The Language of the Luxury Fashion Industry: A Linguistic and Semiotic Analysis of two Burberry’s Marketing Communication Campaigns

This thesis investigates the linguistic and semiotic mechanisms through which meaning is constructed in luxury fashion communication, focusing on two marketing campaigns by Burberry. Rather than approaching luxury branding from a purely marketing-oriented perspective, the study adopts a discourse-based and semiotic framework, analysing how language and images function as meaning-making resources within advertising texts. The theoretical background combines insights from linguistic pragmatics, visual grammar, and semiotic studies of advertising discourse, with particular attention to representation, implied meanings, and persuasive strategies. The analysis is based on a qualitative examination of selected verbal and visual materials from the campaigns “It’s Always Burberry Weather” and the LGBTQIA+ campaign #TheRainbowCheck (2018), together with “Wrapped in Love”. These campaigns are analysed in terms of visual storytelling, participant representation, and the interaction between linguistic and visual modes. The findings highlight how Burberry constructs a coherent brand discourse by integrating heritage and contemporary social values, such as inclusivity and emotional connection. Language and imagery operate synergistically to convey implicit meanings and to position the brand within the luxury fashion industry while addressing a global and digitally engaged audience. The study demonstrates the relevance of linguistic and semiotic analysis for understanding contemporary luxury advertising practices.