Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Legitimising male grooming through packaging discourse
T2 - a linguistic analysis
AU - Cheong, Huey Fen
AU - Kaur, Surinderpal
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - While packaging is a common marketing subject, this illustration paper provides an alternative perspective through the linguistic examination of packaging as discourse, focusing on male grooming, masculinity and metrosexuality. Male grooming is often perceived as trespassing into feminine space and creating ambiguity in gender borders. This study aims to explore how packaging designers negotiate masculinity, in order to persuade men to accept grooming products through social interactions within the packaging of L’Oréal Men Expert. Employing Scollon’s mediated discourse analysis and incorporating the Barthesian order of signification, the study analyses how different social actions within the packaging discourse are mediated by multimodal features. The findings reveal five negotiating strategies, i.e. constructing a hegemonicmasculine image; negotiating (a masculinised) metrosexuality; empowering men;giving men a logical reason to groom; and a different portrayal of skincare products. The key aim of this paper is to illustrate the differences between marketing and linguistics and propose possible collaboration.
AB - While packaging is a common marketing subject, this illustration paper provides an alternative perspective through the linguistic examination of packaging as discourse, focusing on male grooming, masculinity and metrosexuality. Male grooming is often perceived as trespassing into feminine space and creating ambiguity in gender borders. This study aims to explore how packaging designers negotiate masculinity, in order to persuade men to accept grooming products through social interactions within the packaging of L’Oréal Men Expert. Employing Scollon’s mediated discourse analysis and incorporating the Barthesian order of signification, the study analyses how different social actions within the packaging discourse are mediated by multimodal features. The findings reveal five negotiating strategies, i.e. constructing a hegemonicmasculine image; negotiating (a masculinised) metrosexuality; empowering men;giving men a logical reason to groom; and a different portrayal of skincare products. The key aim of this paper is to illustrate the differences between marketing and linguistics and propose possible collaboration.
KW - product packaging discourse; mediated discourse analysis; linguistic semiotics; marketing semiotics; masculinity/metrosexuality
KW - mediated discourse analysis
KW - linguistic semiotics
KW - marketing semiotics
KW - masculinity/metrosexuality
U2 - 10.1080/10350330.2015.1026650
DO - 10.1080/10350330.2015.1026650
M3 - Journal article
VL - 25
SP - 364
EP - 385
JO - Social Semiotics
JF - Social Semiotics
SN - 1035-0330
IS - 3
ER -