VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL SIGNS IN FACIAL WASH ADVERTISEMENTS: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study involves the discovery of verbal and non-verbal signs, which also describe the
meaning of verbal and non-verbal signs found in the facial wash commercial advertisements. The data
were taken from three printed facial wash advertisements. The data source has been taken from the
internet. This study used the semiotic hypothesis provided by Saussure (1983: 65) to find out the
verbal and non-verbal signs and the theoretical meaning provided by Barthes (1977) to find out the
meaning of verbal and non-verbal signs in the facial wash ads. The analysis used a descriptive
qualitative approach to analyze the results. As a result, the three facial wash ads show verbal and nonverbal
signs that enable the company to market its product. In the verbal signs of the advertising, most
of them contain denotative meaning and non-verbal signs which is in part, contain connotative
meaning in certain advertisements. Two advertisements used a female as a model; one advertisement
used a male as a model. This means that advertisers seek to gain public attention through the use of
pretty females, popular figures and natural extracts or ingredients.