An analysis of how a seemingly simple public service advertising campaign goes about persuading the viewer through subliminal messages and a discussion regarding some of the ideologies behind advertising.

An analysis of how a seemingly simple public service advertising campaign goes about persuading the viewer through subliminal messages and a discussion regarding some of the ideologies behind advertising.

Through using an advert issued by the Department of Health and Social Security regarding drug abuse (see appendix 1) this essay aims to examine how the intending meaning is portrayed through semiotics. Through the work of theorists such as Roland Barthes one can apply a certain amount of theory to the speculative perception of the advert in hand, after all seeing is believing but a framework of analysis allows for a more informed opinion. The messages omitted by advertising campaigns are not always as blatant as one may first suppose, The many individual signs within a text build to produce an overall message, which often occurs subconsciously. A discussion will follow regarding the ideologies behind advertising in general, and how this is evident within this particular text, di...