Totemism and exclusivism: A case study of Tolak Angin advertising with figure of Rhenald Kasali from Indonesia

Abstract

Totemism and exclusivism are currently a concern of advertisers in presenting their work in connection with the tendency of people to worship or glorify something, in the form of objects or people and to consider themselves as part of a community. This tendency is used to attract consumers’ attention to the advertised goods or services. The purpose of this study is to comprehend the formation of a new style of totem related to symbols and meanings that change the value system in the audience so as forming exclusivism. This study focuses on the advertisement for Tolak Angin with the figure of Rhenald Kasali. The research was conducted using the semiotic research method of Roland Barthes’ structural model with descriptive-interpretative techniques by analyzing the structure of the advertising text starting from denotation and connotation which then carried out a semiotic process through the relationships between signs to myths. This study found that Tolak Angin uses Rhenald Kasali as the totem of the advertisement with the meaning of “smart person”. Rhenald Kasali represents a group of people who consider themselves smart. Totem makes a symbol of value system that unite consumers or society, this power will later form “exclusivism” in a group that forms a certain class that has the same attachment to the product “Tolak Angin” with the totem as “smart people”. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for advertising practitioners by utilizing the phenomena of totemism and exclusivism that develop in society.

Keywords:

• advertisement
• exclusivism
• sign Relations
• Totemism
• value system

1. Introduction

Totemism is a primitive belief system in the past in the form of worship of animals or plants as protectors or as calamity carriers, as well as a spiritual bond in certain societies (Pickering, 2009). Currently this belief system is reviving through other forms in daily life, it can be in the form of worship of objects or figures of someone who has influence, this generally occurs in Indonesia. Totemism in daily life can be found in advertising, especially through the phenomenon of changing technology of media using, from offline to online, making advertising easier and faster to reach the public, but how does totemism develop in advertising.

Advertising as a product of popular culture displays many signs which become binding symbols due to the similarity of perceptions within groups of people, resulting in exclusivity, this group feels as part of a large group of fans of the products or figures featured in advertisements (Berger & Ward, 2010). Rhenald Kasali’s version of the “Tolak Angin” advertisement that was broadcast on television and on social media YouTube was used as a case study. In Indonesia, the figure of Rhenald Kasali is a well-known professor in the field of management at a well-known university, automatically he has many followers and is adored as a smart person, a person who has extensive knowledge, because of this he is used as an endorser by the company Sido Muncul through the product Tolak Angin, Rhenald Kasali is used as a kind of binder for a group that thinks they are smart. The endorsement of Rhenald Kasali is expected to increase brand equity. The process of tying symbols into advertisements provides a concrete form for the division, classification, and solidarity of groups or ethnicities, this process is totemic. As stated by Comaroff (1987) who examines the fundamental similarities between totemism and ethnicity in terms of sign, opposition, symmetry, inequality, and difference. Totemism is the result of developing a personal relationship with the urban environment and the symbols that come from them.

Advertising has become a part of human life, and various forms and styles exist to convey their messages (De Mooij, 2004), one of which is the Tolak Angin advertisement, which is a transition from Myth to a logo or from traditional to modern Myth. Tolak Angin originates from a drink or traditional medicine made from natural ingredients, thus believing that it is mystical, non-rational, non-scientific, and considered powerful. However, in the advertisement for Tolak Angin with the figure Rhenald Kasali, traditional Tolak Angin becomes rational, scientific, and modern because besides being made from natural ingredients, it is also carried out through research and laboratory studies so that it has strength and safety for its consumers. In addition, consumers are determined to be smart because they consume Tolak Angin as an option. Professor Rhenald Kasali becomes a value system for consumer confidence and attachment to a product.

