Bookshelf

Interested in getting your hands dirty with the theory? Here are a few places to start.

Judith Williamson, Decoding Advertising Now very old, but still a classic investigation of the role of cultural metaphors & imagery in advertising.
Daniel Chandler, Semiotics: The Basics Solid introduction to the essentials of the discipline.
Paul Cobley, Introducing Semiotics Engaging graphic introduction to the evolution of semiotic thought, from its origins in linguistics through to practical applied semiotics for marketing.
Theo van Leeuwen, Introducing Social Semiotics Somewhat of an undergraduate guide to semiotics, but useful nonetheless.
Glen David Mick, Investigating the Meaning of Meaning An essay by the renowned semiotics academic. Downloadable from http://gates.comm.virginia.edu/.
Jean-Marie Floch, Beneath the Signs, the Strategies: Semiotics, Marketing & Communication Jean-Marie Floch, Visual Identities Two key texts by the French applied semiotician.
Roland Barthes, Mythologies Classic essays on myth and meaning by the French academic responsible for popularising semiotics and demonstrating its relevance to everyday life.
Jean Umiker-Sebeok, Marketing Semiotics: New Directions in the Study of Signs for Sale Collection of essays combining theoretical and applied semiotics by a range of US semioticians and academics, edited by the foremost American semiotics academic of his generation.
Jonathan Bignell, Media Semiotics Classic text fusing semiotics with media studies.
Mark Gottdiener, Postmodern Semiotics Advanced but seriously interesting. A combination of theoretical semiotics and critical theory, together with an applied analysis of real estate signs and Disneyland.