CHAPTER III

RESEARCH FINDINGS

A. Description of Data

The writer uses the image of the coca-colas advertisements as the

object of the research. The data are collected from coca-cola coke and coca-

cola zero images edition that has an identical characteristic as sign. The data

of the images that the writer obtains can be presented on the table below:

Object Expression Form Content form/Interpret ant

Image 1 “Welcome to the - To invite an audience of the message to

Coke side of life” consume coca-coca’s drink product.

- To tell to the audience that coca-cola is

better product of drink.

- To Influence to the audience that coca-

cola is a part of people life.
Image 2 “Continuous - To claim coca-cola as the best quality
quality is quality that audience trusted.
you trust”
- An icon of coca-cola factory and five-
penny of each coca-cola bottle shows an
idea of industrial capitalism.
Image 3 “How to liven up - Coca-cola’s product influences the
the day after the audience that his brand is suited for a
holiday, too!” holiday and party times.

- Coca-cola’s product is suited for any

American food.

- Coca-cola and American food (sandwich)

are extra taste to consume.
Image 4 “Taste so Much - A new appearance of coca-cola zero
Like Coke” edition with a black color as dominant

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 element of the product.

- A new kind of coca-cola product

- Coca-cola Zero claimed a taste is better

than a previous coca-cola coke edition.

- Coca-cola as a company sue themselves

to the audience about a taste of coca-cola
zero edition.
Image 5 “Real Taste and - A new appearance of coca-cola zero
Zero Sugar” edition with a black color as dominant
element of the product.

- Coca-cola zero sugar claims as the real

taste of coca-cola and with zero sugar.

- An audience persuade to consume a coca-

cola zero sugar due to an ingredient of it
mixture is safely for consume.

B. Data Analysis

In analyzing the data, according to the semiotic signification on the

advertisements, the writer analyzes the meaning of the pictorial aspect or an

object of the advertisement and the contexts that gives the context to an object

of advertisement, and the text of advertisement as the linguistic symbol.

An advertisement has a complex meaning when it appeared in many

ways. A semiotic signification had determined a meaning of advertisement to

denotative meaning (an explicit meaning of sign) and connotative meaning (a

meaning of sign related to ideological and cultural term).

Due to advertising has it referring codes, then the writer analyzes the

code that laden in the coca-coca’s advertisements. This code may show its

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 hermeneutic code, semantic code, symbolic, cultural, or even narrative code.

Finally, finding the meaning of coca-cola’s advertising meaning is the final

step of this data analysis, whether it shows in denotative meaning or

connotation meaning.

1. Semiotic analysis on Coca-cola Coke edition, “Welcome to the Coke side

of life”.

(Image 1)

Coca-cola’s product is famous with its red color symbol. A bottle of

coca-cola’s products are generally in red color with other combinations to

support its symbol elements. In the picture above, a bottle of coca-cola is

obviously colored with a red painting. Actually, it is important to be aware of

the concept of red color in coca-cola symbol as a fundamental principle of

coca-cola products to distinguish from other products.

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 It is obviously interesting according to context of the pictorial sign

above when a bottle of coca-cola explodes various colors in dynamic pencil

sign. According to Pierce a sign is something which stands to somebody entity

and determines a sign into triadic model of semiotic interpretation to

representament, object, and interpretant. Following to Piercian concept of

semiotic interpretation, a sign of pencil represents a coca-cola concept at all.

A sign of pencil pictorial symbol references an interpretant about

coca-cola personification products. A pencil colored with a red and light

prominently among others color shows the ideas about coca-cola is very

dominant product among others.

Another important of the pictorial elements above is the use of an

expression text ‘welcome to the Coke side of life’ in a middle of the pictorial

element and associated to general consumer of coca-cola drinks products. An

expression phrases explains an ideas about a persuasion that a coca-cola drink

is element of a people side of life.

The text on that coca-cola’s advertisement identified as signifier given

in the middle of the picture. The sign as a whole is the printed text: “Welcome

to the Coke side of life”. The signifiers are the letters or words as individual

units and signified about:

1. To invite the audience of the message in order to consume coca-coca’s

drink product.

2. To tell the audience that coca-cola is better product of drink.

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 3. To influence the audience that coca-cola is a part of people life.

The first signified concept about invited an audience to consume coca

cola’s drink product can be understood by viewing the concept of the

advertising above. The signifier of pencils, or the signifier of the various

colors showed in that advertisement signified to something about coca-coca

audience or consumer. A concept of color and pencil, however, signified to the

people or some community that they consume the coca-cola’s drink products.

