Blog Post #5

1) When considering Marshall McLuhan claim, "the medium is the message," "...he wanted us to see that media-regardless of content-reshape human experience and exert far more change in our world than the sum total of the messages they contain (Griffin, Ledbetter, Sparks, 2019, pg. 310)." In other words, the medium in which the message is communicated speaks louder than the message itself. In the case of the BMW advertisement that I am analyzing in this blog post, the medium impacts the content and meaning of its overall message. For example, because it is a print advertisement, one can only gain a limited amount of information it. This advertisement only provides its viewers with an image of the exterior of the vehicle, and a brief explanation of how there is an "exclusive drive-away offer," for those who purchase the car. This advertisement vaguely implies that the vehicle is fast because of the statement, "release the power within." Other than that, this advertisement lacks several important characteristics that a serious buyer would need to know before actually purchasing the car. If this advertisement was proposed in a different medium, such as a video, ones response to its overall message would vary. If this advertisement was portrayed as a video, the producers of it could include so much more information in order to help persuade people into buying the car. For example, the producers could include intense music in the background of the video advertisement in order to enhance the overall appeal of the vehicle. Also, if this advertisement was portrayed as a video, the producers could include a narration describing the specific specifications of the vehicle, such as how fast it goes, if it gets good gas millage, how much it costs, etc...If this advertisement was portrayed in the medium of a video, the producers would be able to include shots of the interior of the vehicle, which would help persuade people into buying the car because it would give them a better sense of exactly what they could potentially be driving in. With all of this being said, I think it is extremely important for producers of persuasive messages to strongly consider their medium before publishing an advertisement. If producers of persuasive messages have the means to publish something in a video format versus a print format, I feel as though they always should because they can include much more information and visual aids in order to enhance their message. As a receiver of persuasive messages, I would be much more likely to engage in a televised (or video) message, rather than a newspaper, print, radio, telephone, website, or email message. This is because when viewing a video message, I am able to gain the most possible information about the persuasive aspects of it. 

2) According to Roland Barthes semiotics, the signifier is, "the physical form of the sign as we perceive it though our senses (Griffin et al., 2019, pg. 321)." On the other hand, the signified is, "the meaning we associate with the sign (Griffin er al., 2019, pg. 321)." When both the signifier and the signified are combined, they work together to create a sign. In the case of the advertisement that I am analyzing in this blog post, the signifier would be the image of the vehicle itself, and the BMW logo because these are simply one piece of the overall sign. The physical image and characteristics of the vehicle would be considered the signifier because this is how we would initially perceive the advertisement through our senses, as a sleek and attractive looking car. Within the BMW advertisement, the signified would be closely related to wealth, status, and elitism because only a very few select amount of people can afford such an expensive car. The image of the expensive car, and its association with wealth, combine together to form the sign within the advertisement. The sign in the advertisement would be considered as such: purchasing such a sleek, modern, and expensive vehicle represents the pinnacle of ones financial achievements. The physical image of the car directly works with BMW's association to wealth and status in order to create the sign (that owning this car is a representation of high financial status).

3) According to our textbook, "The fact that the media present a preferred interpretation of human events is no reason to assume that the audience will correctly "take in" in the offered ideology (Griffin et al., 2019, pg. 339)." Stuart Hall believed that that the powerless may resist the dominant ideology, and translate the message in a way that is more similar to their interests (Griffin et al., 2019, pg. 339). Because of this Hall, created three options for decoding a message: the dominant code, the negotiable code, and the oppositional code. Individuals operate within the dominant code when they agree with the dominant ideology of the message. In the case of the BMW advertisement that I am analyzing in this blog post, the audience of the advertisement would be operating within the dominant code if they had a mutual feeling of wanting to "release the power within," by owning a fast and expensive car. The individuals who are operating within the dominant code of this advertisement would also experience high ego-involvment because they represent a group that is highly interested and intrigued with the intended ideology of the message. When utilizing the negotiable code, "the audience assimilates the leading ideology in general but opposes its application in specific areas (Griffin et al., 2019, pg. 339)." When applying the negotiable code to the BMW advertisement, one may experience feelings of wanting to own such a fast a luxurious vehicle, but fail to recognize the practicality of it. After all, there is no need to own such an outrageously expensive vehicle, when the only point of having a car is to get you from point A to point B. When applying the oppositional code, "the audience sees through the establishment bias in the media presentation and mounts an organized effort to demythologize the news (Griffin et al., 2019, pg. 339)." When applying the oppositional code to the BMW advertisement, the audience may scoff at the mere sight of it because they see absolutely no need to own such an expensive and fast vehicle. Individuals who apply the oppositional code to this advertisement may have no desire to "release the power within" because there is no point in owning an obnoxiously fast car, when we all must abide by speed limits while driving. 

Sources:

Griffin, E. A., Ledbetter, A., & Sparks, G. G. (2019). A first look at communication theory. McGraw-Hill Education.