BARTHES SEMIOTICS

Roland Barthes was one of the earliest structuralist or post-structuralist theorists of culture. Barthes is one of the leading theorists of semiotics, the study of signs. 

Semiotics is basically our actions and thoughts and what we do automatically, we are often governed by a complex set of cultural messages and conventions and are dependent upon our ability to interpret them instantly. For example, Barthes found that we see the different colours of a traffic light and we automatically know how to react to them. We know this because this is a sign which has been established by cultural convention over a long period of time. This learning requires a deal of unconscious cultural knowledge to understand its meaning. Barthes saw everyone as a semiotician, because everyone is constantly unconsciously interpreting the meaning of signs around them. Semiotics explores the study of signs and symbols as a significant part of communications.

There are three types of signs in the study of semiotics:

1) Iconic signs:   these are signs where meaning is based on similarity of appearance.

2) Index signs: these are signs that have a cause and effect relationship between the sign and the meaning of the sign. There is a direct link between the two.

3) Symbolic signs: these signs have an arbitrary (random) or conventional link

In each element of semiotics, the signs can be broken into two parts - the signifier and the signified. The signifier is the item or code that we read- so for example a word or symbol. Each signifier has a signified, the idea or meaning being expressed by that signifier. Only together do they form a sign. For example if we take the word "Cool" as a signifer, in one situation it may refer to temperature. However in another it might refer to stylish. The relationship between signifier and signified can change over time and in different contexts. 

                    

As we can see the logo of Nike straight away when watching this advert this acts as a signifier of semiotics for the audience as it is signifying a brand, fashion, fitness anything to do with that of Nike. This allows the audience to automatically know what the advert content is providing.