WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Sciences

La Paz, Iloilo City

Power and Ideologies behind Words and Images:

A Semiotic Analysis of Olay Facebook
2016 Advertisements

by
Jan Marini N. Bibliotica
Shaira Mae J. Guanco
Hannah Dorina V. Perales
March 2017

INTRODUCTION

Advertising is the art of influencing human action and awakening of a desire to possess

products and services. (Kannan 2013: 10)

Advertisements have always been a part of our daily activities. They can be seen

everywhere: in the streets, on magazines, in social media sites, on television programs

literally EVERYWHERE. Though different forms of advertisements have been exposed to us

every day, many people regard them as nothing to less important. For most people advertising

is something to encourage or persuade them to buy a special product, (Vahid 2012: 37) but

advertisements also amuse, inform, misinform, worry, warn, though it may be argued that

these functions are all in the service of the main function (Cook 1992: 5) : to sell the product.

Everything matters in an advertisement. The signs, the images and texts, are arranged

and analyzed thoroughly by advertisers, using different language strategies embedded in the
advertisements. With the advertisement you see on TV that lasted for less than 30 seconds and

the still images people see on social media sites with just a single scroll down, the advertisers

of that certain product have spent a lot of studying and research that required time and effort

to be able to come up with a result.

Belch and Belch defined advertising as any paid form of nonpersonal communication

about organization, product, service, or idea by an identified sponsor (2003: 16). The

nonpersonal nature of advertising means that when advertisements send messages to different

recipients, there is no opportunity for immediate feedback from the receiver (except in direct-

response advertising). Advertisers create advertisements to be able to communicate to the

consumers. Though it is a one way communication, the messages sent by the advertisements

have effects on how the way will people think. Lapsanka writes that in advertising, there is an

attractive power, which is able to manipulate the consumer; an invisible voice of advertisement

advocates, encourages, asks, announces and deeply embeds into peoples minds (2006: 11).

The researchers interest in the English language and the language of advertising has

led them to conduct this study. We, the researchers, have found the language of advertising

fascinating. Advertisings mirroring of society and vice versa, its transmitting of meaning and

message, and its social significance have lead people to consider it as a discourse

type( Hossein 2012: 37).

Advertising comes in many forms, but in this study, the researchers emphasized the role

of social media in advertising where the data of this study were taken. The role of media is

very obvious in constituting people's realization of world, constructing realities, highlighting

cultural values and norms and implicating power (Iqbal et al. 2014: 1). What is presented in

advertisements is usually what people who see it come to believe. The advertisements portray

socio-cultural ideologies that shape the consumers mind set to buy their product.
 In this study, the researchers are interested in knowing and unveiling the power and

ideologies behind the words and images in Olay Facebook 2016 advertisements. These power

and ideologies have played a big role as strategies made by advertisers for the selling of their

products.

The researchers have chosen Olay for it has been one of the biggest and influential

brands in the country that produces beauty products for women. Advertising gives influence to

many women in making decisions of purchasing the product or not purchasing the product. The

(7) chosen Olay Facebook advertisements portray Filipino women that have focused on the

ideal image of a woman. The chosen advertisements for this study depict Filipino beliefs where

women are seen equally as men.

We, the researchers, have come to encounter these advertisements every day and have

come to see the bigger picture out of what is presented n the surface. The researchers have

come to realize that everything included in these advertisements stand for something else,

aside from their literal meanings. These meanings were identified by looking into the word

choices and images that the advertisers have used in these advertisements through identifying

different signs seen in the advertisements.

These signs have corresponding signifieds. The researchers have identified these signs

and signifieds using Ferdinand de Saussures Dyadic Model of Signifiers and Signifieds. These

meanings in the signs seen in advertisements usually involve ideologies about certain subjects,

depending on the product promoted. These ideologies are then relayed to the public, without

the public realizing that there are underlying messages in these product advertisements, aiming

to influence their way of viewing the society and eventually persuade them to buy the product.