The second signified concept of special product, as represented in

coca-cola brand, showed in the bottle as a signifier of the advertisement.

Coca-cola, especially in Coke edition, however, is consumed by people around

the world in every countries. The advertisement of coca-cola find in many

ways of advertisement, people may find the coca-cola advertising in the

magazine and television. In addition, this why a coca-cola drink is the product

that so close to people life due to its advertising process signified for people to

consume and drink coca-cola.

The third signified concept is the most important concept of the

advertisement above. The phrase about “Welcome to the Coke side of life”

Influences to the audience that coca-cola is a part of people life. This pictorial

symbol organizes the audience and influences their consciousness to consume

the coca-cola’s drink product as their part of life.

After identifying the signifier and the signified elements, the second

ways to understand the sign is identifying the connotation meaning. By

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analyzing the signifier and the signified above or in denotation meaning, the

writer bear the meaning into connotation interpretation or what is the meaning

of the sign in cultural term or ideological term. However, as identified the sign

in level of the signifier and the signified, the sign above dominantly told about

the coca-cola as the drink product and also a product that consumed by a

whole people around the world, this is what the sign told about in connotation

meaning.

The last important thing of the advertisement sign above is the

referring codes of the advertisement. There are also certain codes, refers to the

sign of coca-coca’s advertisement above into symbolic code, and semantic

code.

In the term of symbolic code, the sign of coca-cola’s advertisement

under the phrase ‘welcome to the Coke side of life’ applied any symbols as a

dominant element of a sign. A picture of coca-cola’s red bottle as the first

symbol of the sign and a picture of colorful pencils, in connotative level,

symbolize to someone entity. A red bottle, actually designated a coca-cola as

an industry of drink and a picture of colorful pencil designate to people whom

drink a coca-cola’s product.

2. Semiotic analysis on Coca-cola coke edition, “Continuous quality is

quality you trust”.

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 (Image 2)
In this advert, a very dominant through pictorial symbol consists three

elements, row of coca-cola’s bottle, coca-cola manufacture, and a coca-cola

coke labels with a red color. These three elements are object of the sign

according to Piercian model of semiotic because every picture of coca-cola’s

bottles, manufacture, and its symbol has a relation each other to a sign in

general coca-cola coke edition.

The writer agreed that an object of the pictorial aspect of the adverts

above has a sign and meaning. A bottle of the coca-cola has its interpretant, a

factory and a label too, has its relation to interpretant element of Piercian

model of semiotic.

A row of coca-cola’s bottle is a represantament which related to a

coca-cola product as an object of the sign intention above. Based on the role of

the sign by Piercian model, if there are signs that represent on the reason or

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something else, an interpretant element can identified as argument

interpretant. Actually, a pictorial symbol in rows of bottle is a symbol of coca-

cola general production.

The next object of a sign above is a picture of coca-cola factory and

red coca-cola logos. These two objects represent to an interpretant about coca-

cola units whole elements, including a factory activities and labels. Each of

three interpretants appeared in a sign above, pointed to coca-cola corporation

as a capital business. Including in a sign above, a theme told something about

trade system and a price of each bottle of coca-cola drinks.

How does the pictorial sign above have a meaning? To answer this

question, the writer determines these three pictorial sign and compared it with

a context which is appeared in a sign above. In these cases, between a picture

of coca-cola factory, its bottle and even its red label as a dominant, gives a

context to the audience in other to have an interpretation about coca-cola’s

capital system.

The texts on the coca-cola’s advertisement identified as signifier

element of a sign. The sign as a whole is the printed text: Continuous quality

is quality you trust, Coca-Cola Coke, Ask for it either way…both trade-mark

mean the same thing, 5$, copyright the Coca-Cola Company. These signifiers

are individual units and indicate to signified about:

1. A phrase ‘continuous quality is quality you trust’ is a claim of coca-

cola drink products as the best quality that trusted by the audience.

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 2. A phrase ‘ask for it either way…both trade-mark mean the same thing’

is an idea of industrial capitalism that coca-cola had built is the best

among other drink products.

3. A phrase ‘Coca-Cola Coke’ is a Coke edition of coca-cola drink

products.

4. A word 5$ (penny) is a price for each bottle of coca-cola.

5. A phrase ‘copyright© the Coca-Cola Company’ means a copyright of

every coca-cola drink labeled by coca-cola company industry.

