SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF THE USING CULTURAL CODE IN CORPORATE ADVERTISEMENTS: THE CASE OF “THE VOICE OF INDEPENDENCE” COMMERCIAL FILM

Abstract

In recent years, it has been observed that corporate advertisements, which serve important purposes such as communicating with their target audience and creating an image, have frequently benefited from cultural codes, and it is believed that brands use this method to establish emotional bonds with consumers. As communities adhering to the same culture make meaning of numerous cultural codes similarly, corporations increase their usage of cultural codes in corporate advertisements. In this context; The Turkish National Anthem, which is the most essential shared value of the Turkish nation, with all of its qualities, may be found in a wide range of fields. Corporate advertising, which is one of the areas in question, is one of the applications that commonly interact with national and spiritual values and strives to reach the public through these values. It has been discovered that the Turkish National Anthem is frequently included in corporate advertisements created for national feasts by Turkey's biggest brands and corporations. However, on the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Turkish National Anthem on March 12, 1921, only THY (Turkish Airlines) developed a commercial among Turkey's prominent enterprises and brands. Although several institutions, organizations, political actors, and groups have created and published short videos about the meaning and significance of the day, THY stands out among the country's most influential brands in this regard. THY had previously utilized the Turkish National Anthem in several ads. The commercial film "The Voice of Independence" was created specifically for the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the Turkish National Anthem. Due to its characteristics, this commercial film, which is based on the Turkish National Anthem and constructed on numerous cultural codes, is evaluated in the research using Roland Barthes' semiotic comprehension and analysis approaches. While the semiotic method is centered on examining the commercial film, the narrative structure, general description and cultural codes are also analyzed.