Our world is a composite of signs that have literal and non-literal meanings. Moreover, a positive sign to one person may be negative to another, since there are many generational and cultural differences, as well as constantly evolving meanings and social norms, presented by the signs that make up our community and the businesses within it. Advertisers depend on these signs in order to communicate their point quickly and effectively towards consumers. Therefore, semiotic analyses of advertisements can reveal the cultural norms and values associated with a particular society or group of people. During market research in the 1950s, men indicated that they would consider switching to a filtered cigarette but were concerned about being seen smoking a cigarette previously marketed towards women. The subsequent advertising campaign for Marlboro cigarettes became widely renowned after transforming a feminine brand with the slogan 'Mild as May', to one that was considered masculine 'Where there’s a Man…there’s a Marlboro' in only a matter of months, and continued to run from 1954-1999. This repositioning of Marlboro as a men's cigarette was handled by Chicago advertiser Leo Burnett, who used distinct signs that send across a desired message by appealing to the human subconscious, and with semiotic analysis of his advert we can shed some light on these signs and their hidden meanings. According to Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913), a sign is composed of a ‘signifier’ (the form which the sign takes) and a ‘signified’ (the concept it represents). A sign and its meaning will not be complete without the two aforementioned components. In this Marlboro advert, the signifier is the cowboy riding a horse and the background which includes natural scenery of trees and fresh water. The cowboy features prominently to the centre-left, and clearly demonstrates total control over his horse. This level of dominance exuded by the cowboy is further enhanced by holding a whip, and seeks to highlight the physical strength from harnessing his powerful stallion. Splashes of water and the horse’s outstretched legs indicate that they are riding at a breathtakingly swift pace. Not only does the wilderness and speed illustrate that he is a fearless rider, but there is also an implied feeling of primitive sexuality that arises from his unbuttoned shirt, bringing about a sense of independence, individualism, and adventure. The advert aims to fill viewers with a rugged sense of adventure, fearlessness, and independence of masculinity being stamped all over it. There is also the corner image of Marlboro cigarette boxes and a seductively inviting message ‘Come to where the flavor is’, whilst the cowboy lazily grips a cigarette in his mouth. All of these elements work in conjunction, sending across the message that if you ‘Come to Marlboro Country’ by smoking a cigarette, then all that is signified in the advert will be granted. Additionally, Roland Barthes (1915-1980) wrote that ‘denotation’ is not the first meaning but it pretends to be the first meaning, whilst ‘connotation’ produces the illusion of denotation and the illusion of the signifier and signified being identical. Barthes also brought about the notion of ‘myths’, explained as being hidden values and conventions via which meanings appear to seem natural and universal, when they are actually just specific to certain groups. According to most dictionaries, the noun ‘cowboy’ denotes a man who herds and tends cattle, whilst performing much of his work on horseback. However, due to historical and cultural context, the connotations of a cowboy bring out strong associations with thoughts and ideas surrounding proud masculinity, total independence, raw adventure, physical strength, and absolute control. These strongly felt cowboy myths, held in the hearts and minds of an American audience, have been leveraged perfectly by Marlboro in their promotional imagery of the infamous Marlboro Man.
Reference List
Barthes, R. (1957). Mythologies. Translated from French by A. Lavers, 1972. London: Paladin.
Rhys-Davies, M. (2010). Critical Analysis of the Marlboro Man [online]. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20150505153836/https://mattrhysdavies.com/critical-analysis-of-the-marlboro-man/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 2019].
de Saussure, F. (1916). Course in General Linguistics. Translated from French by R. Harris, 1983. LaSalle: Open Court.
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