REPRESENTATION OF MODERN MASCULINITY ON USA'S DOVE MEN+CARE ADVERTISEMENTS (A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS)

Abstract

This research analyzes how Dove Men+Care USA advertisements represent modern masculinity and reframe male roles within cultural and commercial contexts. A qualitative approach based on Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic framework was employed to analyze 45 scenes selected from four Dove Men+Care USA advertisements released between 2022 and 2024. The analysis focused on iconic, indexical, and symbolic signs to interpret how visual and textual elements construct meanings associated with masculinity and care. The findings show that the advertisements challenge traditional masculine ideals by emphasizing empathy, inclusivity, and caregiving while simultaneously incorporating these values into commercial branding strategies. The study contributes to masculinity and media research by demonstrating how Peirce's semiotic framework can be systematically applied to interpret representations of contemporary masculinity in advertising. It further highlights the dual function of advertising as both a medium for negotiating changing gender norms and a mechanism for embedding those meanings within consumer culture.