A Semiotic Analysis of Social Media’s Logos Using Roland Barthes Theory

Nur Hidayah

A03217040

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL SUARABAYA

2019
I. Introduction

Semiotics is can be said as study that deals with everything which stands for

anything else. The shortest definition of semiotics is “study of signs”. In semiotic

perception, signs take the form of images, words, gestures, objects, and sounds

(Chandler 2002, 2). Semiotics is the study of how people create meaning through

both linguistic and non-linguistic ways.

People are really familiar with logo because it can be found everywhere. People

can find logo on every product in their house, their electronic devices, their

transportations and the streets. A logo can represent a million words (sitepoint, 2011).

A logo is graphic design or a symbol that indicate a product, company or business,

organization and installation (CB.GRAPHICS, 2015). In this research, the writer

analyse the meaning of social media’s logos.

Nowadays, social media cannot be separated from human’s life. Daniel Nations

stated that “Social media are web-based sites that allow people to interact with each

other (Lifewire, 2019). People all around the world use social media as a tool to

communicate and interact with other people in the world.

The massive use of social media makes the companies who create social media

compete each other to make a good, interesting and beneficial social media. The

companies also make an impressive logo to attract people and to become the identity

of social media. In this research, the writer analyse the denotation and connotation

meaning of social media’s logos which are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and

Whatsapp and the role of culture that affects the meaning of each logo.
 Roland Barthes is one of the popular semioticians. The theory of semiotics by

Roland Barthes is Denotation, Connotation, and Myth. Denotation tends to be

described as the definitional, 'literal', 'obvious' or 'commonsense' meaning of a sign.

In the case of linguistic signs, the denotative meaning is what the dictionary attempts

to provide. Connotation is the meaning that deals with the socio-cultural and

'personal' associations (ideological, emotional etc.) of the sign. Myth is the dominate

ideology of time. It is when connotation become naturalized.

There are several previous studies related to this research. The first is the research

by Hariani (2018) entitled Semiotic Analysis on Idol Group Logo : A Study of Type of

Sign and Meaning of Korean Group’s Logo which analyzes the type of sign oh

Korean Idol Group’s Logos and reveal the meaning its logo using Peirce’s Triangle

Theory. The results of this research are from 24 Korean Idol Group’s logos that was

identified by Type of Sign found 8 symbolic modes, 1 iconic mode, and 14 symbolic-

iconic mode along with the meaning of each Korean Idol Group’s logos.

The second is the research by Setiawan (2011) entitled A Semiotic Analysis on

Football Club Logos of Indonesia League 2009-2010 that analyzes about the

denotative and connotative meaning and the myth of Football Club Logos of

Indonesia League 2009-2010 using Barthes’s theory. In this research, he found the

denotative meaning, connotative meaning, and myth of each Football Club Logos Of

Indonesian League 2009-2010 which are Arema Indonesia, Persipura Jayapura,

Persiba Balikpapan, Persib Bandung, and Persija Jakarta. The writer of this research

also conclude that those logos bring various signs and those signs are represented by

its visual expression (words, colors, images, and shapes).

 The third is the research by Hutabarat (2018) entitled A Semiotic Analysis on

Basketball Team Logos of National Basketball Association 2016-2017. This research

analyses about the meaning of signs in Basketball Team logos using the theory of

Roland Barthes and the theory of Triadic Model by Charles Sanders Peirce. In this

research, the writer found the denotative and connotative meaning and also the myth

of Basketball Team logos. He also found the relation between the triadic aspects

which are representament, object, and interpretant and the meaning of the logos.

The fourth is the research by Firmansyah (2015) entitled A Semiotic Analysis on

the Logos of Three Cafes in Malang which analyses about the typology of signs which

are found on the three cafes logo in Malang, the connotations of the three cafes logo in

Malang, and the relationship between the sign connotation of cafe’s logos and the history,

concept and goals of the cafes. The result of this research shows that the icon, symbol,

and index are found in the logos. He also found the connotation meaning of the three

cafes logo and the relationship between the sign connotation and the history, concept, and

goals of the three cafes.

The fifth is the research by Cowin (2011) entitled The Evolution Of U.S

Corporate Logos A semiotic Analysis which determines the meaning of U.S corporate

logos – Apple, Mcdonald’s, Nike, Pepsi, Shell, and Starbucks and the message that

the logo convey using Peirce’s theory. According to the semiotic data on logo

evolution, the writer found six main themes that appeared across the analyses of U.S

corporate logos, the meaning and the message of the logos.

