Advertising translation in social media
Multimodality and simultaneity in a global campaign
In the multimodal era, communication in social media incorporates new codes and elements that challenge
traditional definitions of text and the translation field itself. Integrating semiotics, understanding that modes follow a
particular hierarchical order, and analyzing how they influence the (re)construction of meaning in certain communities is key to
studying transnational hybrid messages, both global and local, in virtual environments. The translation act has proven to be a
particularly useful circumstance to understand that modes should not be regarded as signs that carry meaning across cultures.
Instead, this paper aims to identify which elements act as “prompts,” which (re)activate meaning once the message is repositioned
in an alternative cultural context. Through a contrastive analysis of ten transpositions, in Kress’s terms, of a Burger King
campaign, this work aims to shed light on which elements can be defined as modes and prompts, as well as reflecting upon its
hierarchical status in this particular multimodal ensemble, while considering that, in the virtual space, other factors such as
repetition and simultaneity may condition the impact and reception of global messages.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction: A new landscape of communication and semiosis
- 2.Meaning-making: Deconstructing hierarchies in multimodal ensembles
- 2.1Meaning encoded in modes
- 2.2Understanding writing as a prompt
- 3.Description of the sample and methodology
- 4.“Order from McDonald’s” the analysis of a global campaign
- 4.1Captions
- 4.2Text/image
- 4.2.1Restaurant chains
- 4.2.2References to Whopper and Big Mac
- 4.2.3Signature of the national team
- 5.Results: Global presence transposed in different media
- 6.Conclusions
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References