Representation of the Symbolic Meaning of BYD Electric Cars in YouTube Advertisements

doi:10.36782/jcs.v15i2.2681

Representation of the Symbolic Meaning of BYD Electric Cars in YouTube Advertisements

Antoni Carlos, Iman Indrati

Abstract

This study examines the symbolic representation of electric vehicles in BYD YouTube advertisements as a form of audiovisual communication that constructs meaning about technology, environment, and modern lifestyles. The research focuses on identifying the use of visual, audio, and narrative elements, revealing the symbolic meanings embedded in the advertisement, and interpreting the values of modern society conveyed through these representations. A qualitative research design was applied using a descriptive semiotic approach based on Roland Barthes’ framework, which analyzes meaning at the levels of denotation, connotation, and myth. The primary data consist of a BYD electric vehicle advertisement published on the official YouTube channel, supported by semi-structured interviews with selected informants to enrich interpretation. The findings indicate that the advertisement integrates visual imagery, sound, and storytelling as a unified system of signs. At the denotative level, electric vehicles are presented as modern, functional, and technologically advanced transportation. At the connotative level, electric vehicles symbolize modern lifestyles, efficiency, environmental awareness, and social harmony. At the mythological level, the advertisement naturalizes the idea that electric vehicle adoption represents a morally appropriate and inevitable choice for the future. The study also finds that the advertisement conveys key values of contemporary society, including sustainability, technological progress, social togetherness, and middle-class identity. The novelty of this study lies in its focused semiotic analysis of YouTube-based electric vehicle advertising using an audiovisual framework, which reveals the ideological role of digital advertising in shaping perceptions of green technology beyond product promotion. The study demonstrates that YouTube advertising operates not only as a marketing tool but also as a cultural medium that constructs social meanings and public acceptance of environmentally friendly technology.

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