The Use of Cultural Elements in Advertisements: Semiotic Analysis of "We all Moved into Grandma's House" and "We in the New Year ..."/Reklamlarda Kulturel Unsurlarin Kullanimi: "Hepimiz Neneme Dasindik" ile "Yeni Yilda Biz ..." Reklam Filmlerinin Gostergebilimsel Analizi

By its very nature, advertising as a form of persuasion is to try to inform, position, persuade, strengthen, differentiate and, as a result, sell products and/or services. As cultural elements change from one culture to another, advertisers develop various advertising strategies that consider society's traditions, customs, beliefs, perceptions, and tastes. Therefore, societal and cultural elements are active factors in developing an advertising strategy. Acting customarily by thinking from a global perspective is often used, especially during periods when the influence of culture is felt intensely. In this study, two commercial films called "Hepimiz Neneme Dasindik"[ We all Moved into Grandma's House] and "Yeni Yilda Biz...[C]"[We in the Now Year...[C]] from 'Neydi Olacagi'["That's what happened"] group series were examined. The analysis was using the five codes of Barthes: Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural. The study aims to find out what kinds of cultural elements are depicted in commercial films about Cypriot culture and how it has been represented. The study revealed that while one of the commercial films had been shown to the audience through self and other relationships, the product was appropriated for Turkish Cypriots by including religious festival celebrations, customs, and traditions. In other words, by using cultural codes, the other one highlights the love for others with their differences rather than self and others. It is found that Turkish Cypriot culture is associated with the notions of unity and solidarity in both commercial films; furthermore, the importance of family and neighbourhood are emphasised through the codes that highlight the importance of humanity, respect for diversity, history, and culture of Cyprus. Thus, the lifestyle of Turkish Cypriots is shown with verbal and visual codes densely.