Semiotic Analysis of Mac 1984 Tvc
MACINTOSH 1984 TV COMMERCIAL
The iconic commercial begins with a detailed shot of a group of men, with shaven heads, marching in a rhythm. They are marching through a long corridor and are wearing almost prison-style uniforms. The corridor has TVs installed after every few steps and it seems the group is being taken to a large auditorium where they are addressed through a gigantic screen by the leader. At this point, a blonde woman running in bright clothes presents a stark contrast to the scene being played out. She is being chased by guards wearing plastic helmets. While the man on the screen continues his speech, the woman runs towards the auditorium holding a sledgehammer. She then spins and throws the sledgehammer at the screen before the guards catch up with her. As the inmates scream, a voiceover announces the launch of Apple’s Macintosh and that the product will explain why the year 1984 will not play out as it did in the novel 1984 (by George Orwell).
The main signifiers and their signified meanings are: * Brainwashed men: The men are marching, sans any expressions or feelings towards the auditoriums. They seem to lack any free will or thinking capacity and are simply following the instructions that are being fed to them. Their demeanour reminds one of the behaviour of prisoners in concentration camps. Their monotony represents the dull lives of users of the available products in the PC and office computer market (primarily IBM) in 1984.
* Blonde woman: The need to break free and to rebel is shown by the blonde woman. Her blonde hair and liveliness presents a clear juxtaposition to the brainwashed men. She is dressed in red and white, unlike the nondescript and dull clothes worn by the men. She runs ahead of the guards and manages to liberate the men from the humdrum lecturing of their erstwhile leader. Her vitality and path-breaking approach represents a typical user of Apple’s Micantosh computer. Her breaking the screen represents the
The iconic commercial begins with a detailed shot of a group of men, with shaven heads, marching in a rhythm. They are marching through a long corridor and are wearing almost prison-style uniforms. The corridor has TVs installed after every few steps and it seems the group is being taken to a large auditorium where they are addressed through a gigantic screen by the leader. At this point, a blonde woman running in bright clothes presents a stark contrast to the scene being played out. She is being chased by guards wearing plastic helmets. While the man on the screen continues his speech, the woman runs towards the auditorium holding a sledgehammer. She then spins and throws the sledgehammer at the screen before the guards catch up with her. As the inmates scream, a voiceover announces the launch of Apple’s Macintosh and that the product will explain why the year 1984 will not play out as it did in the novel 1984 (by George Orwell).
The main signifiers and their signified meanings are: * Brainwashed men: The men are marching, sans any expressions or feelings towards the auditoriums. They seem to lack any free will or thinking capacity and are simply following the instructions that are being fed to them. Their demeanour reminds one of the behaviour of prisoners in concentration camps. Their monotony represents the dull lives of users of the available products in the PC and office computer market (primarily IBM) in 1984.
* Blonde woman: The need to break free and to rebel is shown by the blonde woman. Her blonde hair and liveliness presents a clear juxtaposition to the brainwashed men. She is dressed in red and white, unlike the nondescript and dull clothes worn by the men. She runs ahead of the guards and manages to liberate the men from the humdrum lecturing of their erstwhile leader. Her vitality and path-breaking approach represents a typical user of Apple’s Micantosh computer. Her breaking the screen represents the