Construction Of Female Identity In Pakistani Television Commercials (November, 2015-April, 2016): A Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

This study explores how TV commercials in Pakistan construct female identity in the present era. Advertising becomes an essential part in moulding and shaping our behaviour, attitude, values towards lifestyle and advertisers use visual, semiotic and printed text aims to convey their specific messages. This work attempts to analyze how the belief system of "flawless" and "perfect" society is created and constructed in and through advertisements. This study employed semiotic analysis as a research method to examine Pakistani TVCs. With stratified sampling technique, ten TVCs selected that appeared during intervals breaks of famous TV serials ,obtained from main three private Pakistani channels, on a week after week premise for a time of six months. TVCs were analyzed with reference to the representation of Pakistani women in selected time period. As sign frameworks are included in the construction of meaning and advertising utilizes these signs to transmit its message. The ideologically developed messages, TVCs not only depict the image of women but have additionally made that image into the affirmed part of the female identity in the society. The overall findings reveal that women identity thrive in TV commercials that repeatedly represent women as glamorized sex object, there by not reflecting the different and progressive roles of women. This study is an effort to examine the advertising practice in Pakistan that how it constructs and depicts Pakistani women. Most commercials reveal today’s Pakistani women as an independent glamorous and liberal object. This study would be significant for communication experts as well as for the policy makers who can apply it as a basis for creating and executing advertisements in future.

Women’s Portrayal In Pakistani Print Advertisements: A Comparative Study Based On Semiotics

“…On the other hand, most of the advertisements have portrayed women in a modern outlook in terms of dressing, makeup, jewellery and body posture. Iftikhar and Islam (2015) also found in their study on TV commercials that most of the advertisements portray women as glamorous and constructing her identity from traditional to modern.…”

“…The use of renowned models with specific appearance is influencing the ideology of its viewers. In this way such iconic, glamorous and modern representation of a woman is misleading and hiding the actual indication of Pakistani traditional woman (Iftikhar & Islam, 2015).…”

“…While with the help of psychological lens it has also been found that print media especially advertisements are not only presenting or promoting their product but also are engaged in the production of certain ideology with the science of signs. As Chandler (2001) states that semiotics makes us aware about the representation of the woman in media that is continuously being watched by number of people every day but no one knows the framework behind, which is involved in the construction of its meaning (Cited in Iftikhar & Islam, 2015).…”

Lipstick as a Female Student’s Visual Communication Strategy

“…It has a hue of 39 o , 29% saturation, and a brightness value of 100%, which is included in the bright color category. This color gives the image enthusiasm, care, and energy (Iftikhar & Islam, 2017). In addition, the level of brightness also easily allows the user to become the center of attention.…”

Lipstick as Female Students Visual Communication Strategy

“…It has a hue of 39o, 29% saturation and a brightness value of 100%, which is included in the bright colour category. This colour gives the image of enthusiasm, care and energy (Iftikhar & Islam, 2017). In addition, the brightness level also easily allows the user to become the centre of attention.…”