Abstract:

The presentation will analyse the role of the so-called Helpers in advertising, drawing inspiration from both French semiotics and the American theories on screenwriting: originally combined in an innovative method. In movies, the Helpers are very important archetypes whose aid is crucial for all Heroes to attain their goals. Besides, they may appear in many different forms. The purpose of this analysis is to show that a clear categorization of Helpers may be of great use in advertising as well. The audience can expect to get pragmatic indications on how to: -mix semiotics and screenwriting principles -discern Helper roles in advertising and logically differentiate among them -gain a deep understanding of the various types of Helpers and their archetypal power -leverage this knowledge in order to enhance the inherent qualities of a brand (or product), when assisting advertising developments.