ADOLF HITTER’S USE IN ADVERTISING: A STUDY ON MERCEDES AND 115 BIOMEN ADVERTISING

The name of German President Adolf Hitler is known with a bad reputation around the world. Hitler, in the eyes of millions, is regarded as the number one war criminal who launched World War II. So, when the evil, brutality, oppression and persecution are to be brought to the forefront, the name “Hitler” is immediately foreground. Hitler, seen as a dictator who oppressed his people in the eyes of millions in the world, has been the subject of countless films, books and theater over time. Especially, Hitler has begun to be used in commercial films in recent years. In these commercials, Hitler, presented in different ways in different countries, can sometimes be regarded in a commercial film that can be perceived positively, by differentiating from its negative image.In this study, it was tried to examine how Hitler is positioned in advertising films in different countries and cultures and how he is presented to masses. In this respect,the advertisement of Biomen shampoo brand, which was published in Turkey in 2012, in which Hitler was used and following year, the Mercedes car brand’s Hitler-based commercial film which was created by university students and published in Germany in 2013, were comparatively analyzed by means of semiotics method. The study was examined within the context of the denotation and side connotation put forward by Roland Barthes, one of the most important representatives of semiotics. In this way, it was tried to put clear and confidential messages that both advertisements wanted to give to the masses. In the light of the findings, it was seen that Biomen advertising published in Turkey offered Hitler positively, while German Mercedes commercial film created by university students reflected Hitler negativel