The advertisement that we choose for assignment 2 is a picture of Malaysian football team wearing a new jersey sponsored by Nike. The title for the advertisement is "IKUTI JEJAK KAMI BE THE NEXT". From  our opinion this advertisement have a really good and straight message to the people especially to Malaysian people who support their own team. "BE THE NEXT" is a quality and powerful word especially to the young player in Malaysia who need is inspiration and self-belief to their national team. Nike also make the picture looks great with the idea of player coming out from the tunnel and the look like hungry to win something. It suit with the Malaysian football team nickname which is "HARIMAU MALAYA".

            The way Nike present the new jersey also makes people more believe the national team and also this is one of their marketing to make sure that Malaysian people get the jersey at their store. The new Malaysia National team jersey combines the pride of Malaysian Football while reflecting a new era of performance and innovation. The new jersey also is more suit with players body and it's really turned out the players personality. I'm sure more to come from Malaysian team after Nike extend the sponsorship with them and it really motivate not just for the player but also to Malaysian citizen to believe in their self that we can go really far if we work as a team.

            “IKUTI JEJAK KAMI BE THE NEXT” slogan was effective in reassuring consumers that the brand they picked, Nike, was a quality brand. The ads rarely focused on the product itself, but on delivering a message and a person who's wearing the product. By focusing on the image and the text which they used Harimau Malaya which is Malaysia’s football players, Nike was able to attract consumers especially Malaysian people because they support Malaysia. Ads that were starting exercise regime seemed like a necessity, and how to start running is to buy Nike. It could change the sweat, pain ridden, time-consuming exercise in Nike sneakers into something sexy and attractive.

            The targeted audiences of the advertisement are all the younger future generation who loves to get their self involved in sports. It is also targeting more towards the male populations who is a football fanatic. The advertisement shows a stunning display of our national football player who have been playing for our country and gives a good reputation to the name of our country. Displayed with stunning bright yellow colour jersey and full attire that is fully equipped which everybody is now proud of wearing it around in public. Nike gives boost and confidence in those who wears them. This advertisement will also boost the spirit of sports for all the sports fanatic and for all the younger generation.

          The texts in the ads are ‘ Ikuti jejak kami be the next’. ‘Ikuti jejak kami’ is in Malay and the meaning is to follow their step. It combines with the ‘be the next’ tagline. It shows a precise text that showing something about achieving something in our life. The picture itself shows the player is at a great stadium and how the player enters the stadium. The emotions that the player shows by their face are full of confidence. The text and the player emotion from our country blend with the ads itself. It shows that our player also can be notice by other country so we can stand proud with them. The reality in the text construct itself shows that they are the warrior in the football Malaysian team so that people or fans will be more supportive than before. In reality also they insert something that a lot people can notice which is to chase our dreams like theirs. They will never stop pursuing their dream becomes a great footballer. So in the text is to mention to people to never stop doing what they loved and stop everything they don’t like. Furthermore, it also have another message that is to let people become like them that is to play football because of the team have not enough skill player like themselves.

            The cultural assumptions or codes are about how we can be like them. The ads are showing to our people that to be more active and supportive in our Malaysian team so that we can be like them and represents our own country team. The text itself is strong to show to the people living in Malaysia. It wants people to realize the culture about our football is slowing down with not enough supporters like our old days. That time we have a lot skilled and famous player not like today. The culture today is a lot more supporting foreign countries because to them our own football team is like watching school boys playing football so here we need to change that culture to be better. We need to increase and search a better player to be playing along with other great team all over the world. The other purpose of the ads is to make people realize that we can follow their dream in achieving something. Nowadays, people are more advanced and not afraid of doing anything. It is because the culture has changed with the technology us living. People also will directly understand by reading the texts. They also know how to react if they inspired with the texts. It is because the texts itself can make the people thinking on how they can achieve something in their life.

            However, this ad can change it meaning over time. Everything changes through time. This have very much value in patriotic for Malaysia. When we see this text, it makes us proud and inspired for them who fight for our nation. So how time change the meaning of this text? Like I said, anything changes over time. If this ad is seen in the future, the meaning changes to something new. Example, this text maybe becomes the starter for our nation. In the future, Malaysia finally joins the World Cup. It maybe not a big step for other nation but for us, it is a huge leap. At that time, looking back at this old text where the meaning is inspirational, patriotic and a pride to our nation, now have a new meaning, we have done it, a feel of accomplishment and the text have become a memento, a bookmark and starter around that time that made Malaysia come this far. Even the meaning is patriotic, inspired and proud is still there, but it will be stronger in the future than now. Maybe now if we look at the ad, it inspired us to do something and when we look it again in the future, we might think that it is actually work! Now the meaning have change from inspirational to a feeling of success. Some incident need more time to actually see the significant. I’m not saying that this ad is the key to our future, but it acts like the picture of you in an album. The picture itself does not represent your whole past but a reminder of your bittersweet past, and so this ad’s meaning in the future.

