Brand Mythologisation in the Marketplace: An Analysis of Selected Advertisements
Dr Merin Jose
Assistant Professor
Bharata Mata College (Autonomous)
Thrikkakara
Abstract: In contemporary society, characterised by an ever-increasing consumerist attitude, the role and relevance of advertising narratives cannot be overlooked. Advertisements have employed various techniques to persuade people to make a purchase. A quick glance at the panorama of Indian advertising reveals many instances in which mythological stories and characters have been used effectively to reach the popular psyche. The advertisements utilise allusions to mythology through characters, stories, themes, and other elements. To make the advertising narrative more impressive. These advertisements draw heavily on the collective unconscious to connect with the target group and redirect the consumer’s psyche toward accepting an unfamiliar product. The qualities of a product are presented easily and effectively by associating them with the already internalised attributes of a name or a character with mythical lineage. The incorporation of myths in this manner plays a significant role in increasing brand familiarity, as it provides an opportunity to directly appeal to the collective unconscious. This paper explores how brand mythologisation occurs in selected Indian advertising narratives through semiotic analysis.
Keywords: Advertising, Myths, Branding, Demythologising, Semiotics, Visual narratives.