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Semiotic Discourse Analysis of Billboards in Multan
Shehroz Shahzad, Abdul Ghaffar, & Amina Shahzadi
Abstract:
The research paper examines the language on billboards in Multan. The billboard is a distinctive form of advertising that differs from other forms. This is a result of its linguistic and paralinguistic communicative strategies towards reaching a large populace, which is embedded in its language use. The aim of the present study is to investigate the hidden ideologies in the billboard advertisements in the vicinity of Multan. The researchers have explored various signs and phrases. These linguistic and non-linguistic features have been explored by applying Roland Barthes ’Semiotic Model of (SDA) and Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This article investigates the texts, symbols, and persuasive elements on selected billboards in Multan. This study explores billboard advertisements in Multan through semiotic discourse analysis. It examines how language, images, colour, layout, and typography construct meanings and influence public perception. Billboards are treated as multimodal texts that promote consumer culture while shaping social identities. The study focuses on how billboards represent cultural values in an urban Pakistani context. The research highlights how billboard messages naturalise certain lifestyles and ideologies. The findings contribute to understanding Multan’s advertising in everyday meaning-making.
Keywords:
Semiotics, Discourse Analysis, Billboards, Multan, Multimodality, Advertising, Urban Visual Culture, Identity Construction
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