The virtual semiotic landscape of Vagina Varsity: A multimodal analysis

This study investigates the virtual semiotic landscape of a South African online advertisement campaign, Vagina Varsity, by sanitary towel company Libresse®. The article extends notions of linguistic landscape studies and virtual semiotic landscape studies to bring attention to the various semiotics used in online spaces for communication and meaning-making. Using a social semiotic approach to multimodality as a theoretical framework, the investigation found that the campaign addressed the topic of menstruation in a manner that assuaged cultural sensitivities towards this topic. The campaign advertised sanitary products by drawing on semiotics usually related to a teaching genre, as well as on popular cultural references. The affordances of the internet allowed for the creation of spaces where the female anatomy and related matters were presented, constructing a conducive atmosphere for young women to share, discuss and motivate others within that space.