Week Nine: Judith Williamson

Investigating trends of the signifier and signified throughout
advertising history and its impact on lifestyles

In her essay titled, “Signs Address Somebody,” written by author Judith Williamson, she discusses how a sign replaces a particular item for an individual. As a result, this particular item only has meaning if someone decides that it actually has a meaning. By using the terms of “for” and “by” meaning continues to serve its own purpose. Williamson continues this process by discussing how the meaning within advertisements describes and replaces an object, which in turn decides the actual meaning of that image. She notes that it appears that the object itself controls this and ultimately performs this “transaction.”

Williamson states the “signifiers” and the “signified” are understood differently from the receiver and the meaning can continue to change over time. In doing so, Williamson notes that a “vicious circle” occurs where viewers are connotative towards advertisements and notes that “ideology is always precisely that of which we are unaware.”


Throughout her essay, Williamson mentions that based on exchanges, this is how a product or item goes further in value such as when money is exchanges is when society decides its actual worth compared to other forms of currency. As a result, it follows the economic principles of supply and demand where the value of money goes down as prices for items go up.


Williamson states that “ideology” and “subject” are interdependent of each other as terms and as a result, simply confirm the existence of a subject. She discusses how in advertising today featured in television commercials and magazines, becomes more of an adjective referring back to a certain lifestyle or even expanded to the term of “lifestyle kit,” which takes care of all of your needs. This translation works in one of Williamson’s examples for those who purchase Chanel No. 5 perfume. This signifier of difference depicts that people who enjoy a certain product are also part of a different part of society, often more elite based on their product choices and devotion to certain brand names.


In another one of Williamson’s examples, by purchasing a Pepsi cola drink, the consumer is buying into that lifestyle that views themselves as a free thinker, almost-hippie like individual who enjoys drinking cola. As a result, Williamson notes that these “totemic” groups often compare Pepsi cola versus Coca-Cola to the effect that these two groups are not associated with each other because a Pepsi drinker is not similar to a Coca-cola consumer.


While analyzing these trends, Williamson quickly notes that advertisements provide an escape to reality where issues no longer exist and that jobs and rank do not necessarily define someone but rather the products that they enjoy provide that separation and gratification. The high-end brands and designer labels almost become a part of our own skin layers as we walk around in public with Chanel sunglasses, Fossil watches, and Levi-Strauss denim jeans. Everything we wear has something to say about our lifestyles.


Williamson states that these advertisements “create systems of social differentiation, which are a veneer on the basic class structure of our society,” and continues throughout history today. This is an interesting concept that one should work harder to buy more unnecessary goods in order to escape and feel better about their own existence. This form of societal identification alienates individuals and as a result, these “objects speak for themselves” and become a part of our physical identity. The author continues this idea when she states that “real objects are lifted and absorbed into a closed system of symbols as a substitute of reality and real emotions.”


By investigating these trends throughout society and advertisements, Williamson provides insight on how businesses and elite media can be controlling through selling certain goods and services. As a result, each object an individual owns says something on them and their preference of branding as well as lifestyle.