Advertisements on television and on social media are cultural products and the culture is a sign system. These signs come in various forms in advertising products and convey a variety of styles and messages, as stated by Hoed (2014), that various approaches to conveying advertising messages are carried out to influence the audience. The use of signs aims to build trust for potential customers, so that consumers will be bound by the product, then consumers will identify the product as a symbol, which is called totemism (Hoed, 2014). Thus, it can be said that totemism is a system that binds and is related to spirituality, as well as forming a value system between products and consumers. Various ways of advertising packaging are carried out because manufacturers’ competition to become the choice of consumers is getting tougher day by day, manufacturers are competing to package their product advertisements in such a way as to continue to attract public attention (Indriani et al., 2019). Several previous studies have used the theoretical foundation of totemism, including Fauziyyah (2018), who found that Lippo Group’s advertising attempts to make Meikarta a totem by associating it with modernity and ease of life. According to the findings of Christianna’s (2012), the totems utilized in Mie Sedaap advertisements use products and/or brand ambassadors to inspire consumer trust. Meanwhile, the findings of Sari’s (2020) indicate that advertisements for Lux Beauty Powers soap reinforce patriarchal constructions and demonstrate gender bias and stereotypes of women in society.

This study aims to comprehend and reveal the rationalization of the new style totem as a sign that forms a value system, thus forming a strong connotation in society and forming a new myth about something or someone so that it is worshiped and becomes a kind of totem that can bind groups of people spiritually, this can explains how the articulation of the Tolak Angin ad which uses narrative and visual elements becomes a contemporary myth. Roland Barthes said that contemporary myths are discontinuous, these myths are no longer present in the form of long narratives with standard formats, but only in the form of discourse (Barthes, 2013). In addition, Durkheimian sociology termed myth as a collective representation that appears in the form of utterances in the world of advertising or whatever is consumed by the masses.

This paper consists of six sections. The first section is the introduction which introduces the background of this research. The second section contains a literature review as a theoretical basis for research. The third section is the Research Methodology which explains the procedures and stages of this research. The fourth section is Results/Findings, which describes the findings of the research results, and the fifth section is discussion, which presents the analysis and discussion of these findings. Furthermore, the last section is the Conclusion and Recommendation.

2. Literature review

2.1. Advertisement

Advertising is a means of communication to reach and convey messages to consumers. Jones (1990) describes the role of advertising as an activity to “increase people’s knowledge and change people’s attitudes and assumes that the sales message must be clear”. Advertising is text, text frame, and message construction by “observers” who perceive the message as having a promotional meaning within a frame created by “observers” themselves (Karimova, 2012). Richards and Curran (2002) have stated about the effects of advertising and argued that “it is a paid form of communication from an identifiable source that is intended to persuade recipients to take action now or in the future.” Advertising is a strategy that encourages individuals to convey marketing messages to others, thereby creating the potential for exponential message exposure growth (Kirby, 2005). Advertising re-creates the product, gives it an identity, specifies it, and ultimately prepares it for an existence that is no longer immersed in the dynamics of production, but rather in the human, symbolic, and social relations that define consumption (Rocha, 2013). According to Frolova (2014), advertising is a paid form of impersonal communication used by identified sponsors to disseminate business information about company products and services through various communication channels. In addition, Moriarty et al. (2018) revealed that advertising is a paid form of communication that uses mass media and interactive media to reach a large audience in order to connect sponsors with consumers and provide product information.

Advertising is a means of communication marketers use to reach and convey messages to consumers. Advertising has become a large industry involving various aspects such as advertising, creative, and media planning. In its development, advertising has become a strategic communication tool to create impact, namely a response from consumers, such as understanding the product, how to use it, or persuading consumers to have the product immediately. An advertiser must know that what he says and where he says it is an advertising strategy, whereas how he says it is his creativity and execution, thus strategy, creative ideas, execution, and media selection will determine the effectiveness of advertising (Moriarty et al., 2018).

