Use of cultural and religious indicators in television advertisements: semiological analysis of 2010-2017 Coca-Cola Ramadan advertisements

[ERDOĞDU, Sultan, Zeynep]. Use of Cultural and Religious Indicators in Television Advertisements: Semiological Analysis of 2010-2017 Coca-Cola Ramadan Advertisements, Master Thesis, 2018, (XVI+118). The concept of culture, which includes all material and spiritual elements related with the society, focus on advertisement activities that shows the different characteristics society to society. It is being difficult to develop and adopt a general approach that concerning of all countries for the concept of culture, which encompasses a wide range of issues from family structure and relationships in a society to understanding of education system as well as religious beliefs and traditions. Businesses operating in global markets where they are operating tend to note that not only cultural characteristics but also economic variables. In this sense, ad producers are developing various advertising strategies by taking societies' tradition, custom, belief, perception and likes into consideration. Thus, social and cultural factors are active item in the formation of advertising strategies. Society and culture play a big role while convincing an individual (target market) who is exposing to messages in the advertisement. Each ad has its own story. These stories are often based on experience and tell the values of the society that we're in, also present cultural items within ourselves. The cultural elements used in advertisements are sometimes shaped by culture, and sometimes these elements shape to the culture. Religion is a phenomenon and one of the most important elements of the culture which exist since the beginning of mankind and interacts with the culture reciprocatively by including the beliefs and the worship principles. By acting locally while thinking from a global viewpoint is commonly used given periods especially when the cultural impact felt intensely. Cultural and religious signs are intensively used in the month of ramadan. For this reason, in this study it will be analyzed the month of Ramadan advertisements of Coca-Cola which is one of today's powerful global brands. This study aims to clarify in which mythic context considering the cultural values and religious indicators according to Coca-Cola's television advertisements in the month of Ramadan. Keywords: Advertising, Culture, Religion, The Month of Ramadan, Semiology.