The Internet has helped humanity in their daily interactions for many years, and this

innovation has led to the improvement, not only in communication, but also in social media
marketing. The creation of social media sites, like Facebook, has become a useful bridge that

connects businessmen and their clients to perform the act of selling, promoting, and buying

products in a very efficient way. Communications about different transactions in social media

marketing is effective since the majority of the world population is involved in social media

sites. Business men involved in this kind of marketing were be able to address to the different

feedbacks of their customers regarding the product they are selling or promoting. With the

active participation of advertisers on social media sites, their products are being noticed and

heard. The more the exposure of a product on an advertisement that has been seen by many

people, the more popular it would become, thus it would lead to the big number of people

purchasing of the product. This would then help advertisers and businessmen accumulate a

good sum of loyal customers, which would lead to a rise in their sales.
This has led to the choosing of the researchers of the year 2016 Facebook

advertisements. It was chosen in the year 2016 because Facebook has provided the researchers

very accessible and recent data knowing that language is changing and evolving.

This raises the questions as to how- how are the goals of advertisers in selling their products

mentioned earlier indirectly fulfilled, how still picture advertisements on Facebook appeal to the

cognitive being of persons, and how they are able to manipulate people to believe whats put in

them through the use of languagewords and images in the advertisements.

The results of this study may benefit the (1) Students studying the English language, (2)

English Language Teachers, (3) Future Scholars and Researchers, (4) Consumers, and (5)

Advertisers.

(1) Students studying the English language. English majors are expected to have

outstanding skills in language and literature. With this comes the ability to infer through logical

and critical thinking using any material from the real life setting, especially in communication. In
communication, there is more than what are said than what are presented in the surface. As

English majors, one must be equipped with the knowledge needed in identifying these

underlying messages. This study could benefit the students as it may serve as a guide for them

to acquire basic understanding of the concepts of marketing and advertising using the linguistic

theory of semiotics.

(2) English Language Teachers. This study may serve as an instructional material in

teaching language and media, specifically in advertising. This study can also be used as a

reference material or additional source in studying semiotics and its relation to other linguistic

theories.

(3) Future Scholars and Researchers. Future researchers may have the same interest as we

do in a way that could break everyone away, especially consumers, from their concept of

structuralized beauty and how women are supposed to look. The results of this study may

provide insights, data, and ample information that may help other scholars in their future

investigations. It could serve as an additional reference in the use of semiotics in analyzing

words and images, especially in advertising.

(4) Consumers. This study can provide knowledge that may help increase consumers

awareness of the nature of advertisements and provide consciousness when it comes to

product evaluation and what we are supposed to keep in mind when we acquire our

merchandise. The results of this study may also provide them information about the existence

of hidden messages within advertisements. This could help spread awareness about the effects

of certain advertisements on their view of the product being endorsed, especially for women

since the advertisements involved in this study is about how to be an ideal woman in the

society.
(5) Advertisers. This study reveals ideologies behind advertisements that were used as

advertisers strategies in promoting their products. The results of this study could serve as a

guide for advertisers to enhance and improve their advertising strategies without exaggerating

the products they are endorsing. As advertisers, they are expected to master the art of

language which involves the knowledge of the proper word choices for advertisements, to avoid

negative feedbacks among consumers and product users.

There have been related studies which focused on the use of Semiotic Analysis on

advertisements that have been a big help and have contributed to the construction of the

researchers study.

There is a study conducted by Tazanfal Tehseem and Umme Kalsoom (2015), entitled

Exploring the Veiled Ideology in Cosmetic Adverts: A Feminist Perspective , which aimed to

analyze the advertising strategies used by advertisers in order to change or construct the

ideologies of people from the feminist perspective. The study examined ten (10) different

beauty advertisements of cosmetics in fashion magazines in order to explore how the

advertisements manipulate their female customers and hoodwinks them into thinking they are

able to eliminate gender imbalance. It also explores how language and images are employed to

make women realize their status in the society. A qualitative research has been conducted on

beauty product advertisements with respect to semiotics, extending the concept up-to

multimodal social semiotic theory to illustrate the importance of use of multiple signs in social

context (Tehseem & Kalsoom 2015: 81). The researchers used discourse analysis using the idea

of Faircloughs concept of language, power and knowledge to analyze text used along with

signs in cosmetics advertisements. They then discovered that language and signs are used to

manipulate the minds of women and that it is the power of media that tempts women of all age
groups to buy products which they dont need.Viewers not only perceive the meanings of sign

but try to re-create according to their own understanding. They decode the message encoded

by advertisers who while making their material, carefully shape it according to the cultural

compatibility and the demand of audience. According to Messaris (1996), The pictures in

television commercials, magazine advertisements and other forms of advertising often convey

meanings that cannot be expressed as well, or at all, through words or music".The literature

review of this study has provided sufficient insight into the research done on how

advertisements function, how images they present play important role and portrayal of women

in these advertisements. Examples and analysis have proved that all adverts provoke women to

gain the beauty explained and depicted in the advertisement. This study exposes how print

media constructs certain ideologies regarding feminism in its advertisements.

