SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF HAMBURGER ADVERTISEMENTS

This study concerns with the analysis of verbal and visual signs used in hamburger advertisements. The aims of this study are to find out the verbal and visual signs used in hamburger advertisements and to analyze the meaning of the verbal and visual signs used in hamburger advertisements. The data source of this study was taken from the website of hamburger company. The theory used in this study was proposed by Barthes (1957) about the meaning of verbal and visual signs and the theory from Saussure (1959) about semiotics as the main theory to find out the verbal and visual signs, and the theory of color terms by Wierzbicka (1996). This study uses the observation method to collect the data. Qualitative method was used to analyze the data.The verbal signs were used to give information and make the readers interested in what is contained in the advertisement. The advertisements show the unique lines to attract the readers and in the verbal signs, the advertisements use the food picture to attract the readers to buy the products. Visual signs consist of pictures and colors which support the verbal signs to persuade the readers to buy the product.