In the previous class we talked about how words and signifiers really help to understand the meaning of things. When we were talking about what i signify things in my area to. Being from pennsylvania i had shown my friend pictures of the Wawa food market logo, and he thought of hoagies, cheap gas, and snacks. He even knew that Wawa stood for canadian goose which really surprised me. The word wawa standing for goose, and the deeper signifier of a place where people can get gas, and buy great food. Signs and signifiers are found in nearly ever place. Good marketing campaigns leave customers understanding not only the name of the store, but the products and services that they sell. Also, when i think about the word wawa, i think about the wonderful service, and the constantly reliable great food choices. Since wawa has moved from PA, NJ, DE and other northeast states, where many of them do not have gas, is wawa seen differently by orlando residents? Even though people might look at the word wawa and think canada goose, it is interesting that people thing food and gas. What would people think if they saw the word hoagie, but it really sold carpets. Would it be confusing because the word wawa is less used in society, and hoagie(at least up in the north) it used nearly everyday.
I really like how you utilized Wawa for signs. Being from the mid-atlantic where Wawa rose to fame, I also associated Wawa with a gas station or a spot where I could get a milkshake. It was interesting moving down here and seeing Publix everywhere. To my friends who grew up in Florida or the south in general, Publix was a sign of just a regular food store, but to me, Publix was a sign that I was no longer living in the land of Wegmans and Shoprites (big grocery stores up north for those of you who are unfamiliar). The way we associate signs and signifiers is rooted both in our own upbringings and the society around us which makes semiotics so interesting.
ReplyDeleteThough Publix its best known for being a grocery store, it has a different meaning to everyone. To a former disgruntled employee, Publix signifies a poor work environment and mediocre pay (despite the fact Publix is rated as one of the best companies to work for) whereas it could be associated as a haven for those that are pushing for greener companies, as Publix is energy efficient. The Publix sign has underlying meanings beyond just noting that there is a store nearby, it signifies much more for others. Whether it be a different culture or just someone with different life experiences, signs mean a myriad of things to various people.
I really like how you took something as simple as a quick in and out food market and related it back to the discussion that took place last class as well as the readings from last week. I liked your analysis of the actual meaning of WaWa versus the signified meaning. Being from the east coast, I had heard of them but only associated them with buying gas, I never knew that there was this whole underlying meaning of a great place to get food, or the literal meaning of a canadian goose. I think it does go to show that our upbringing and location define the signifiers and visual signs we see around us. I feel as if we sort of define signs ourselves based on personal experiences, thus creating personal signifiers. Like you said about your friend knowing WaWa, seeing just a simple four letter word on a store front might mean something totally different to him than it does to you. I think this is why companies market different styles of logos whether it be simple or intricate, to evoke emotion or a thought process when we see them while driving, walking, or just passing by. We, without even noticing, define these signs in our heads when we see them and think about past experiences that have taken place there, if any, and what they mean to us. It's kind of a to each their own approach, because everyone is going to relate these signs back to their own personal definition.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see classmates Alex and Adele commenting on your post, Brad. I'd like to push everyone a bit to think more deeply about the implications of signification. For starters, how and in what ways do logos (and branding, for that matter) act as vehicles for/of ideology? I appreciate Alex's argument that we each "see" different meanings, a point driven by our post-structuralists Barthes and Macherey. P.S. A riff on a cited example, Publix. Throughout 2012 and into 2013, this supermarket chain has been publicly opposed to charging $.01 more per pound of tomatoes to help the plight of farmworkers (whereas McDonald's and Taco Bell, for two examples, were on board in order for greater justice to farmworker labor).
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