In my pop culture class this week I didn't just want to analyze the latest superbowl ads so I thought that I would have the students design their own as a way to think about the theories of semiotics that we have been studying. I commissioned them to each design a unique "brand" for a generic beer company. They had to define the notion of brand and then establish one for their beer. They named their beer and identified a target audience. Then they had to consciously select symbols or 'signs' that would be used in the 30 second commercial to sell the beer. They needed to explain the cultural associations of these signs. Finally they needed to apply Barthes notion of mythology and identify what myths were activated in their commercial that may serve to "construct illusory social reality." They sure had a good time and learned a lot!
Dr. Erin Steuter Mount Allison University