Assignment 1 : Semiotic Analysis

I  AM  THE  BULLET  IN  THE  CHAMBER

 by SWAG

            The targeted audiences of the advertisement are people with physical disadvantages but are involved in sports, specifically in running or sprinting.  The advertisement shows a stunning display of running form with striking performance from the starting line, equipped with striking running attire and shoes, Nike gives boost and confidence in those who wears them. People who are disabled or more likely have deformed legs will be given the opportunity to have run on the track and field with these shoes. The shoes are design to assist them in running and others sports. This shoe will also boost the spirit of sports for all the disadvantage people out there.

            Nike’s brand had the most famous and easily recognized slogans in advertising. The slogan which is “I AM THE BULLET IN THE CHAMBER” as depicted in the ads delivers a message that the Nike's shoes give a great impact to someone who wears it. It has a role to guide that these shoes provide a great stimulus to the consumer. If worn, you are more confident and you will run as much as great as a racer as described in the ads. More than that, Nike’s shoes are one of the brand shoes with the high quality and durable. You will eager to live and to undergo the entire thing that you want.

            The cultural assumptions are for sports athlete and for random people for not doing anything. The main purpose of the ads is to make people use their brands that are for sports. It also lets people to realize that we can just do it what we want to do. Nowadays, people are more advanced and not afraid of doing anything. It is because the culture has changed with the technology us living. People also will directly understand by reading the texts. They also know how to react if they inspired with the texts itself. It is because the texts itself is a common thing for people living in a pop culture world.

            The “Just Do It” and “I AM THE BULLET IN THE CHAMBER” slogan was effective in reassuring consumers that the brand they picked, Nike, was a quality brand. The ads rarely focused on the product itself, but on delivering a message and a person who's wearing the product. By focusing on the text in the image conveyed by the fitness culture, Nike was able to attract those who wanted the image without incurring the pain. Ads that were starting exercise regime seemed like a necessity, and how to start running is to buy Nike. It could change the sweat, pain ridden, time-consuming exercise in Nike sneakers into something sexy and attractive.

            The texts in the ads are ‘I am the bullet in the chamber’ resembles much with the picture given because it shows a disable person also can run in the track like an athlete. It also shows how a person that has no leg also can run without stopping. Here also shows the main texts of the Nike ads that is ‘just do it’. The texts it combine everything with the picture. It shows that how a person can do anything even they are not complete with their body. It can make other people think in reality about how it will change his/her life.

            The alternate readings mean the hidden meaning behind certain phrases or words and texts. Some cold brings out a positive or a negative message. As for the text “I AM THE BULLET IN THE CHAMBER” that is written on the advertisement, it has this message saying that there’s a talented person behind that unfortunate person’s body. The talent can't be seen until the person puts on the shoes and show what he is capable of doing. Somehow “I AM THE BULLET IN THE CHAMBER” could also give the meaning of that it is more like a war campaign advertisement but in a subliminal way just to give the idea that it’s a media war out there.

            However, this ad can change it meaning over time. We now lives in an era where we used to think that this kind of thing, a disabled person who was not able to walk and in need of wheelchairs to go around. When we sees a disabled person it give a signifier to us meaning that he can’t do things like a normal person can, which to able to participate in running competition. But this ad, it shows otherwise which a disabled person can participate which open our mind to a new signifier, telling us that disabled man can compete like any other normal person. But when time move forward, this kinds of ad that affect us will slowly loses it impact, because more and more people think that this kind of think is normal, more and more disabled person are seen with the willpower to not give up to compete without people judging them. So it have become something normal in the future with our technologies advancing. This ad will become from “Wow, this is inspiring,” impact to “Heh, everybody can do anything” impact. So yeah, text can change meaning over time as society mind progress through time.

            For this assignment, our group members agreed to choose this image from Nike advertisement to be our reference to this project. The image from Nike advertisement sho that an athlete who lost his both leg but still can run fast on the field track using a peg leg. " I am the bullet in the chamber " was the slogan for that advertisement.

            Each group members have to focus in one topic about what they studied  in semiotic. My main focus for this advertisement is to see what the influence of this text in the image on reality or humanity. Based on the image, people can see that the character in the image have a both disabled leg. Nike has insipired people who with disabilities still can manage to compete with each other. The message is to the people that you still can achieve something that you really want if you work very hard or push to the limit until you get want you want.

            The flow of the picture makes people feels like that guy run very fast like a bullet. The energy and strenght of the guy also we can see in the advertisement. This element makes people more believe and understand what the message they want to deliver. Beside that, this is also the marketing plan from nike to attract more people to buy their product

Semiotic and Reading Film

"Titanic" is one of the expensive film in the world, its record-breaking $200 million dollar budget. Over the last decade, people still talk about how well the film are and the great combination of Leonardo D' Caprio and Kate Winslet in that film.

Directed by James Cameron, "Titanic" contains some of the most spectacular visuals ever to appear on screen, but despite the jaw-dropping special effects on that year, it's the human story that still affects the audience after they leave the theater.

The story begins with Young Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) is desperately unhappy. She pending her marriage to wealthy snob Cal Hockley (Billy Zane,) but can't break off the engagement. In a moment of panic, Rose climbs over the rail of the ship to attempt suicidal dive, when an artist,a guy named Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio,) who won his ticket in a poker game, intervenes and romance blossoms between the two.