Another related study would be HosseinVahid and SaeedehEsmaelis (2012) The Power

behind Images: Advertisement Discourse in Focus. This study aimed to pull back the

ideological curtain to see the power and ideology behind images and in order for them to see

when the producers use their powers to imply something to the viewers. This is the reason why

the six chosen advertisements have more visuals and less text. Critical Discourse Analysis is

used as their approach for it offers excellent methods in analyzing the words and images. They

analyzed the data using Norman Faircloughs 3-D model which defines 3 dimensions for every

discursive event: 1) a spoken or written text, 2) a discursive practice which includes production

and interpretation of a text, and 3) a piece of social practice and Kress and Van

Leeuwensgrammar of visual design that can be interpreted through analysis of cues and signs

that have individual meaning and may string together to create a larger layered effect. To

explain the relation between power and discourse, the researchers looked up at Faircloughs

(1989) work- language and power, where he distinguishes between power in discourse and
power behind discourse. Power in discourse as a form of social practice is exercised in various

ways for example in face-to-face encounters or in the discourse of the mass media. Power

behind discourse describes the formation of the orders of social practices, which are shaped

and constituted by power relations.By analyzing these advertisements and defining the position

of the viewers the followings were concluded: (1) most producers show that the viewer has the

power to choose or not to choose something and (2) when the producers of the advertisement

are the government, they want to show their power over people.

As a whole, it could be seen in this study that producers use their power and ideology to

change the behavior and thought of people. This way, if people become aware of this fact they

can resist this effect.

Another would be Maryam Najafian and AzzizollahDabaghis Hidden Language of

Advertising: A Semiotic Approach.This study analyzed two printed Omega watch

advertisements taken from Time Magazine issued in 2002 to investigate the hidden ideologies

embedded in these advertisements. This study takes semiotic analysis as a practical approach

toward the study of advertising. As Williamson (1978) points out," ads ask us to participate in

ideological ways of seeing ourselves and the world". (Eagleton 1991:9) defines ideology as a

matter of 'discourse' rather than 'language'. Semiotic analysis, an attempt that has been made

in this article to critically examine the theory,is proposed by Kress and Leeuwen (1996) for

analyzing visual communication. According to Bignell (2002:32) the first step in analyzing an

advertisement is to note the various signs in the advertisement itself. It is now concluded that

every sign in the advertisement carries meaning. This is where Saussures theory of signifier

and signified is applied.

Print advertisements are the center of analysis in this study. Harris (1986) believes that

sometimes, print advertising is mostly visual, a 'picture' that is coupled with minimal linguistic
material. Sometimes, the visual is almost entirely removed and linguistic material is utilized.

Bignell (2002) states that photographs used in print advertisements work as a system of signs

that gives form and meaning to consciousness and reality. This study also gives focus on the

importance of colors since these play a key role in the success of one advertisement and seem

to be the first thing the audience will notice. The authors stated that advertisers use color to

reflect a specific brand, as well as attempt to communicate a certain mood dictated by the

product itself. It shows the 'personality' of a product that's often a lot harder to come up with.

Colors and their underlying sociological and historical connotation certainly do produce specific

reactions in particular contexts - emotions, associations and even physical effects that can help

advertisers in their quest for ever more accurate targeting. Using proper color seems to be the

quickest way to create mood without saying a word.

This study discovered that by using signs and colors, the advertisers can better

communicate with the consumers and make the product more popular among them in order to

achieve the goal of ever-lasting purchase and popularity. Image, word, and color, seen in this

study as the product of social practices, are just three of the many semiotic modes through

which social meanings of advertisements are coded. Thus, semiotic reference occupies a pivotal

point in the relationship between advertising discourse and ideology.

This study has aimed to know the role of power and ideologies behind the words and

images that are used in chosen Olay Facebook 2016 advertisements. This study sought

answers to the following questions: (1) What are the word choices and images used in Olay

Facebook 2016 advertisements?, (2) How do these words and images address specific

audiences?, and lastly, (3) How do power and ideologies play in the words and images?
 BODY

This research aims to identify how words and images contain embedded power and

ideologies in social media advertisements. This is limited to 7 random Olay Facebook

advertisements, posted within the year 2016. These chosen advertisements endorse a beauty

product (facial cream), by the brand name Olay. We believe that these advertisements present

different ideologies on women in the society which is depicted by the word choices and images

used.

