Title
The Ongoing Transformation Of The Mcdonald’S Logo: A Semiotic Perspective
Keywords
communication; golden arches; logo; McDonald’s; meaning; Peirce; representamen; semiotics; signs
Abstract
This paper examines the ongoing transformation of the McDonald’s logo. The objective is to achieve a fuller understanding of the meanings that the logo has embodied for McDonald’s identity, mission, and relationships, as well as the messages that the logo conveys to viewers. The semiotic framework used in this analysis is Peirce’s (1958 [1931]) semiotic model, composed of a three-part model of signification: the representamen (the sign itself), the object (or “referent”–what the sign refers to), and the interpretant (the effect on the viewer). A chief conclusion of this analysis is that the communicative purpose of McDonald’s, through its logo, has taken a long time to build and is “evolutionary” in nature.
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Publication Title
Journal of Visual Literacy
Volume
30
Issue
2
Number of Pages
20-38
Document Type
Article
Personal Identifier
scopus
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.1080/23796529.2011.11674688
Copyright Status
Unknown
Socpus ID
84946431821 (Scopus)
Source API URL
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84946431821
STARS Citation
Cowin, Erica and Matusitz, Jonathan, "The Ongoing Transformation Of The Mcdonald’S Logo: A Semiotic Perspective" (2011). Scopus Export 2010-2014. 3001.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus2010/3001