This diploma thesis deals with semiotics (the study of signs) in audiovisual commercials. In its theoretical part it is engaged in the field of semiotics. At this point it investigates mainly the problems of a sign, the key element of semiotics. Furthermore it follows the development of the knowledge acquired through semiotics to other areas of research which help to detect the meanings of communication. Those areas are the levels of signification, thus denotation, connotation and myth. This chapter especially draws on Roland Barthes and his publication Mythology, which inspired this diploma thesis. The theoretical part continues by explanation of the main problems of commercial. It gives out the definition of a commercial, explains commercial as a communication process, but also depicts the strategies used in a commercial. Furthermore it tells about conceptualization of a commercial by Jean Baudrillard. Since the thesis analyses audiovisual commercials, it also deals with the sound and picture of a commercial. In its practical part the thesis continues with the analysis of seven audiovisual cosmetic products' commercials itself. Semiotic analysis is done according to Barthes' model. The thesis describes each commercial's story, scene, and sounds, and then analyses those elements as well as the...

Syftet med vår rapport är att undersöka huruvida humor förekommer i kosmetikareklamfilm på YouTube. Om humor nyttjas vill vi undersöka vilken humortyp som används. Vi vill också undersöka vilken berättarteknik som nyttjas samt vilken typ av reklambudskap som används. Vidare avser vi utreda huruvida humor är uppskattad i reklamfilm för kosmetika utifrån konsumentens perspektiv i Sverige. För att kunna undersöka detta används en visuell innehållsanalys till hjälp för att se hur kosmetikareklamfilmerna är uppbyggda. För att få en bild över hur konsumenten uppfattar kosmetikareklamfilm skapas en enkätundersökning. Där efterfrågas respondenternas allmänna uppfattning kring humor i kosmetikareklam samt deras åsikter om reklamfilmer som visas i enkäten. Undersökningen visar att humor inte används i någon större utsträckning i de kosmetikareklamfilmer som studeras. De flesta reklamfilmerna använder samma reklambudskap och berättarteknik. I de enstaka fall som humor förekom används endast tre humortyper av de sju som finns med i studien. Respondenterna uppskattar reklamfilmer med humorinslag då dessa upplevs mer positiva och personliga. / The purpose of our thesis is to investigate whether humor appears in cosmetic commercials on YouTube. If humor is implemented we would want to analyse which humor type it is. We also want to investigate which storytelling technique is used and what type of advertising message is applied. Furthermore, we intend to investigate whether humor is appropriate in commercials for cosmetics from the consumer's perspective in Sweden. In order to investigate this, a visual content analysis is used to help us see how the cosmetic commercials are constructed. A survey is created to get a picture of how the consumer perceives cosmetic commercials. The respondents are asked about their opinion on general perception about humor in cosmetics advertising and their opinion on commercials that are shown in the survey. The study shows that humor is not used to any great extent in the cosmetic commercials that are studied. Most of the commercials use the same advertising message and storytelling technique. In the few cases where humor occurres, only three types of humor are used of the seven included in the study. The respondents appreciate commercials with humor as they are seen more positive and personal.