Semiotics is the approach used in this study where there are two fields examined: (a) visual

semiotics depending greatly on Saussures concept of signifier and signified (Dyadic Model), and

(b) textual semiotics (word choices).

This study would have been better if the researchers were given more time, since

semiotics is a very broad subject. Also, more accessible and reliable sources were needed to

further enrich and support the results of the study. The time availability of the researchers has

also been one of the reasons of delay in the process of completing the study.
 This qualitative study intended to determine the underlying ideologies and power of Olay

Facebook 2016 advertisements through analyzing the word choices and images used in the

seven (7) chosen Facebook advertisement.

According to Lincoln, qualitative research involves an interpretative, naturalistic

approach to the world. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural

settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings

people bring to them (2013:7).

This study used Semiotic Analysis to uncover the ideologies behind each advertisements

and see the power it poses to be able to attract and persuade consumers to buy the product.

Semiotics was employed to identify the exact signs seen in the images of the chosen

advertisements and identify their meanings using Saussures Dyadic Model, and was employed

to identify what word choices are commonly or often used by advertisers to relay a strong

message to the public. These words and images are then analyzed to uncover the ideologies

these advertisements may be presenting. And lastly, through the words and images used, the

researchers were able to identify how power and ideologies play in the advertisements.

The researchers gathered different Olay Facebook 2016 advertisements. Afterwards,

they chose specific advertisements that: (1) use certain word choices and images portraying

ideal women, and (2) pose power that convince the public to purchase the product.These

images now become the data of the study.

The researchers thoroughly analyzed the advertisements overall image and textual

content using semiotic analysis (Saussures Dyadic Model).In this study, the researchers

analyzed the two fields of semiotics: (1) visual semiotics wherein the overall image of the

advertisement is analyzed and interpreted, and (2) textual semiotics which focused on the text
itself (word choices). According to Saussure, every sign has two parts: the signifier and the

signified whereas; (a) the signifier is the material or physical form a sign takes or something

our senses can perceive, (b) the signified is the object or concept to which the signifier refers

(ODonnell : 4). The researchers identified and discussed important signifiers and their

signifieds, both in visual and textual semiotics, present in each advertisements, and identified

what ideologies they stand for.

After thoroughly analyzing the images using the methods mentioned above, the

researchers then proceeded to derive a conclusion from the images, related them with each

other, and once again constructed the overall implication these advertisements are trying to

imply to their viewers.

The researchers used seven (7) chosen advertisements found in Facebook in the year

2016. These advertisements are about beauty products (facial cream), by the brand name Olay.

The researchers aimed to know what lies behind the words and images in these

advertisements, the ideologies they present, and their power to influence and attract

consumers.
 Figure 1. Olay Blush Advertisement

Table 1a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Blush Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
1. Model Janella symbolizes the ideal woman

2. Blurred background and bright lighting gives emphasis to the models natural beauty
and the importance of the product

3. White top makes the viewers think that the model is a

student

4. Blush like JANELLA The words Blush like is colored blue to

harmonize with the Olay logo and JANELLA
is written in all capital letters to highlight the
fact that this model trusts the product and is
colored pink to represent feminity and
blush.

The advertisers selected a well-known teen star, Janella Salvador, to promote the

product. Janella Salvador is a famous teenage celebrity of the new generation. The advertisers

have used the stars popularity among women, especially teenagers, to convince a large

number of consumers that the product really works; that through this product you can achieve

the pinkish white fairness, emphasized by the text Blush like JANELLA.As to her face, we can

see that not much editing and was done and the makeup is minimal. This was intended to show
the models natural beauty, sending a message to the public that being beautiful does not

require much makeup. Women only need the product to have that natural glow.

The product in this advertisement is held by the model. This is to emphasize the idea that the

model uses the product. The relationship between the product and the model, in this way,

appear personal, making the advertisement seem very realisticmaking the usage of the

product real.

