Semiotic analysis is useful for examining texts, to "reveal structures of meaning beyond mere presence or absence" (Van Zoonen: 74). In this essay, semiotics will be used to discuss the ways in which gender is represented in a Nescafe advertisement published in CLEO. The idea of ​​first, second and third orders of meaning, as outlined by Liesbet Van Zoonen, can be used as a way to analyze this advertisement, describing the literal elements of the image (denotation), interpreting the associations upon which the image draws (connotation), and finally identify the overt expression that structures the overall meaning of the advertisement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Identifying the relevant signs and their dominant aspects is the first step in carrying out a semiotic analysis. This advert for Nescaf Espresso Coffee features Greek-Australian celebrity Nick Giannopoulos (aka "The Wog Boy"), striking a pose on the dance floor. He is wearing a white t-shirt, black pants, shoes, belt and leather jacket. His pose partially hides a logo in the background, with only the words "Strong", "Spirited" and "Dark" being fully recognisable. In a denotative sense these words represent the strong, dark and lively flavor of Nescaf coffee. The words "Nescaf" are printed in bold at the top of the page with the words "Express Yourself" at the bottom of the page, indicating that drinking Nescaf allows you to express yourself. There is no actual mention of coffee in this advert - if the public didn't know what Nescaf was, they might have trouble understanding the advert. There are no images of coffee and no coffee colors are used, such as brown. Second-order signification examines the potential cultural values ​​and beliefs expressed by a sign (Van Zoonen: 76). Denotative signs cause numerous connotative meanings. The words "Strong" and "Lively" reflect the celebrity's personality, while "Dark" could refer to their ethnic background. His clothing, both style and color, are stereotypical of many ethnic youth. The words "Express Yourself" reflect the celebrity's personality: his attitude and facial expression definitely show his humorous form of expression. There are no women in this ad. This may be because the ad is in a women's magazine and the male celebrity is used to attract attention and sell the product. The third order of signification identifies the manifest expression that structures the overall meaning of the announcement, the dominant ideology (Van Zoonen: 76). The male has an active role in the image; he has presence and asserts a certain power and attitude, common traits in male representations. However this advertisement may not be as effective if a white-Anglo male were used because the terms "Strong", "Dark" and "Spirited" would not be applied as easily. Therefore it could be said that this advertisement classifies ethnic men differently from white-Anglo-American men. Likewise this ad would not have been as effective using an unknown person. It would be interesting to see the same ad use a female celebrity; the words "Strong", "Vivacious" and "Dark" are rarely applied to women. Interestingly, ethnicity is associated with “Dark.” Binary opposition "classifies two polarized terms so that one becomes the favored term, the other is the subordinate and suppressed negative counterpart" (Grosz: 1994), so if 'Light' is given the connotation good, ' Dark' is its counterpart.