Cultural discourse using visual elements: an analysis of a TDC brochure

Abstract

A picture paints a thousand words but a photographic image tells of a reality that is said to be truthful and captivating. Analysis of marketing materials, such as brochures and other promotional campaign materials has always focused on its target audience. This type of analysis gauges the audience responses to a new campaign material. Analysis on the content of promotional materials has somehow been lacking and almost always focused on the available textual materials. This paper departs from the normal norms of looking at textual materials and instead focuses on the photographic images that appear in most promotional materials, especially brochures. This article seeks to understand the system of visual language that is inherent in brochures. To do this, we had done a visual semiotic analysis on all the photographic images in a brochure on Kelantan that was published by the Tourism Development Corporation of Malaysia. The findings indicate that the system of visual language that is being used in this brochure allow people across culture to engage on its constructed meanings.