The signifier ‘continuous quality is quality you trust’ as the writer said

in the previous page that this expression as a claim of coca-cola that it is the

best quality or drink in audience lifestyle. This signifier is not enough

meaning of the concept to understand a whole meaning of a sign. A phrase

above is actually composed to another meaning called a signified meaning. In

this term of interpretation, the writer agreed that a phrase ‘continuous quality

is quality you trust’ signified to a trick of coca-cola industry through his

consumer to agreed that coca-cola is the best quality of drink production.

These signified concepts are supported by a pictorial element appeared in

whole sign above. Beside it, other signified concept of the previous interpreted

phrase could be a persuasion trick for the audience of this advertisement to

consume and to believe that the quality of coca-cola drink is the best quality

among other.

A signifier expression in phrase ‘ask for it either way…both trade-

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mark mean the same thing’ signified about an idea of industrial capitalism that

coca-cola had built is the best among other drink products. A structure

constituted this expression is a communication process that persuades and

invites an audience to interact each other or to think something about when

they are seeing this advertisement. A phrase that expresses an invitation to the

audience to think or to find another best product outside of coca-cola applied

in the phrase ‘ask for it either way’. This expression phrase in active sentence

and signified to the audience to think another product except coca-cola. The

audience may think about, is there something else but coca-cola, or is there

another best drink quality except coca-cola?

Supporting for a signified above, other phrase appeared in second

phrases ‘both trade-mark mean the same thing’. An expression of this

signifier is a strengthening of the previous expression. At first glance, the

audience signified to think about another coca-cola drink product and to find

another best quality in other products, but in second phrases, the audience

stimulated to believe that coca-cola is the best product after all. The audience

has to believe both trade system, and coca-cola label (trademark) is the best

drink production after seeing a sign in advertising above.

The look ‘Coca-Cola Coke’ and ‘5$’ which is located in front of the

picture provide a paradigmatic perception through its signified concepts. The

receiver or the audience of this coca-cola advertising version would assume to

think about coca-cola’s price, and version. This assumption might be the first

conclusion but not merely a right assumption. When this advertisement mode

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seeing in each time by an audience, a sign in signified concept appeared which

tells about Coca-Cola manufacture attention to build a capital trade system.

The means of this signified concepts aim to the audience who ever saw this

advertisement to buy and to consume Coca-Cola drink.

The last signifier in phrase ‘copyright© the Coca-Cola Company’ is a

minor element built in the advertisement above. This signifier also means to

tell the audience about a copyright of every coca-cola drink labeled by coca-

cola company industry, which is manufactured guarantee for all coca-cola

drink production. Although this signifier is a minor element, a structure in this

signifier also provides other claim about capital industry and trade system or

something called as capitalism.

As a combination of many textual signifier and pictorial signifier

concept which arranged in the sign above, there are also latent codes

throughout the sign. In this assumption, the writer identified that there is a

narrative/proairetic code as a major code.

Consideration of the code’s role and interpretation from many signifier

element appeared which constitutes to many signified interpretation, a sign of

coca-cola coke edition in image 2, encodes and narrates to coca-cola

manufacturing process. A pictorial signifier in manufacture image, a process

of labeling a bottle, and a trade symbol of coca-cola label, is major

information to indicate that this sign would be a narrative code.

3. Semiotic analysis on cola-cola coke edition, “How to live up the day after

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 the holiday too!”.

(Image 3)

In the interpretation of semiotic and its analysis through a sign, there

are main sphere interests, identified as the sign itself, the code or system in

which the signs are organized and the culture which these codes and signs are

operated. According to these main interests and related to the advertisement of

coca-cola above, a theory of semiotic could be the appropriate theory in

analyzing a sign of coca-cola which expresses about “How to liven up the

day after the holiday”.

In analyzing a sign of coca-cola advertisement above, the writer

decides to analyze a pictorial symbol as the represantament that indicate

toward an interpretant. There are two main represeantament/ground or

pictorial symbols in coca-cola coke advertisement, in coca-cola’s bottle and

sandwich.

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 These two represeantament/ground refer to interpretant. The

interpretant in coca-cola bottle figure is an index idea of industrial label and

product, and the interpretant in sandwich figure is an index of American

special food for a holiday.

Each of coca-cola’s bottle and sandwich pictorial elements, give a

context meaning that audience know something about coca-cola drinks. In this

interpretation step, the sign in pictorial elements show ideas about coca-cola

product as a special drink and suitable for any occasion in holiday with a

sandwich. On the other side, the audience or the viewer of this advertisement

are (sign) influenced to consume a coca-cola drink when they are eating a

sandwich. Meanwhile, both of a coca-cola drink and sandwich are pairs of

food and drink.

A text that operates to other meaning in the advertisement above

identified as signifier element of sign. The signifiers printed in; “how to live

up the day after the holiday too!”’ is as the main purpose of the advertisement.