Teenage women of the modern generation step up to achieve their aspirations. They are

seen equally capable of doing what men can do. In this age, teenage women involve

themselves with tons of activities, both in and outside the school. Despite this much

involvement, teenage women are still expected to look good in every way. That becomes the

image of an ideal teenage woman to the public. It is now the standard that people set to

teenage women.

The blurry background and the bright lighting add more emphasis to the product and

the model. The focus of the audience is diverted to the face of the model and the product she

is holding. The clothing worn by the model implies that she is a student. Thus, giving the

audience a conclusion that the product is for students, preferably teenagers.

In the text, JANELLA is written in all capital letters to highlight the name of the model, and is

colored with pink to symbolize femininity and the blush that the advertisers want to promote.

Blush like Janella

Table 1b. Word Choices in Olay Blush Facebook Advertisement

Conjunctio Prepositio
Verb Adjective Noun Adverb n Pronoun Article n
Blush Like Janella

This advertisement used an imperative verb blush in the beginning of the text that can

be seen in the image to send a message to the viewers that using the product is a must , if
they want to achieve a pinkish white glow like Janella. The adjective like is used as a

connector of the main verb and the noun. The linguistic device used here is simile because of

the use of the word like. Also, the advertisers indicated the name of the model, Janella, in

the text to further convince the viewers to buy and use the product. The text is a predicative

clause since it starts with a verb.

Figure 2. Olay Head-turner Facebook Advertisement

Table 2a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Head-turner Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
blurred background and bright lighting give emphasis to the models natural beauty
 and the importance of the product

female models stand as the ideal women set by the

advertisers

male models signify the viewers or the consumers point of

view whose attention centers on the female
models.

TURN HEADS wherever you go.
The text TURN HEADS is written in all capital
letters to emphasize the advertisements
message and is colored pink to symbolize
femininity, and wherever you go is colored
blue to harmonize with the color of the logo
and the packaging of the product.

The female models in this advertisement are known celebrities in their respective

countries. The female model on the right, Janella Salvador, is the celebrity chosen to endorse

the product here in the Philippines.The clinging of the other female model to Janellas arm

indicates the closeness between them and their friendship. The male students at the back of

the female models looked at them in awe which drives one of the female models to have an

ooh or a delighted expression. The expression in the face of the two models indicates

gladness and delight. Theyentice themselves with the attention that the male students give

them.

The product, in this advertisement, is situated in a way that the female models seem to

be approaching it. This implies the acquisition of the product.

Another ideology presented here is that females can attract the attention of males if they have

fair, pinkish white complexion, which is the promise of the product. This picture gives young

people seeing the advertisement the drive to use the product to be able to catch the attention

of everyone by having a fair, pinkish white complexion. This complexion is achieved with the
use of the product being promoted. The two models in this advertisement now become the

standard of beauty for teenagers who see the advertisement.

The background is blurry, giving emphasis to the male and female models, as well as,

the product. The lighting also helps in giving emphasis to the important elements in the

advertisement: the models and the product. The lighting in the side where the product is

situated is intensified to divert the attention of the audience to the product and to mention

again the fairness one can get in acquiring the product. The lighting in the models side is also

bright to highlight the difference in the expressions between the male and the female models,

and to make the fair complexion of the female models visible.

The text TURN HEADS is written in all capital letters to emphasize the advertisements

message and is colored pink to symbolize femininity, and wherever you go is colored blue to

harmonize with the color of the logo and the packaging of the product.

Turn heads wherever you go

Table 2b. Word Choices in Olay Head-turner Facebook Advertisement

Conjunctio Prepositio
Verbs Adjective Noun Adverb n Pronoun Article n
Turn heads wherever you
Go

The strong verbs turn and go in the text that can be seen in the image, is used by

the advertisers to catch the attention of the viewers. By using these words, they highlight the

effect of using the product. That is women can get the attention of others, especially men. The

pronoun you used in the advertisement is addressed to the target consumer of the product

women who see the advertisement. The linguistic device used here is hyperbole. There is

exaggeration in the phrase turn heads. This is intended to emphasize the ability of someone

who uses the product to attract attention.

 Figure 3. Olay No Make-up Facebook Advertisement

Table 3a. Signifier and Signifieds in Olay No Make-up Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
Model stands as the ideal women set by the advertisers
white background gives emphasis to the model and the product

white handkerchief symbolizes cleanliness, purity, and youthfulness.

