Applied Semiotics: the use of sacred & secular symbols implications and applications for advertisers

Abstract

The study examined perceptions of all-visual advertising stimuli using Sacred and Secular symbols. Two response criteria were looked at; aesthetic/emotional perceptions and rat ion a 1 /u.ti 1 i tar ian perceptions A hypothesis that subjects viewing an advertisement t using primarily Sacred symbols should rate it higher on the aesthetic/emotional dimension than one using Secular symbols was proved. A second Hypothesis that subjects viewing an advertisement u sing primary x 1 y Sec la 1 ar s y m b o 1 s w o u 1 d ratE i. t h i. q h e r o n t h e uti 1 i tartan/rational dimension than one using Sacred symbols was disproved.