THESIS ANALYSIS (LOCAL)

RITCHELLE C. BARRIENTOS
COGNATE 3: LANGUAGE AND ADVERTISING
 2. How many pages are there?
- 98

3. When was it published?

Depicting Filipino Values: A - May 2019
Semiotic Analysis of
From which university and country?
McDonald’s Commercials
- University of the Philippines Diliman
from 2016-2018 - Philippines
TITLE
4. Who is the writer?
- Regine Chin Gochugico
5. ABSTRACT
 The incorporation of Filipino values in commercials is considered one of the current trends in product
advertisement in the Philippines. McDonald’s Philippines is among these companies that feature Filipino values as
they promote their products. In this qualitative research, it was analyzed how Filipino values were depicted in
McDonald’s’ commercials from 2016 to 2018. Guided by Ferdinand de Saussure’s Semiotic Theory, the researcher
conducted a textual analysis on the eight commercials which were gathered through purposive sampling. In the
deconstruction of the commercials, the researcher was able to identify the elements that can be seen and heard
such as dialogues, music, silence, sound effects, body language and proxemics, visuals, visual effects, props,
colors, and setting. Through careful analysis of these audio and visual elements, features such as the signifier and
signified, hidden messages, and Filipino celebrated events present in the commercials were identified. These
elements and features, collectively, helped in identifying the Filipino values promoted in the commercials, although
it was discovered that not all of these contribute in the depiction of the Filipino values. The Filipino value appeared
most often in the commercials was being family-oriented. It was also found how McDonald’s creatively promoted
their products as they showed the Filipino values in their commercials. This study may stand not only as a
reminder to Filipinos of their existing values, but also an encouragement to companies to integrate Filipino values
in their promotional materials. As this study focused only on commercials from one company, a follow-up research
may be done to analyze commercials or other promotional materials from other companies.
 ● Filipino values

6. Key words ● McDonald’s commercials

● Semiotic Theory
 The purpose of this study is to
determine what Filipino values
8. Purpose were depicted in the eight
McDonald’s commercials.
8. OBJECTIVES
Specifically, the study aims:

● To describe the narrative overview of the commercials;

● To deconstruct audio-visual elements in each commercial;
● To determine how the Filipino values were incorporated in the promotion of the company’s products;
● To identify the signified and signifiers used in the commercials;
● To determine the hidden messagess of the commercials;
● To describe the Filipino celebrated events as featured in the commercials; and
● To identify the different Filipino values featured in the commercials.
9. RATIONALE
 The current generation is slowly absorbing and adopting other cultures’ way of living especially
the Korean culture through the use of internet. In the article Filipinos Attracted to Korean and Korea
Novelas, by DJ Yap, he stated that Korean culture is becoming visible everywhere in the Philippines
such as the food, music, language and even the clothing style of the Koreans.

In one of Loren Legarda’s interviews in Philippine Star Global, she said that the younger
generation is building the country in a modern way that is why they need to be nurtured by the adults,
so they can make a change. This change will bring the nation as one rather than make a wall between
its own people.
 This motivated the researcher to conduct this study - to make impact to other companies to
use/incorporate Filipino values in their commercials instead of just promoting their brands. This
could serve as a reminder for the younger generation of the Philippines who they really are and
inform them of their responsibility to appreciate their own values. Furthermore, McDonald’s won
the PANAta Marketing Effectiveness Award and it was considered as a Hall of Famer at the 2017
PANAta Awards. This aroused the curiousity and interest of the researcher to take a deeper
understanding on how McDonald’s depicts Filipino values through its commercials.
10. Problem Statement

McDonald’s commercials added to the growth of the company and earned audience attention.
McDonald’s excellence in making commercials contributed to creating a connection between the
producer and the consumer. This became an opportunity for McDonald’s to produce more
commercials in promoting its products. McDonald’s was distinguished by PANAta organization for its
meaningful campaigns and creative works that represent not only the Filipino peole but also its good
values. In line with this observation, the researcher tried to answer this question through this paper.

