0 Myths and Ideology in Advertising

Roland Barthes says about ideology, in which he refers to as Myths, "is the connotative meanings that signs carry wherever they go; myth makes what is cultural seem natural."

An ideology is a unconscious ideal and expectation in which a consumer will conjure from a discreet or more obvious hinted advert.

In this mini cooper advert, the car has been placed next to a Trojan Horse (A mythical vehicle that was used in Homer's story 'Odyssey' to win and end the Trojan War) in order to compare its power and significance to the Trojan Horse generating a certain ideology of what the car will/could be like. It opens up the viewers mind for endless possibilities/hope for the car.

The text accompanying the advert say, "One is a legends carrier. One is a carriers legend", which further reiterates the exaggerated comparison.

Nike is also a brand that uses good mythology and ideology into their adverts but in a much more subtle way. The name Nike originates from the Greek Godess of Victory: Nike which straight away gives a slight nod to the possibilities when owning a Nike branded item. 

Their adverts mostly compromise of fit, healthy and attractive individuals who either run at incredible speed or jump to extreme heights: basically performing exceptionally well at certain sports