations between signs and their basic rolling gait. This is a probable indication meanings. From Leech and Morris that he is a sailor. explanations, the writer conclude that Semantics is the study of meaning. A Symbol is a sign that stands for its object by convention or agreement in The Color Meaning specific context, Peirce in Danesi (2004:27). It means that the sign is The human eye distinguishes colors using designed to encode a referent by light sensitive cells in the retina. These convention or agreement. For example: A sensors are rods and cones. The rods give man walking with a child points his arm up us our night vision and can function in low into the air and says, “There is a balloon”. intensities of light, but cannot distinguish The pointing arm is an essential part of the color. So the colors relate to the eye and the symbol. To Know the meaning of the perception of one thing or something that symbol we can see it’s meaning semanticly. impress the eyes. The producers of the products use this theory to impress the Semantics as The Study of Meaning customers in purchasing their products. Color is one of the main elements in the Leech in Merlina (2003:86) explained that packages of the product. It function is as “Semantics (as the study of meaning) is the impressive point to the customers. In central to study of communication; and as this research, the researcher explains about communication becomes more and more the meaning of the color and also the crucial factor in social organization, the relationship between color and linguistics. need to understand it becomes more and more pressing.” From Leech’s explanation, Eiseman (2000:9) categorized the the writer concluded that Semantics is the colors based on the meaning. Here are the study of meaning for communication. colors and their general meaning:
Morris in Danesi (2004:9) called (1) RED in its various incarnations has semantics as the study of the relations more personal associations than any between signs and their basic meanings. other color. It can typify the lowly stop
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sign, or the inference of a bordello. (3) YELLOW is traditionally associated Recognized as a stimulant, red is with enlightenment, and its close inherently exciting, and can be useful associate, gold, with wealth and in restaurants and other high-power success. In its many variations, from settings. The volume of red is directly custard to mellow amber to the very related to the amount of energy active primary, yellow will advance perceived. Small amounts can add from surrounding colors and instill vigor to an otherwise calm space, energy and optimism. The color of the without the negative connotations of sun, yellow will warm and lift spirits, broad use. Some common words raise expectations and is appropriate to associated with red: power, energy, areas that require this related mood or excitement, strength, hot, seductive, where attention is needed. Some words passionate, aggressive,attention-getter, associated with yellow: friendly, fire, blood, danger. joyful, light, free, open, vigorous, sunny, stimulating, cheery, fun, (2) ORANGE, a close relative to red, luminous, and exuberant. sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually a strong positive (4) GREEN requires two discussions. As or negative association ranging from green occupies more space in the juvenile plastic toys, the fruit of the spectrum visible to the human eye, it same name, or the radiant colors of a can cover a lot of territory of sunset. Orange has more broad-based perception. Green is so pervasive in the appeal in forms such as rust, terra natural world, landscape and seascape, cotta, or apricot and is powerful as a that it is the ideal backdrop because we component in “ethnic” palettes. As are so used to seeing it everywhere as with red, small doses can be very such. The “natural” side of green, from energizing and flattering. It can also forest to lime, is seen as refreshing and bring needed warmth to cold climates, tranquil, with a natural balance of cool or windowless environments. Some and warm (blue+yellow).There is, common words associatedwith orange: however, the “institutional” side of radiant, bold, warm, flamboyant, green, associated with illness, or vibrant, happy, harvest, autumn, fruity, Government Issue. Aside from the friendly, garish, juvenile. more slimy, or bilious greens that
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conjure up negative associations, green qualities associated with purple come is second only to blue as a favorite from its early rarity and expense. Some color. Some words associated with words associated with purple: green: restful, tranquil, soothing, cool, regal,sophisticated, rich, dignified, refreshing, traditional, stable, magic, spiritual, mysterious, exotic, conservative, calm, spacious, and and melancholy. relaxing. (7) WHITE in both English and Chinese, (5) BLUE is the overwhelming “favorite whites denote purity and innocence. color.” It is the sky and the promise of This is why the brides are dressed in beyond. It is the color of no-frills, white in western countries. A white lie honest, working-class uniforms. in English is a lie that does no harm to others and it is merely more convenient The collective color of the spirit, blue or polite than telling the truth. In invokes the qualities of rest. The distant Chinese it is explicitly associated with receding character makes blue ideal for purity and innocence. It is also small spaces, or places for study and associated with meaning