You can see the great plot and storyline here that James Cameron try to bring the early emotion to the audience. Cameron instead chose to take the very basic love story and his focus there. Besides that, we can see the different between the lower class people and the upper class people. They think they more exclusive and more intelectual than lower class people.

Complexities

Young Rose dreads her pending marriage to wealthy snob Cal Hockley (Billy Zane,) but can't break off the engagement. Rose and her mother (Frances Fisher) are broke and need the financial security the marriage will provide.

Backup statement with evidence

The naked picture that Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio,) drawed scene was very powerful scene when the camera zoom in to Young Rose face and continue with the real Young Rose, the old lady who told them the whole story about Titanic.

Commercial Photography

Above is the picture that I choose for commercial  photography. Yamaha YZF R1 2011 is one of the best super bike in the world. This bike is one of my favourite bike and also give the best experience if you own one. I choose to use this photo because it the photographer of this image want to show how cool the bike with Valention Rossi sitting on the bike. The angle also was great because we can see the bike looks calm but actually it's a beast on the racing track. The effects that they use also helps a lot to give a mood that looks like the bike looks expensive and elegant.

Yamaha we all know is one of the best company that produce bike and YZF R1 2011 is the latest product that will attract the bike lover to buy one. It is 1000 cc and 6 - speed transmission. This bike have a great top speed and the bike performance was beyond imagination.

Demographic

Age between 25-35 

Male 

Celebrities/artists/YZF R1 fans/people who interested in bike

Income range between 30,000-50,000 or more USD/month

Rich/racer lifestyle/ going fast

The sentence "Born from MotoGp", in this sentence it shows that YZF R1 already recognize to world because Valentino Rossi is the world champion and his rides this bike. The color of the bike also brings the elegant site for the bike.

From the picture above, i can ensure you this bike it worth it. This bike will make you say," Looks good, sounds even better ".

Film Appreciation – Assumptions and contributions of semiotics

This week we discuss about one war film which is "The Thin Red Line".This World War II drama is about a man destruction of nature and himself. The film opens with an american soldier arrived at a Pacific island. The Island has been conquered by the Japanese and is currently being invaded by the U.S army. There's a lot of character in this film . Each of them have a different characteristic.

James Caviezel stars as Private Witt, a deserter living in peace and harmony with the natives of a Pacific island paradise. Captured by the Navy, Witt is debriefed by a senior officer (Sean Penn) and returned to an active duty unit preparing for what will be the Battle of Guadalcanal. Most of the army was mentally not ready for the battle and they know that this task will suffered them later. This shows that big country in World War II  push their army to the limit the no more humanity and they mission is only to conquered the world.

During the battle scenes, there will be flashbacks to the island and other flashbacks as a soldier remembers his love for his wife. This flashbacks prove that the mentality of the army are beyond from war.They miss their wife, friends and family. The director also shows about the army personal life, friendship, happiness, feeling of fear and hope of the army.

From my perspective view, this film give a heavy storyline to the audience because the director planned well with the character and the emotions. This film shows about respect, honour and moral view to the audience. All the action was fast and blend with the situation. Some of the actors maybe just started to polish up their career when the film was came out in cinema. We still can find the weakness from the acting, a bit of editing and voice over in this film but it still a good film that worth to watch it.

Semiotic systems in design/advertising/multimedia have effect on human behavior?

Advertisements do not simply manipulate us.

Its inoculate us or reduce us to the status of object. Products are given ‘exchange-value’. Ads translate statements about objects into statements about types of consumer and human relationships. 

As an example of the ad for diamonds (‘A diamond is forever’) in which they are likened to eternal love. The diamond means something not in its own terms as a rock but in human terms as a sign. A diamond cannot buy love, but in the ad it is the diamond which is made to generate love and comes to mean love. And once this initial connection has been made we almost automatically accept the object for the feeling.

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To design means, among other things, to plan, to anticipate according to a devised course of events in view of a goal, of material and technical constraints, and under the influence of the environment.

Design reflects the awareness of qualityof objects, actions, representations and the expectation of functionality. The environment of design is that of culture.

“Engineering, medicine, business, architecture, and painting are concerned not with how things are but with how things might be – in short, with design,” noted Herbert Simon

What is Index and Symbol in Semiotics?

Based on our research and understanding, we can say that an index mean something based on causes or effects which is associated with its referent . As an example like a  smoke is a sign of fire. Its also can be defines as a proper sign where the motivation is due to some kind of physical connection or causal relation between the signified and signifier. Symbol can be defined as a sign where the sign function is a conventional rule or coding. The operation of a symbol is dependent on a process of interpretation. 

Both of term have their own objective. To let people or human understand what the message that they want to give in the sign or symbol. Both term also will produce some causes or effects. It relates with each other. A sign also can intermediate degree of motivation. For example, a photograph is a proper sign.

Maybe both of term have different style and how it will connect between us in real world but for me sign and symbol is a one of the importance thing in our lives.

- Shafiq Karim