A MAKEOVER WITHOUT MAKE UP.
The text implies that simplicity is beauty. The phrase is
written in all capital letters. The words A makeover is
written in color blue that goes along with the Olay logo
and without makeup in color pink to represent
feminity and makeup

In this advertisement, we can see the same model from the advertisements presented

earlier. The advertisers presented her with the same role, a student, which would attract more

female customers, especially students who look up to Janella. The expression in her face shows

content of her acquired fair skin. The white handkerchief held by the model represents the

models youthfulness, cleanliness, and purity. These traits are emphasized because the target

age of the advertisers are young teenagers.

The product is placed in the lower left corner of the advertisement. With the context

that the model is facing the mirror who appears to be in the bathroom and with given the

position of the product, one can conclude that the product has been a part of the models daily

routine where she is actually using the product.

Young teenagers are made to believe that women of their age, despite the stress they

get from paper works and other activities, should spare time to make themselves look good.

Since every second counts in everyday life, Olay found a way for women to look good in a non-

time consuming way. This advertisement also says that there is time for everything, even in

beautifying ones self a factor why women, especially teenagers, invest time and money to

buy cosmetics and beautify themselves. Unlike the very expensive and time consuming way,

with Olay women can save time and money while looking good.
 The blurry background is used to focus the attention of the audience to the model who

glows with fairness. The bright lighting goes with the smile that the model contains. Both the

lighting and the smile are key elements to show that fair complexion most women would want

to achieve.

The text A MAKEOVER WITHOUT MAKEUP. is written in all capital letters, the A

MAKEOVER in blue to harmonize with the color of the product logo, and the WITHOUT

MAKEUP in pink to symbolize femininity and the pinkish fairness that the advertisers want to

promote.

A Makeover Without Makeup

Table 3b. Word Choices in Olay No make-up Facebook Advertisement

Verb Adjective Nouns Adverb Conjunction Pronoun Article Preposition

makeover A without
Makeup

The advertisers used a short sentence, catching the attention of the audience. Starting

with a noun phrase, the text presented an interesting topic for girlsmakeup. This becomes the

force that draws female consumers to acquire the product. The noun phrase is then followed by

the prepositional phrase without makeup, modifying it and making the sentence more

interesting. How can one achieve a makeover without makeup? The answer is the product

promoted. Hyperbole is the linguistic device used in this advertisement. There is overstatement

of the ability to have a makeover without makeup, which in real life is impossible.
 Figure 4. Olay Fair Facebook Advertisement

Table 4a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Fair Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
model in white represents an idea of what a woman should
look like young, fresh, and fairbulous

white background symbolizes cleanliness, purity, and

youthfulness. It is also to emphasize the
model and the product.

white and pink flowers, and heart-shaped signifyfeminity and implies that women are
beads like flowers; fresh and blooming.

YOUNG, FRESH, FAIRBULOUS
the text mainly describes the model in the
advertisement and are written in all capital
letters. The YOUNG, FRESH is written in
color blue that corresponds to the Olay logo
and FAIRBULOUS in color pink to highlight
feminity and fairness, and is a product of
word pun that came from the words fair
and fabulous.
 This advertisement shows Janella Salvador wearing a white top. This emphasizes her

youthfulness and her fair, flawless skin. The advertisers displayed the models natural beauty,

supported by the usage of minimal makeup on her face. The smile she projected adds emphasis

on the glow the advertisers are trying to emphasize: the glow of her fair skin, and the glow of

her overall personality.

The product here is held by the model, making the relationship between her and the

product personal. The models usage of the product, in this way, appears to be more realistic.

This advertisement sends a message to the youth that women their age should look like

Janella fair and glowing. Since this is the age where most women want to achieve a lot, they

engage themselves with too much activities, making it impossible for them to find time for

beautification. Again, the product gives women the solution to this problem. Also, with the want

to achieve higher grounds, women come to believe that beauty is confidence because of this

advertisement. Janella is known to be a woman of success because of the achievements she

has accomplished in a young age. With her, being the model for Olay, sends a message to

women that with beauty, one gains the confidence one needs to step up and achieve ones

goals.

The white background adds to the simplicity of the model, also presented by her face

with minimal makeup. The pink and white flowers and the white, heart-shaped beads that are

scattered in the background represents femininity, youthfulness, cleanliness, and purity that are

used to emphasize the age target of this advertisement teenagers. The bright lighting in this

advertisement provides aid in highlighting the models fairness and glow.