Research Problem

1.) How does McDonald’s show Filipino values in its commercials from 2016-2018?
11. Theoretical Framework

The researcher conducted a textual analysis guided by Ferdinand de Saussure’s Semiotic Theory.
He introduced the semiotic approach where language is defined as a system of signs. Saussure
further elaborated that this approach consists of two elements, the signifier and the signified. He
defined the signifier as having physical form and the signified as a mental concept. The signifier
carries the meaning and has physical existence. On the other hand, the signified is the mental image
of the signifier. According to the Saussurean model, the sign is the result of the association of the
signifier with the signified. In other words, signs need both signifier and signified to create an
interpretation.
12. METHODOLOGY
Research Design

The researcher made use of qualitative research design for this study. Qualitative research
means to gain understanding of fundamental reasons, opinions, and motivations. It also means
that the researcher interprets phenomena in a naturalistic approach. The qualitative approach is
appropriate because the research deals with identifying and analyzing the different elements of
McDonald’s commercials. This type of research does not need numerical data or statistics. The
researcher used semiotic analysis to answer the objectives. Semiotic analysis was also utilized
in determining how Filipino values are depicted in the eight McDonald’s commercials.
13. DATA COLLECTION
13.1 Type of Data

Video commercials that McDonald’s aired 1. Tulog ka pa gising na

from the year 2016-2018 were chosen and 2. The boy who loves to study

compiled for analysis. The researcher 3. Single Bells, keribells

selected the following eight commercials 4. Good morning teacher

that contained Filipino values, out of 17 5. Laging Mahal ni Nanay at Tatay

commercials: 6. Love Kita

8. You Tap We Deliver
 Other commercials were not considered as part of the choices since they
focused only on the product without any other theme. The video commercials that
were considered in the list were those which earned more than a million views in
Youtube.
13.2 Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher acquired copies of the commercials from Youtube. The researcher used a
Youtube downloader application to download the videos from the said website. The researcher
was able to gather 17 commercials, but these were reduced to eight since the selected
McDonald’s commercials to be analyzed in this study should have gain more than a million views
in Youtube and should contain Filipino values. The commercials that were selected aired from
2016-2018, or the most recently released ones to make sure the results are relevant the present
time.
13.4 Research Instrument

The primary research instrument of this study was a textual analysis guide since the researcher used semiotic
method of analysis to look for Filipino values in the McDonald’s commercials released in 2016-2018. Using the
textual analysis guide, the researcher considered the following factors in identifying the Filipino values:

Audio Elements:
1. Dialogues - the words used to convey the message in the commercial
2. Music- the musical background and the rythm played in the commercial
3. Sound effects - include the artificially enhanced sounds
4. Silence - includes the pauses of emotions released by the character and music
Video Elements:
1. Props - the accessories used to promote the product and to convey the message in the commercial
2. Sets - the locations where the scene happened
3. Colors - refer to colors to indicate the ambiance and the atmosphere of the setting
4. Body language and proxemics - includes the meanings of the non-verbal cues such as body orientation,
facial expressions, hand gestures and movements.
5. Visual effects - include animation and graphics used in the commercial.
6. Visuals - include the things the eye can perceive in the commercials such as pictures, signs, and symbols