A paragraph as explanation of coca-cola and sandwich, is written in “It’s the

day after. You open the fridge and all that’s left are the leftovers. This is your

change to pile up all your favorite holiday taste into one giant super-

sandwich. Now… if you can just find one chilled bottle of Coke somewhere

between the carton of eggs and the last of the turkey, you’ve got it made”. A

line referred to coca-cola bottle, is written in “Stoke up on plenty of Coke…

you know how taste it disappears!”. Every lines referred to sandwich, is

written in, “the last of the cocktail olives” , “Uncle Jim’s annual Virginia

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ham”, “The best turkey that I ever cooked”, “Aunt May’s candied yams”, “Our

family favorite stuffing ”. The last signifier is a phrase “Coke Adds Life”.

However, signifier is a form or physical element of sign and referred to

signified elements concepts about;

1. A phrase “how to live up the day after the holiday too!” is a question

statement to the viewer of the whole sign. A whole sign perceive that a

coca-cola’s drink and American sandwich is pair of special food.

2. A paragraph “It’s the day after. You open the fridge and all that’s left

are the leftovers. This is your change to pile up all your favorite

holiday taste into one giant super-sandwich. Now… if you can just find

one chilled bottle of Coke somewhere between the carton of eggs and

the last of the turkey, you’ve got it made” is a story about the coca-cola

as the special drink for the holiday.

3. A phrase “Stoke up on plenty of Coke…you know how taste it

disappears!” lined to coca-cola’s bottle is expression about coca-cola

coke edition taste.

4. A phrase “the last of the cocktail olives” is signifier of olive as a

additional ingredient for sandwich.

5. A phrase “Uncle Jim’s annual Virginia ham” referred to a ham is one

of sandwich (American food) ingredient that Uncle Jim (American

people) has special ham.

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 6. A phrase “The best turkey that I ever cooked” referred to a turkey is

one of sandwich (American food) ingredient.

7. A phrase “Aunt May’s candied yams” refere to candied yams in

sandwich is one of sandwich (American food) ingredient

8. A phrase “Our family favorite stuffing” referred to any stuff in

sandwich is one of sandwich (American food) ingredient.

9. Moreover, the last signifier written in phrase “Coke Adds Life” is a

final statement of the advertisement theme. This coca-cola coke

advertisement signified to inform an ad about people of American life.

After identifying the signifier element that manifested in text and

defined its element to signified concept, the writer decides to identify it in

connotation meaning or in the meaning related to the culture and ideological

term. Connotations meaning derives not from the sign itself, but it is from the

way of the society value use both the signifier and the signified.

According to the usage of connotation term, the writer argued that the

coca-cola’s coke advertisement has meaning to American people life style.

This is cultural meaning as what the advertisement appears in each the

signifier told. The signifier in texts and pictorial element show the ideas to the

audience of this sign about the idea of American food and drink culture.

As a combination of many textual signifier and pictorial signifier

concepts which is arranged in the sign above, there are also semantic and

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 culture codes throughout the sign. Semantic code is a code in connation which

utilize hint of meaning generated to certain signifier. In this term, according to

the semantic code and from each the signifier appear in coca-cola coke “how

to live up the day after the holiday too!” edition generates a meaning in

connotation level about American food and lifestyle especially in holiday. A

coca-cola and sandwich are describes as the special pairs of food and drink for

people in the holiday.

The second codes that appeared in coca-cola coke “how to live up the

day after the holiday too!” edition is culture code. This culture code

considered as what the coca-cola advertisement above want to tell to the

audience. Coca-cola coke advertisement (sign) want to show the audience that

coca-cola is general drink product that people consume and suited with an

American food style.

4. Semiotic analysis on cola-cola Zero edition, “Taste So Much Like Coke”.

(Image 4)

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 In coca-cola zero edition, a coca-cola industry shows the different

concept than in Coke editions. In zero editions, coca-cola industry changed the

image of bottle as the pictorial element of sign into can. However, a picture of

coca-cola can is a dominant element of pictorial sign and identified as a

represantement of sign. The other important thing in this advertisement

is a text that appeared in the advertisement. In this situation, the writer

decides to classify a pictorial element and the text as the represantement of the

sign.

In order to get the meaning of the sign above, then the writer applies

the theory of semiotic as Piercian models. The represantement of the can is

index to coca-cola drink in general product and the information of new coca-

cola product after Coke edition. The represantement in text elements supports

the first index of coca-cola new edition. From this classification between

represantament and indexes, the pictorial symbol and text signified and

indicate to interpretant about coca-cola zero is better taste claims than the

previous Coke edition.