The text YOUNG, FRESH is written in blue to harmonize with the product logo. These words

are written in all capital letters to emphasize the promised effects of the product. The
FAIRBULOUS is written in pink to symbolize femininity and the blush that the product gives to

the users.

Young, Fresh, Fairbulous

Table 4b. Word Choices in Olay Fair Facebook Advertisement

Adjective Conjunctio Prepositio

Verb s Noun Adverb n Pronoun Article n
young
fresh
fairbulous

The advertisers only used adjectives in this advertisement. Adjectives are used as

intensifiers of the noun which is usually put after the adjective. In this advertisement, no noun

is mentioned because it is understandable that the adjectives modify the invisible pronoun

you, referring to the audience, especially the women. This is intended to emphasize what kind

of you the product promises to bring out. A verbal pun is also used in this advertisement.

There is a play in the words in fairbulous. The word fair and fabulous are joined to have a

new word that would highlight the adjective fair. There is emphasis in the word fair because

one of the promise of the product promoted is to give women the fair complexion they desire to

have.
 Figure 5. Olay Fresh and Radiant Facebook Advertisement

Table 5a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Fresh and Radiant Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
Model represents an ideal woman of her age

blurred background helps give emphasis to the model and the

product

Brown the color stands for humility and solidity the

model possesses

number seven and three capsules the number seven stands for the seven
benefits the Olay product can give and the
three capsules represent three vitamins that
the product contains.

always FRESH & RADIANT the text always is written in small letters and
the words FRESH & RADIANT is written in all
capital letters. The whole text is in color white
to emphasize fairness
 In this advertisement, the advertisers have chosen Bianca Gonzales, a well-known

celebrity mom, to embody professional women of today. It is to highlight that women of this

age, despite the busy and hectic schedules can still glow and look fresh and radiant. The

model wears a black halter top that exposes her fresh and radiant skin, used in the

advertisement as an evidence of the effectiveness of the product. The black top symbolizes

authority, elegance, seduction and mysterytraits describing most women of the 21 st century.

The number 7 located beside the product in the image represents the seven benefits a

woman can get from using the product: (1) firms skin, (2) evens tone, (3) moisturizes, (4)

reduces pores, (5) smoothens skin, (6) reduces appearance of spots, and (7)reduces

appearance of lines and wrinkles. Also, the three capsules represent the vitamins a woman can

get in using the product: (1) Vitamin B3, (2) Pro Vitamin B5, and (3) Vitamin E.

Such type of adverts trigger a sort of inferiority complex in aged women who think that

they can only look attractive if they appear younger. This fact is supported by the advertisers

choice of getting Bianca endorse the product. Bianca, a woman in her 30s, already have a lot

of responsibilities from her home to her work, making it hard for her to give much attention to

herselfespecially her skin and her looks. This advertisement shows that through acquiring the

product, women can look younger and more attractive as they age, despite the responsibilities

they hold. This is the advertisement of an anti-aging cream of Olay in which they claim that

women can even stop the phenomenon of aging by using this product.

The advertisers used brown to emphasize the age bracket they are targeting women

of the 30s. Brown represents dependability, efficiency, humility, and solidity traits that usually

women in 30s have.

 The text Always FRESH & RADIANT is written in white to symbolize youthfulness- that

despite ones age, one can still have that youthful glow if one uses the product. FRESH &

RADIANT is written in all capital letters to emphasize the effects of using the product.

Always Fresh & Radiant

Table 5b. Word Choices in Olay Fresh and Radiant Olay Advertisement

Adjective Conjunctio Prepositio

Verb s Noun Adverbs n Pronoun Article n
Fresh Always And
Radiant

In this advertisement, an adverbial phrase was used to describe the outcome of using

the product being endorsed. Always is used as an intensifier of the adjectives mentioned. The

adjectives, on the other hand, emphasizes the benefits the product gives to the users. With the

adverb always and the adjectives fresh and radiant, there is exaggeration of the results of

acquiring and applying the product; therefore, displaying hyperbole in advertising.

 Figure 6. Olay Selfie Facebook Advertisement

Table 6a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Selfie Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
light blue background symbolizes clear thinking and add emphasis to
the model and the product.

cell phone medium used to show off the models beauty

to the public.

CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL PINKISH FAIRNESS
the text is written in all capital letters to
emphasize the advertisements message for
women. The words CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL is
in color blue in accordance with the color of
the logo and PINKISH FAIRNESS in color
pink to represent pinkish that the model
should possess.