The instruments also contained parts where the researcher has to identify the signified and signifier, the hidden messages, the
Filipino celebrated events and most importantly, the Filipino values present in the commercials. The different parts of the
instruments are connected in such a way that the results are needed to identify the depicted Filipino values in the commercials.
14. ANSWERS TO THE OBJECTIVES
 Commercial 1,2, and 5 have a documentary-like
format which used narration to deliver their
messages. Commercials 3 and 4 did not use any
dialogues to convey the messages as no storytelling
or narration of the characters was shown. Instead,
the words heard during those commercials were
To describe the narrative overview of the fromt that of the famous music or jingle. In
commercials. commercial 6, the body gestures and nearness of the
characters emphasized the message of the
OBJECTIVE 14.1 commercials. One of the best commercials that used
many video elements such as body gesture, setting,
and props to deliver directly the message even in the
absence of dialogue and music are Commercial 7
and 8.
 The researcher deconstructed the commercials
audio elements such as the dialogues, silence,
music and sound effects, and video elements
which include the body language and proxemics,
visuals, visual effects, colors, props, and sets.
To deconstruct audio-visual elements in These elements helped the researcher to critically
each commercial. scrutinize the eight different McDonald’s
commercials to depict Filipino values. After
OBJECTIVE 14.2 deconstruction, the researcher observed that
dialogues was the most helpful audio element,
while body language and proxemics was the most
helpful video element in depicting the Filipino
values in the commercials.
 The researcher was able to reveal that
McDonald’s was able to promote their products
by making them a significant part in the display
To determine how the Filipino values of the Filipino values. For example, in the
were incorporated in the promotion of the depiction of the Filipino value of being family-
company’s products. oriented, McDonald’s products were used as the
thing that brings the family members together.
OBJECTIVE 14.3 The product were also portrayed s a gift, as
shown in the scene where a Big Mac was used
for a marriage proposal - which was used as a
way to show the Filipino value of love.
 The researcher noted that the identification of
signifier/s and signified in the commercials
helped in the recognition of the Filipino values
in each commercial. In most commercials,
To identify the signified and signifiers flowers were shown to signify love and respect
used in the commercials. to others, which is one of the Filipino values
presented in this study. Another common
OBJECTIVE 14.4 signifiers found in the commercials were the
lamps and books which signified resilience and
being family-oriented, which were also
presented as Filipino values in this study.
 The words or lines used by the characters explicitly
gave the message of the commercials. The
researcher also recognized that the body language
and proxemics is another important element to be
able to demonstrate the message or the Filipino
To determine the hidden messages of the value/s behind the commercials. Even in the
commercials. abscence of dialogues and sounds, body language
and gestures of the characters gave a huge impact
OBJECTIVE 14.5 to the audience to be able to understand the
message of the commercial. Examples of such are
holding hands, hugging, smiling, and yawning.
These gestures were used to show the Filipino
values of love, jolliness and being family-oriented.
 Another factor that the researcher used to
identify the Filipino values in the eight
McDonald’s commercials was the Filipino
events celebrated which commercials were
To describe the Filipino celebrated events released. Some of the commercials were
as featured in the commercials. shown and released to the public in celebration
of an event such as Christmas, Romance
OBJECTIVE 14.6
Awarenes Month and National Breakfast Day.
These Filipino celebrated events helped depict
the Filipino values of jolliness, being family-
oriented, love and debt of gratitude.
 As most of the stories in the
commercials involved families, it is obvious
that most common Filipino value depicted
To identify the different Filipino values in these commercials was being family-
featured in the commercials. oriented. Other Filipino values identified in
the commercials were respect, resilience,
OBJECTIVE 14.7 jolliness, creativity, adaptability, faithfulness,
love, and debt of gratitude. Hospitality and
spirit of unity on the other hand, were not
seen in any of the eight commercials.
15. RECOMMENDATION
The researcher provides the following recommendations to future researchers who plan to conduct a
related study:

Since the current research used only McDonald’s commercials as its subject, future researchers can
examine commercials made by other companies. This may lead to the discovery of other ways of
depicting Filipino values.

Researchers who intend to examine commercials may also consider using a bigger sample size. As this
research used only eight commercials, one can expect that more findings or discoveries can be made if
one were to have more samples to examine. Futhermore, it is also recommended to obtain samples from
various periods to also see trends and changes in the commercials over time.
As this study’s main objective is to determine what Filipino values were depicted in the commercials, the
researcher focused only on elements and other features of the commercial that contributed in the
depiction of the Filipino values. Future researchers can make a follow-up study which will examine
thoroughly the elements and features that were not included in the analysis made in the present study,
since they did not have any connection to any Filipino values. These elements and features can be a
good subject for analysis to reveal their functions in the commercials.
Future researchers can also utilize other methods of data gathering and analysis as these will give new
perspectives in looking at the depiction of Filipino values in commercials. As this study utilized textual
analysis, the findings were limited to what is found in the commercials. Future studies can also do
audience studies such as interviews and surveys which will offer insights not available in texts.
17. Do you think it is possible for you to
replicate this study? Why or Why not?
 Yes. It is possible for me to replicate this study because the findings are more
likely to be correct and are applicable in different situations. I have an existing
knowledge about the subject of this research because I am a Filipino citizen, with that
being said, I can produce new evidence. I can probably repeat this study using the
same methods but employs different variables such as different subjects and
situations. Upon reading the methodology, this kind of study has a low-cost and it is an
advantage. Information are easy to access, specificially the type of data, which can be
found and gathered online. In terms of participants, having respondents is optional in
this kind of study.
THANK YOU!