The Construction Of Cultural Symbols In Luxury Advertisements

Based on the interpretation of the three symbols of Chanel No.5 perfume,such as auditory,visual and textual symbols,this thesis analyzes the series of advertisements of Chanel No.5 perfume in American market from the perspective of Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory,aiming at arguing that the value of luxury is mainly derived from the symbolic value attached to it,and the symbolic value is constructed through culture.According to Euro international data,the global perfume market reached $52.7billion in 2018.Among them,the American market accounts for$9 billion.In many perfume brands,Chanel No.5 is especially popular.From these data,we can find the importance of Chanel perfume in American market.Therefore,this paper,taking Chanel No.5 as an example,analyzes the symbolic representation of luxury advertisement and its construction process.Whether the auditory,visual,or textual factors in advertisements,the author argues that they are used as symbols to construct the meaning that advertisers want to express.This meaning is not inherent,but constructed by people through the way of advertising.Therefore,advertising plays an important role in this process.In addition to the introduction and conclusion parts,this thesis is divided into three chapters.The first chapter mainly analyzes Chanel No.5 advertisements using all kinds of auditory symbols skillfully,explaining the reason why its target audience can accept the brand.The second chapter describes the No.5 perfume advertisements using visual symbols to stimulate the audience’s desire to buy products.The third chapter discusses the textual symbols in No.5 perfume advertisements,giving consumers a sense of social identity.