Semantics in advertising: More than words can say
It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words. And in advertising, it also extends to words, colours, backgrounds, sounds… in fact, the whole gamut of human relationships. The more one digs into it, the more complex such semantics get in advertising. So, how do admen navigate and explore the plethora of semantics and avoid being clichés? exchange4media finds out.

It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words. And in advertising, it also extends to words, colours, backgrounds, sounds… in fact, the whole gamut of human relationships. The more one digs into it, the more complex such semantics get in advertising. So, how do admen navigate and explore the plethora of semantics and avoid being clichés? exchange4media finds out.
Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, gives a very philosophical view on the importance of semantics. He says, “God is in the semantics. God is also in the idea. But then, God is everywhere. Details like words, colours, clothes and images create brand identity. They are shortcuts to brand recognition. Form and content, style and substance are the software that build persuasion. Brand differentiation is made of these.”
On the evolution of semantics, he feels semantics is logical and magical. According to him, the logical is basic stuff like colour of clothes and the background, while the magical is things like music, performance and chemistry. Some things one can control, while the rest is up to the ecosystem, he feels, and that for him is “evolved”. “That’s why faith, belief and interdependence play an important role,” he says.
For KV Sridhar, National Creative Director, Leo Burnett, too, semantics is the most important and crucial phenomenon in advertising. He cautions, “If the attributes go wrong, the ad can turn out to be misleading. Semantics depend a lot on cultural and religious parameters. For instance, black is considered to be the colour of mourning in the West and white the colour of happiness. It is the opposite in India. So, it becomes essential to understand the words, colours and the signals used in this part of the world, which is very sensitive. We must realise who we are talking to. We did a TVC for a bike years back, presenting the comfort that the bike gives to its riders. The ad showed a man on the bike, who gets his shoes polished by a young boy. The TVC received a lot of flak from NGOs on the issue of child labour and the way we had projected the ad. All I am trying to get at is that we have to keep all elements of semantics in mind before executing an ad plan.”
He further says, “Brands and agencies have to be careful while presenting the ad to a sensitive audience. An ad for Perfetti shows a boy imitating his father. Years back, this ad would have been unacceptable, but with changing times, it is considered ‘cool’, introducing relationships wherein the boy and his father share a friendly relationship. A major part of semantics has to be understood by values and belief systems.”
Sagar Mahabaleshwar, Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion Y&R, says, “For me, the ideation and execution are equally important. I give equal weightage to both. If your craft is right, the product turns out to be right. It is important to pay importance to the tone and manner of the words used, colours and the background. Also, the sensibilities of your target audience have to be kept in mind. There are campaigns driven only by ideas and there are campaigns driven by execution. A good mix of both is really important. But for me, ideas hold utmost importance.”
It is important to understand that the basic elements of semantics can either work in favour or against an ad. A job is well done only when all attributes put together are aesthetically appealing and do not jolt the viewers. The aspect of colour, feel, words, background score can make the simplest of ads memorable without sacrificing creativity.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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