Revealing the Myths in Iphone 14 Series Advertisements: Semiotics Approach

Abstract

Semiotics is a branch of science that examines human signs. The semiotic aspects and cases are exciting topics to discuss in interpreting the meaning of advertising because the ambiguous message conveyed in the advertisement may cause difficulties in understanding its meaning among the customers. This research aims to discover the connotative and denotative meanings of the signs in the iPhone 14 series advertising videos. This study is qualitative research. The data sources used in this study are six advertising videos, which consisted of five video advertisements that aired in September 2022 and one video advertisement that aired in January 2023 on YouTube. The data were analyzed with verbal and nonverbal signs according to Saussure's theory (1950) in the form of words, phrases, sentences, sounds, situations, models, motion, and video images of iPhone 14 series advertisements and then searched for connotative and denotative meanings according to Barthes' theory (1983). From all of those connotative meanings can be concluded that the myths of the iPhone 14 series are the latest feature of the iPhone 14 series that shows the sophistication of Apple’s product smartphone. Its luxurious design also makes all iPhone 14 owners proud to use it. The sophistication and luxurious design are a perfect combination that makes iPhone 14 an expensive smartphone. In conclusion, iPhone 14 series advertisements represent a luxurious, sophisticated, and exclusive lifestyle.