How Armenianness is represented in TV advertising: YSU researchers offer insights

The researchers analyzed available television commercials from Grand Candy, Armenia Wine and Team Telecom Armenia to explore how they construct an image of Armenianness. The researchers chose these companies because they operate in different sectors and are well known in Armenia. This selection allowed them to compare how Armenianness is represented in advertisements for different products and services.

Zaruhi Sargsyan's interest in the subject emerged while studying advertising as a form of communication that creates meaning. She observed that although Armenia's advertising industry had developed since the country's independence, the semantic and semiotic dimensions of advertising had not been sufficiently studied.   

"Since independence, particularly over the past 30 years, the advertising industry has developed, but this process has hardly been the subject of serious research. When I began studying the field, I found that very little research had been conducted, especially on how meaning is created," Sargsyan said.

We generally perceive advertising as a means of conveying information about a product, yet it also serves other functions, one of which is the creation of meaning.

Sargsyan explained that as she watched commercials over time, she began to notice how frequently they used images and symbols associated with Armenian culture and national identity. These included khachkars (Armenian cross-stones), churches and other historical and cultural imagery, as well as scenes of everyday and contemporary life. According to Sargsyan, advertising incorporates cultural imagery into its messages, linking it to products and the meanings constructed around them.

Mariam Karapetyan observed that the use of churches, khachkars and other national symbols in advertising is often accompanied by a weakening of their historical and cultural context. While these images may remain visually recognizable, their original meanings recede into the background and become subordinate to the logic of the advertising message.

"That is why we argue that Armenianness and national identity are once again transformed into a 'myth of equivalence.' This means that distinctions between historical periods no longer matter. Take, for example, the pagan temple of Garni and an Armenian Christian church. The differences between the two are disregarded, and both are imbued with a consumerist message," she said.

According to the researchers, advertising does more than present a product; it also creates particular meanings and associations around it. Products are thus linked to values, ideas and emotions that can influence consumer perceptions.

"For example, Grand Candy's latest commercials emphasize the importance of valuing the work of Armenians. In this way, purchasing a product is presented not only as a consumer choice but also as a way to support local production and recognize workers' efforts. Emotional appeal also plays an important role in this process. Advertising not only presents a product but also portrays the environment and values associated with it in an aesthetically appealing way," Sargsyan emphasized.

Karapetyan noted that in the pursuit of market success, the complex and multifaceted national identity is often simplified. Sargsyan also drew attention to the aesthetic dimension of this process, explaining that national imagery in advertising is not only simplified but also presented in an attractive and visually compelling way. 

In the researchers' view, the problem is not the use of national symbols itself, but rather the possibility that their visual appeal may overshadow their historical and cultural significance.

Karapetyan believes that the development of the education system, strong traditions in the humanities and the cultivation of critical thinking from an early age are important for approaching advertising messages critically. These factors can help people interpret the national and cultural imagery presented in advertisements with greater awareness.

She also emphasized the importance of academic and public platforms where different interpretations of Armenianness can be discussed and alternative perspectives on national identity can be presented to the public. Armenianness is neither a simple nor an unambiguous concept, and attention must be paid to the processes through which it is constructed and represented in the public sphere.

As a marketing tool, advertising serves its economic purpose by appealing to emotions and often simplifying national content.

Sargsyan also highlighted the role of language in creating markers of identity and belonging in advertising. The use of dialects, colloquial language and slang can signal not only national belonging but also regional, social or group identity. Linguistic choices in advertising therefore serve not only as a means of communication but also as a way of conveying particular ideas about identity and belonging. 

The study shows that Armenianness in TV advertising is constructed not only through national symbols but also through language, setting and lifestyle. These representations take on new meanings as they become associated with products and services. 

The researchers' observations provide a basis for critically examining how national identity is represented in advertising, with attention not only to the visual appeal of the imagery but also to its historical and cultural significance.

The study was published in the academic journal Vestnik NSU. Series: History and Philology.