of reflection. The calming qualities of blue invalidation and terror. In English, inherently slow down activity and cool white is sometimes associated with down hot surroundings. Some common something bad. In English expression words associated with blue: clean, relaxing, such as white elephant, white feather serene, refreshing, classic, conservative, and white night, white has bad or traditional, hospitable, professional, unpleasant connotation. White elephant dependable, confident, and nautical. is something useless, seldom used, or (6) PURPLE embodies the balance of red too costly to be worth maintaining. stimulation and blue calm. This White feather, derived from cook- dichotomy can cause unrest and fighting in which a game cook uneasiness unless the undertone is displaying the white rim of feather clearly defined, and the blue or red- under his hackles acknowledgement based purple can then be characterized defeat and wants to give up, is a by the prevailing undertone. A sense of symbol of fear, cowardice or timidity. exclusivity and the mystic and royal
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A white night is simply a sleepless as cool). It is a ‘concentric’ color and night. hence its effect is self-centering. Kandinsky states that blue arouses (8) BLACK is often associated with sensations of purity and longing for the negative qualities such as illegality, infinite and with increase of tone, i.e. darkness, hardship, and sadness. For with the addition of black; the above instance, black market. In other words, described qualities assume black is associated to the eternality and connotations of sadness and mourning. the strength. (3) Green: Green is the intermediate (9) PINK is often associated with the between yellow and blue with all the feminine and fragility. Pink usually implications thereof. According to signifies women and its sort of things Kandinsky’s approach, on the artist’s related to them. Sensitive is also palette green is obtained by cooling signified by pink. yellow by the addition of blue. Upon Based on Kandinsky in Merlina the mixing of a small amount of blue (2003:88), colors are discussed in the with yellow a ‘non-tangible sickly’ hue context of ‘opponent pairs’ in groups in is produced, but if an additional which a single major color is bordered by amount of blue is added, ‘normal’ two others derived from it. green appears. Green implies utter complacence and absolute rest; this (1) Yellow: Yellow is regarded by being so since the all-energetic yellow Kandinsky as a basic color that is is countered by the complacent blue. It inherently ‘warm and powerful’ and its therefore follows that green pleases the effect is ‘eccentric’. The radiant eye of the weary observer since it intensity of this color increases with elicits only static quietude: however, lighter coloration, i.e., upon increasing prolonged viewing leads to boredom. addition of white to the yellow. Yellow Despite the above, Kandinsky states is maddening, psychologically that green are potentially reassuring, a unsettling and angry looking. property arising from its two (2) Blue: According to Kandinsky, blue is constituent components. a basic essentially warm color, (but he
later contradicts himself and sees blue
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Emotions surprise is eyes wide open, eyebrows raised and jaw drops open. While in Ekman (2003:144) explains five emotions fear, eyebrows raised, jaw drops open, that human expresses. The description will upper eyelids raised and straight staring. be explained below. d. Disgust and contempt are quite similar a. Sadness and agony are unhappy emotion but differ in intention. Disgust emotions caused by a great loss of is a feeling of aversion, not only tastes, something or someone. Agony deals smells, touches or thought, but also actively with the cause which makes it actions and appearance of people or sort suffering; meanwhile, sadness is even ideas. The facial expression seen as more passive feeling that lasts longer nose wrinkling, upper lip raised and than agony. The facial expression can be eyebrows pulled down. Contempt is seen as mouth open, corners of lips related to disgust but in lighter intention. down, raised cheek, eyes look The expression is one side of the face downward and upper eyelids droop. which corner lip tightened and slightly b. Anger is the face of attack or violence raised. caused by disappointment, frustrated, e. Enjoyable emotions such as pleasure, revenge, or when someone hurt amusement, excitement, relief, wonder physically either to himself or to other and ecstasy has an expression of cheek that he cares the most. The facial pushes up, mouth drawn back at corners expression can be seen as eyebrows and wrinkled skin under the eyes. pulled down, eyes wide-open, hard- staring and lips pressed. c. Surprise and fear often comes in sequence. Surprise lasting only a few
seconds then merges into fear, amusement, relief, anger, disgust and so forth. It is commonly caused by the
threat of harm either physically or psycological. The facial expression on
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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The verbal sign in this brand logo design is “BURGER KING” which is the name of Data from some fast food’s the fast food restaurant. The non verbal advertisements. sign in this brand logo design describes a 1. Mc Donald’s burger in orange color, and in the middle of the burger is the verbal sign ”BURGER KING” in red color, and there is also the blue circle outside the burger.