II. Statement of Problems

 1. What is the denotative meaning of each social media’s logo according to Roland

Barthes Theory ?

2. What is the connotative meaning of each social media’s logo according to Roland

Barthes Theory ?

III. Theory

In this paper, the writer use the theory of semiotics from Roland Barthes which is

the Denotation and Connotation.

According to Roland Barthes, Denotation tends to be described as the definitional,

'literal', 'obvious' or 'commonsense' meaning of a sign. In the case of linguistic signs,

the denotative meaning is what the dictionary attempts to provide. Connotation is the

meaning that deals with the socio-cultural and 'personal' associations (ideological,

emotional etc.) of the sign. Connotation describes the interaction that occur between

the subjective user and their culture.

IV. Analysis Data

In this part of paper, the researcher elaborates in detail the result of analysis about

denotative and connotative meaning of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp

logo.
a. Denotative and Connotation meanings of Facebook Logo

 Denotative

No. Sign Denotative Meaning

Verbal Visual

1. The “F” alphabet The figure of ‘F”

alphabet

2. Blue colour The colour of Facebook

logo

In denotative meanings, the researcher found two signs. The first is

verbal sign which is the “F” alphabet. The second is visual sign which is

the blue colour that is the colour of Facebook logo.

 Connotative

1. The “F” Alphabet

The small F symbol which stands for the word “Facebook” means

symbolization of connecting friends. The founder of Facebook, Mark

Zuckerberg, stated that the small F symbol stands for addiction

 millions Facebook users. The F symbol looks like someone who stares

at his/her phone.

2. Blue Colour

The blue colour associates with trust, strength, power, professionalism,

and business like. Blue acts as transparent background to the main

content as visible to the human brain. It functions to attract people.

b. Denotative and Connotative Meaning of Twitter Logo

 Denotative

No. Signs Denotative meaning

1. White bird icon The figure of bird icon

2. Blue colour The colour of Twitter logo

 In denotative meaning, the researcher found two signs. The first is

white bird icon. The second is the blue colour which is the colour of

Twitter logo.

 Connotative

1. White Bird Icon

The white bird icon represents the function of Twitter which is to

communicate with other people by tweet or retweet something on

Twitter. The bird makes a noise by tweeting and that is the reason why

Twitter logo use bird icon.

2. The Blue Colour

The use of blue colour in Twitter has a purpose to attract people. Blue

colour associates with trust, strength, power, professionalism, and

business like. Blue acts as transparent background to the main content

as visible to the human brain.

c. Denotative and Connotative Meaning of Instagram Logo

  Denotative

No. Signs Denotative meaning

1. Camera icon The figure of camera in a simple

way, with just square, a circle and a

dot.

2. The rainbow colour (light The colour of Instagram logo

orange, twilight blue, light

purple, etc.)

In denotative meaning, the researcher found two signs. The first is the

camera icon which means the figure of camera in a simple way, with just square,

a circle, and a dot. The second is the rainbow colour which is the colour of

Instagram logo.

 Connotative

1. Camera Icon

The camera icon means that Instagram is used to share a pictures,

photographs and videos to the people all around the world.

2. The Rainbow Colour

The rainbow colour symbolizes progress and creates an optimistic

image of a new day coming. And also the rainbow colour represents

the users of Instagram all around the world who have various cultures,

races, skin colors and religions.

d. Denotative and Connotative Meaning of Whatsapp Logo

 Denotative

No. Signs Denotative meaning

1. Telephone icon The figure of telephone icon

2. The green colour The colour of Whatsapp logo

In denotative meaning, the researcher found two signs. The first is the

telephone icon. And the second is the green colour which is the colour of

Whatsapp logo.

 Connotative

1. Telephone Icon

The telephone icon means that Whatsapp is social media to

communicate and interact with other people because the function of

telephone is for communication.

2. The Green Colour

Green is the color of life, nature, and energy. It associates with growth,

harmony, freshness, safety, fertility, and environment. Green is also

traditionally associated with Money, finances, banking, and ambition.

Whatsapp use the green colour for its logo because it causes a feeling

in the human that is optimal for digital communications.