This advertisement shows a teenage girl on the side of a pool, holding her phone,

smiling, and taking a picture of herself. The girl taking a selfie depicts the youth of today whose

lives revolve around social media.In this advertisement, female teenagers are seen as active

social media users who like to show off their faces to the public. This advertisement lures

women into thinking that the photos they share on social media sites should depict beauty at its

finestbeautiful pinkish fairness. Another ideology presented in this advertisement is that

women, no matter what they are doing, should always look good. These ideologies become

what women aspire to bethe ideal woman to the public.

The advertisers used blue as the main color of the background since it is associated with

clear thinking and productivity. It symbolizes dignity and suggests sanctuary. In this
advertisement, this color is used to say that most female teenagers of today find comfort in

expressing themselves through their photos on various social media sites.

The text CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL PINKISH FAIRNESS is all in capital letters to emphasize

that female teenagers can be more confident about how they look in the photos that they take

if they use the product being promoted. CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL is presented in a bigger font

than the PINKISH FAIRNESS. This is intended to give greater emphasis to the activity that

most female teenagers do capturing or taking pictures of themselves. CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL

is in blue to harmonize with the packaging of the product and the product logo. PINKISH

FAIRNESS is in pink to symbolize femininity and the kind of fairness the product promises to

give a pinkish kind of glow.

Capture beautiful pinkish fairness

Table 6b. Word Choices in Olay Selfie Facebook Advertisement

Adjective Conjunctio Pronou Prepositio

Verbs s Nouns Adverbs n n Article n
Capture beautiful
pinkish
fairness
Starting with the verb, the phrase used has a strong imperative sense. The verb

capture commands the performance of the act. The adjectives beautiful and pinkish

intensifies the noun fairness which emphasizes the promised result after the usage of the

product.
 Figure 7. Olay Queen Facebook Advertisement

Table 7a. Signifiers and Signifieds in Olay Queen Facebook Advertisement

Signifier Signified
Beige background symbolizes humility, solidity, and
trustworthiness, and emphasizes the model
and the product

crown portrays authority and responsibity

number seven, three capsules, and Olay logo the number seven stands for the seven
benefits the Olay product can give and the
three capsules represent three vitamins that
the product contains.

THE FUTURE LOOKS FRESH & RADIANT the text is written in all capital letters and are
in color white to represent fairness and goes
along with the color of the models clothing.

Olay chose PiaAlonzo Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe in the year 2015, to be one

of the endorsers of their product.The advertisement portrays how influential Pia is to many

women which made the advertisers choose this strategy to attract more customers to buy and

use the product. She is wearing a white top which symbolizes the youthfulness one can re-

acquire when one uses the product being endorsed. She also wears the Miss Universe crown

which signifies her authority and the responsibilities along with it.Pia is not looking directly to

the audience, but is gazing over something ahead. It is as if she is looking forward to the future

where the advertisement promises it to be fresh and radiant. In this advertisement, the future
refers to two things: (1) the opening of new opportunities as Pias reign as Miss Universe starts,

and (2) the future promise of the product to the customers to attain the fresh and radiant

skin if they will purchase the endorsed product.

The ideology presented in this advertisement is that women, despite of the numerous

responsibilities to attend to, must maintain a healthy-looking skin. This is how the ideal

woman is pictured to be.

The text THE FUTURE LOOKS FRESH & RADIANT is in white to represent the

youthfulness that most women desire, and to make the text stand out in the image with the

brown background behind it. The brown background was used because it symbolizes efficiency,

dependability, humility, and soliditytraits that most women aged 30s have. These symbolisms

are also associated with the product itself. The advertisers mean to tell the audience that Olay

is to be trusted with their skin concerns.

The future looks fresh & radiant

Table 7b. Word Choices in Olay Queen Facebook Advertisement

Adjective Conjuctio Prepositio

Verbs s Noun Adverb n Pronoun Article n
Looks fresh future and the
Radiant

In the advertisement, a simple, short sentence was used. Future in this advertisement

is referring to a certain time after the acquisition and application of the product. Looks is the

copula verb that links the noun future with its attributes, fresh and radiant. These

adjectives are emphasizing the outcome of the application of the product being promoted. The

linguistic device used here is personification because the noun future is given the attribute

that is usually associated to human beings, fresh and radiant.

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