QRCA Views Magazine, Spring 2016

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18 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2016
insights emerged by the grids.
Necessarily, here I have to synthesize a
wider semiotic result. I remind you that
such codes are divided among residual
(from past), dominant (current), and
emergent (supposedly to come) codes.
• Residual: former codes still influence
Italian women, such as social conform-
ism, selflessness, a feminist impulse to
independence and to collectivism, only
focused on femininity. Long hair, usually
teased, is a residual code. Advertising
themes: comely and sexy woman; femi-
nism is ignored.
• Dominant: current post-feminist, vin-
dictive individualism, work frustration.
End of subjection: I give something to
you only if you give something back to
me. Appreciation for “natural” lifestyle.
Cunning, misunderstood by advertising as
eroticism. Fake, naïve, swollen hair or
drastically cut.
• Emergent: antifeminism vs. 4th femi-
nism, co-working and part-time as
answer to crisis, me-time (re)discovery.
Consequent return to the nest, negotia-
bility of giving, aspiration to slow life. A
female model of intelligent ingenuity
emerges, together with some residual
combativeness. Advertising slowly adapts
and offers a “seductive figure-person.”
Faceted interpretation of full-length hair,
as both innocent and sexy.
In conclusion (fig. 4)
Overall, the examined advertising
rejects the women’s perspective of “seeing”
their selves and “being seen” and admired
by other people for their hair and, instead,
proposes a totally opposite one of “being
part” of a product’s myth: people are not
looking at you, but at the “miracle” per-
formed on you by the product!
Advertising themes of evasion, dream,
or ambition are in turn diametrically
opposed to women’s desire of being part
of their own world. And those themes of
mystery, dogma and eroticism are openly
in conflict with the female wish for
seduction and appreciation.
The qualitative research done before
informed us about women’s wishes. Useful
information indeed! Then, the semiotic
research allowed us to get the other part of
the mirror, where we found the disconnect
between what women want and what
advertisers assume that women want.
Afterward, both the clients and their
advertisers took these results into account,
and a new strategy was considered.
Me, my world, and myself at ease
vs. super models and super hair
(introjective vs. projective)
=
Inside & around me vs. outside me,
far from me, other than me
(concreteness vs. ambition, dream, myth)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know CONT INUED
Wishes Advertising Proposal
- Ideal hair: my own - Ideal hair: other than your own
- To turn one’s own hair into better or
different (curly instead of straight and
vice versa).
- Hyperrealism: huge amount of
hair that levitates; plenty of
semantic attributions.
- Keeping an intimate balance = to
feel fine as I am, in place, in order,
safe and clean.
- Super models in scene, alchemical
“secrets”; experts and “deus ex
machina”; luxury and eroticism.
- Long-lasting is described in terms of
hours/days/percentages, not of quality.
Figure 4 Figure 3