This visual sign describes a burger in
orange color, and in the middle of the burger is the verbal sign ”BURGER KING” The verbal sign in this emoticon is “i’m in red color, and there is also the blue circle lovin it” which means I’m loving it. The outside the burger . The color in burger non verbal sign in this brand logo design is king’s logo design are orange which means the word like M and the color is yellow. happy, friendly and warm, red which means Base on the first order signification, power, energy, excitement, passionate and the sign describes the word like M and the blue which means clean, relaxing, color is yellow. The color in brand logo professional. so the meaning of the colors design for “Mc Donald’s” is yellow. in burger king’s logo design represent Yellow means friendly, joyful, light, free, happy, excitement and professional. open, vigorous, sunny, stimulating, cheery 3. Subway and fun. The verbal sign “I’m loving it” and the visual sign the world like M with yellow color represent joyfull or enjoyable.
2. Burger King
There are verbal sign and non verbal sign in this brand logo design. The verbal sign in this emoticon is “SUBWAY eat fresh”. The non verbal sign in this brand logo design describes the word “SUBWAY”, the letter S with an arrow and also Y with an arrow.
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Subway logo design is one of several Sanders) in white color with corners of lips logo design for fast food that represents up, closed eyes, and cheek pushes up. This enjoyable because there is yellow color in facial expression represents enjoyable the word “WAY”. The word “SUB” which emotion. has white color means purity and The color in KFC’s logo design are white innocence. The sentence “eat fresh.” which color which means purity and innocence, has a green color means refreshment and it red color which means power, energy, is also has the same meaning with its excitement, passionate. So the KFC’s logo sentence “eat fresh”. So the Subway’s logo design represents enjoyable, purity, and design represents enjoyable, purity, and passionate. refreshment. 5. Wendy’s 4. KFC
From this picture we can see that there are From this picture we can see that there are verbal sign and nonverbal sign in this brand verbal sign and nonverbal sign in this brand logo design. The verbal sign in this brand logo design. The verbal sign in this brand logo design is “Wendy’s” which is the logo design is “KFC” which is the name of name of its fast food restaurant. The its fast food restaurant (Kentucky Fried nonverbal sign in this brand logo design Chicken). The nonverbal sign in this brand describes a girl with red hair tied in two logo design describes a man who founded and her corners of her lips up, eyes wide KFC (Colonel Harland Sanders) in white open, and cheek pushes up. color with corners of lips up, closed eyes, and cheek pushes up. This brand logo design describes a girl with red hair tied in two and her corners of This brand logo design describes a her lips up, eyes wide open, and cheek man who founded KFC (Colonel Harland
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pushes up. This facial expression represents REFERENCES enjoyable emotion. Chandler, Daniel. (2002). Semiotics: The The color in this brand logo design are Basic. Canada: Routledge. white color which means purity and Danesi, Marcel. (2004). Messages, Signs and Meanings. Toronto: Canadian innocence, red color which means power, Scholars Press Inc. energy, excitement, passionate. So the Ekman, Paul. (2003). Emotions Revealed. Wendy’s logo design represents enjoyable, New York: Times Book. purity, and passionate. Eisman, Leatrice. (2000). Colors for Everyday Mood. Capital Book Inc.: Virginia. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS Kay, Paul. (2002). Color Categories are From the discussions, there are verbal and Not Arbitrary. Santa Fe: U.C. Berkeley. nonverbal signs in some of brand logo Levinson, S. C. (2003a). Space in design. The meaning of verbal sign and Language and Cognition: Explorations in Cognitive Diversity. Cambridge: nonverbal sign in “Mc Donald’s” logo Cambridge University Press. design represents joyful. The meaning of Merlina, Tina. (2013). Verbal and Visual verbal sign and nonverbal sign in “Burger Expressions of Emotions on BlackBerry King” logo design represent excitement Messenger: A Semiotic study. Mimbar, Vol 29, No.1. and professional. The meaning of verbal Sukyadi, Didi. (2011). A Semiotics sign and nonverbal sign in the “SUBWAY” Analysis of Cyber Emoticons. Journal logo design represents enjoyable, purity, of a Biannual Publication on the study and refreshment. The meaning of verbal of Language and Literature. Volume 13: 37-50. sign and nonverbal sign in the “KFC” and Sobarna, Ayi. (2010). Efektivitas Metode “Wendy’s” logo designs represent “Storytelling” Bermedia Boneka Untuk enjoyable, purity, and passionate. Pengembangan Kemampuan Berkomunikasi. Mimbar, Vol XXVI, Future studies need to be conducted No.1. with an increased sample by using another Sobur, Alex. (2009). Semiotika brand logo design such as; as luxurious Komunikasi. Rosda. brand, perfume, and many more for Turner, Denise. (2010). The Colour Trends 2009/2010 and Scintillating Colour creating and presenting in networking site, Knowledge.ColorTurners.com as well as language development.
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Website www.mcdonald’s.com www.bk.com www.subway.com www.wendy’s.com www.kfc.com
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