Symbols that unite: A semiotic analysis of the Vancouver 2010 brand

Abstract

Images assist in the propagation of mythological narratives, as is the case for the basic unit of analysis of this study, the Vancouver 2010 brand. The use of images gives material existence to abstract ideas such as nationalism, religion or the notion of unity. Using the notion of triadic semiosis, as well as the social semiotic model to which it belongs, this study analyzes contemporary notions of Canadian identity, as represented visually, through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic brand. Two empirical findings have emerged as a result of this study: (1) The Canadian identity as conceptualized by scholars who have studied it in the past has undergone a process of change, namely a shift from a "traditional" Canada, deeply connected to the natural landscape and geography, to a "contemporary" Canada, composed of large metropolitan centers ready to do business with an increasingly globalized world. (2) A linguistic dualism continues to pervade within contemporary Canadian life, a fact visually represented within marketing materials used to promote the Vancouver 2010 brand.