Volume 11 - Volume 11
Advertising Narratives of Society and Politics: A Semiotic Analysis of Amul’s Print Ads
Abstract
Contextual knowledge is the most important aspect of language comprehension. We define contextual
knowledge as both general knowledge and discourse knowledge, i.e., knowledge of the situational
context, background knowledge, and co-textual context. In this paper, we will discuss the significance
of contextual knowledge in comprehending the humor found in Amul's cartoon advertisements in
India. Throughout the process, we will analyze these advertisements and determine whether humor is
an effective tool for advertising and, as a result, marketing. These bilingual advertisements also
assume that the audience has the necessary linguistic knowledge, such as vocabulary, morphology,
and syntax in English and Hindi. Various techniques such as punning, portmanteaus, and parodies
of popular proverbs, expressions, acronyms, famous dialogues, songs, and so on are used to convey
the message humorously. The current study will focus on these linguistic cues and the necessary
context for understanding wit and humor. This study will also employ semiotics and sign
methodology to analyze the message provided by the cartoons. According to the research findings,
cartoons serve two purposes: political communication and advertising; however, advertising is
camouflaged and not placed in an obvious manner.
Paper Details
PaperID: 2552
Author's Name: Kamya Pandey and Ruchi Jaggi
Volume: Volume 11
Issues: Volume 11
Keywords: Political Communication, Advertisement, Cartoons, Mass Media, Amul.
Year: 2021
Month: August
Pages: 5112-5131