Semiotic analysis is useful for examining texts, in order to “unravel structures of meaning beyond simple presence or absence” (Van Zoonen: 74). In this essay, semiotics will be used to discuss how gender is represented in a Nescafé advertisement published in CLEO. The idea of ​​first, second and third orders of meaning, as expounded by Liesbet Van Zoonen, can be used as a way of analyzing this advertisement, by describing the literal elements of the image (denotation), by interpreting the associations on which the image is based. (connotation), and finally identify the manifest expression structuring the overall meaning of the advertisement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIdentifying the relevant signs and their dominant aspects is the first step in a semiotic analysis. This advertisement for Nescaf Espresso Coffee features Greek/Australian male celebrity Nick Giannopoulos (aka "The Wog Boy"), striking a pose on the dance floor. He wears a white t-shirt, black pants, shoes, a belt and a leather jacket. His pose partly hides a logo in the background, with only the words "Strong", "Spirited" and "Dark" being fully recognizable. In the denotative sense, these words represent the strong, dark and lively flavor of Nescaf coffee. “Nescaf” is 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 real mention of coffee in this advert - if the audience didn't know what Nescaf was, they might struggle to understand the advert. There are no images of coffee and no coffee colors, for example brown, are used. Second-order meaning examines the potential cultural values ​​and beliefs expressed by a sign (Van Zoonen: 76). Denotative signs cause many connotative meanings. The words "Strong" and "Spirited" reflect the celebrity's personality, while "Dark" could refer to their ethnicity. His clothing, both in style and color, is stereotyped by many young ethnic groups. The words "Express Yourself" reflect the celebrity's personality: their stance and facial expression certainly show their own form of humorous 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 meaning identifies the manifest expression structuring the overall meaning of advertising, 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 masculine representations. However, this advertisement might not be as effective if a white Anglo male was used, as the terms "Strong", "Dark" and "Spirited" would not be as easy to apply. So one could say that this ad classifies ethnic men differently from white Anglo-Saxon men. Likewise, this ad would not have been as effective using an unknown person. It would be interesting to see the same ad using a female celebrity; the words “Strong”, “Fiery” and “Dark” are rarely applied to women. Interestingly, ethnicity is associated with “Dark”. Binary opposition “classifies two polarized terms so that one becomes the privileged term, the other is suppressed, its subordinate and negative counterpart” (Grosz: 1994), so if “Light” has the right connotation, “..