Fast-food Billboard Advertisements: A Semiotic Linguistic Approach to Syntax
Fast-food Billboard Advertisements: A Semiotic Linguistic Approach to Syntax
Matthew Defauw
Far and wide, marketing projects acknowledge and affirm the omnipresent nature of the billboard advertisement. Yet, automobiles move vicariously within motorways, their drivers unaware of the true linguistic impacts of these imposing structures upon their routinized schedules. This study takes a semiotic approach to explore the specific linguistic nuances that exist within the syntax of fast-food billboard advertising. With a plethora of linguistic analysis about the semiotics of advertising mediums, there is minimal research that primarily focuses on billboard advertisement alone. Through dissecting popular fast-food chain billboard advertisements, three syntactical structures pertaining to language are parsed out for the reader. Conversely, a semiotic method of examination will be applied to these separate syntactical formations to interpret, formalize, and ask questions about their specific qualities. How do words provoke thought? Do syntactic elements have an impact on advertisement? Words within advertisements are not just random. Rather, these phrases take into consideration the stage in which the intended audience is situated. The language within fast-food billboards has been orchestrated in a means that is spatially aware of the restaurant in relation to the consumer. Unlike other advertisements in the language landscape, billboards continue to take advantage of spatial awareness to relate and appeal to consumers.
4 Comments »
Leave a Reply
-
Archives
- April 2022 (20)
- April 2021 (14)
- April 2020 (22)
- April 2019 (15)
- April 2018 (15)
- April 2017 (25)
- April 2016 (22)
- April 2015 (30)
- April 2014 (19)
- April 2013 (23)
- April 2012 (15)
- April 2011 (19)
-
Categories
-
RSS
Entries RSS
Comments RSS
Language and Societies 
What a unique topic choice! I would be curious to know how you arrived on this linguistic subject. Interestingly enough, when I am a passenger and not staring weirdly into other people’s cars, I spend a lot of time reading billboards and I always enjoy when one is clever and makes you think a bit harder. I found it particularly curious that there is minimal research focusing on billboard advertisements. I think this would be a wealth of intriguing data that would probably have a lot to say about the intersections of American popular culture, food, health, and language. I would be really interested in reading the results of your research and getting a better understanding of how they billboards utilize space in order to manipulate language.
What a unique topic choice! I would be curious to know how you arrived on this linguistic subject. Interestingly enough, when I am a passenger and not staring weirdly into other people’s cars, I spend a lot of time reading billboards and I always enjoy when one is clever and makes you think a bit harder. I found it particularly curious that there is minimal research focusing on billboard advertisements. I think this would be a wealth of intriguing data that would probably have a lot to say about the intersections of American popular culture, food, health, and language. I would be really interested in reading the results of your research and getting a better understanding of how they billboards utilize space in order to manipulate language.
There has been a lot of work surrounding the color choices of fast food establishments and the billboard advertisements but I have yet to see anything about the language used on these. This seems like a really interesting topic and I’m looking forward to see what the results are – especially since billboards tend to not have a lot of writing on them. So the choices must have to be done with simplicity yet interesting enough to get the attentions of drivers/passengers.
This is really interesting topic. I work for an organization that uses billboards to communicate our services. Although not food related, it would be interesting what the findings are in how drivers are impacted by the information posted on billboards. I always struggle to know what draws a driver’s attention i.e., “use of colors, witty comments, lights, etc.” I’d be interested in learning more about the findings from your article. I think it would be beneficial to see what elements in billboards are most appealing to drivers.