After those explanations, the text element is classified as signifier to

get the meaning in signified level and connotation level. A phrase “Taste so

much like coke, we should sue ourselves” is signifiers in words as individual

units and signified to concepts about:

1. A new appearance of coca-cola zero edition with a black color is as

dominant element of the product.

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 2. A new kind of coca-cola product

3. Coca-cola Zero claimed better taste than a previous coca-cola coke

edition.

4. Coca-cola as a company sue themselves to the audience about a taste

of coca-cola zero edition.

The first of three signified above is general sense of the sign or this

advertisement. This three signified just information about the new coca-cola

zero edition with a modern design is better than the classical design. However,

it is also important signified concept in the last signified. The phrase “taste so

much like Coke, we should sue ourselves” which appeared in dominant

sentences is a main purpose of what is the coca-cola industry wants to tell to

the audience of this advertising. A use of word “we” and “ourselves” in phrase

expression signified to someone entity or group and in this interpretation the

unclear entity could be represented or signified to coca-cola industry or

company.

Furthermore, after got the interpretation of system or in the denotation

level arranged in a sign of coca-cola zero editions, the next interpretation is in

connotation level. There is important information about previous coca-cola

edition that the product of coca-cola has to influence on people ways of living,

actually to consume coca-cola drink products. When coca-cola drink product

had become habit and people consumes the drink in every ways and times, an

industry innovates their product to keep the consumer. In this situation, coca-

38
cola industry will produce the new image or the new edition.

The trends of changing previous edition become a new one is what

coca-cola industry wants to publish. When the people knew the new edition of

coca-cola product and people are influenced to know a taste of the new

edition. Actually, the industry does not change the ingredient of the taste. By

this interpretation, the writer decide to take a conclusion about the connotation

meaning in coca-cola zero “Taste So Much Like Coke” sign that the meaning

of this advertisement is meaning to capital systems.

Another last thing appeared in this sign is a code system

intended to cultural code. A sign in coca-cola zero “Taste So Much Like Coke”

indicate to manifest a collective understanding that the zero edition or coca-

cola product in general information establish as the best drink product in

people mind and understanding.

5. Semiotic analysis on coca-cola zero sugar edition, “Real Taste and Zero

Sugar”.

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 (Image 5)
Coca-cola Zero Sugar is a recent edition of coca-cola industry.

The concepts of the image and the color as same as the previous edition in

coca-cola zero but the newest thing appeared in this edition is added by the

new label. In addition, an interpretant of pictorial sign indexes to coca-cola

industry and coca-cola recent edition.

A combination of the texts on the coca-cola zero sugar’s

advertisement identified as signifier element of a sign written as “Now we

have REAL TASTE and ZERO SUGAR….why can’t big nights come with Zero

morning afters?”. A signifier expression above signified to express thing s

such:

1. A new appearance of coca-cola zero edition with a black color is as

dominant element of the product.

2. Coca-cola zero sugar claims is as the real taste of coca-cola and with

zero sugar.

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 3. The audience persuades to consume a coca-cola zero sugar due to an

ingredient of its mixture is safely for consumer.

The last two signified concepts are the important thing of the sign

above and provide information about what the coca-cola meant and want to

tell an audience of the coca-cola zero sugar’s advertisements. The second

signified is about coca-cola zero sugar claiming taste and positioned its edition

to the real taste among previous editions is a coca-cola fake. This fake

represents in phrase “Now we have REAL TASTE and ZERO SUGAR”. In

reality, thus expression of real taste and with zero sugar is claiming and

falsifying of ingredient in coca-cola product. By this signifier, the audience

persuades just to consume coca-cola drink due to the mixture of ingredient

safely for consumer.

In previous explanation, the writer decided to put the meaning of

connotation level about capital system that the coca-cola company develops in

consumer. Although an image and text as signifier was very different, and a

denotation meaning of whole sign expressed something explicit of the sign,

thus element combined from signifier and texts, express the same thing about

the capital system.

Consideration of the code’s role and interpretation from many signifier

element and denotation level appeared, which constitutes to many signified

interpretation, a sign of coca-cola zero sugar edition, “Real Taste and Zero

Sugar” indicate to hermeneutic code. By reading phrase “why can’t big nights

41
come with Zero morning afters?”, the audience of this advertisement asked

and influenced to buy a coca-cola as the priority. In other circumstances, the

audiences when they are seeing this advertisement and reading a phrase they

led to solution to buy a coca-cola zero sugar as the final solution.

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