Advertisements in the form of films, either shown on television or social media, are effective ways of conveying messages. Television is easily adapted by sound, color, and movement. While social media is an integral part of people’s lives, advertisements often appear when we access social media. Lee and Johnson (2009) shows that visual images bypass the brain’s logical processes and are directly conveyed to the brain’s center, creating a strong emotional impact characteristic of television and films. It will relate to one of the psychological functions, which is often used as a focus in the field of psychology is the process of perception or observation, which is a stimulus that the individual receives is processed in such a way so that the stimulus has meaning (Iskandar, 2011). Advertising certainly has goals and objectives in forming meaning or something that consumers can symbolize, one of which is by using celebrity figures which are expected to create an impression for consumers who are selective in choosing products and increase status values by following or owning what celebrity uses (Savitri, 2017). Celebrity figures become one of the strength factors considered by consumers to believe in the truth of the contents of the message conveyed by the advertisement and serve as a symbol that binds consumers to the product while simultaneously feeling a whole part of their community. In addition, copyright or visuals are often used to describe a product and attract consumers to increase purchasing power by using celebrity figures as carriers or delivery of advertising messages (Wijaya, 2015).

2.2. Sign relations

Advertisements on television and social media are a film work, a series of images projected on a screen at an appropriate speed to create the illusion of continuous motion (Danesi, 2004). Television advertising is a cultural product, so advertising is a sign. A sign is something that represents something else, something that represents experience (Hoed, 2014). said that Barthes used the theory of significance to become expression (E) and signifies to become content (C) which was developed into a theory about metalanguage and connotation. Then Barthes explained that between (E) and (C), there must be a relation (R) so that a sign (sign, Sn) is formed. However, the concept of relation (R) is more likely to develop in the theory of signs because the user of the sign determines R. Every sign always gets an initial meaning that is generally known (denotation) and is referred to by Barthes as a “primary system”, while its development is referred to as a “secondary system”.

According to (Hoed, 2014), what stands out in Barthes is the use of syntagmatic-paradigmatic concepts to explain cultural phenomena. Signs are used in other possibilities in what he calls the second system. In this second system, signs can develop in terms of their expression, namely the development of a number of expressions that refer to the same content. Furthermore, Barthes developed this connotation theory as a basis for studying culture and building theories about culture. The study of connotation culture is developed into a theory of “myth.” Myth in Barthes’ view is a symptom of language, but in his description Barthes argues that Myth, in a unique sense, is a development of connotation. Piliang and Jaelani (2018) explain that although Myth is a type of speech, it is not limited to written and spoken language. However, it can be anything: visuals, architecture, objects, sports, fashion, and eating activities. Myths exist not only in traditional societies but also in modern societies. Barthes explains that anything can become a myth as long as a discourse presents it. Barthes’ view in (Piliang & Jaelani, 2018), explains that Myth cannot be defined as an object of its message, but from the way this message is uttered or conveyed. Myth is a form, and it becomes essential not because of the object, idea, or concept but of the way it is spoken or said, as in an advertisement.

Myth and ideology work by naturalizing interpretations that depend on many other things about people with a specific history. That is, Myth makes certain worldviews appear as something undeniable because they are natural or have been created by God: “Myth is in charge of providing a natural justification for a historical goal, and making dependence on many of these things appear as something eternal (Barker & Jane, 2016). The sign is called a symbol if the meaning is based on a social agreement or convention. So various symptoms that exist in people’s lives, whether in the form of objects, behavior, or thoughts, are seen as symbols that represent or refer to a meaning outside the sign itself (Christianna, 2012).

2.3. Totemism

Lévi-Strauss (1970) showed that “totemism” in anthropology is a homology between two separate systems. Totems are cultural elements in primitive societies, usually animal or plant statues made of carved wood (Hoed, 2014). A totem is a sign referred to as a “binder” by a community or tribe. Furthermore (Hoed, 2014) states that the totemism referred to in advertisements is not the same as that in primitive societies. However, in principle, there are similarities in terms of their nature which “binds” community groups with a symbol. As Hoed has pointed out, we will see advertised products as emblematic type signs. However, the convention that underlies this symbol is formed through suggestions built so that it is expected to generate an agreement that becomes the basis for a convention in accepting a brand as a kind of “totem” brand that is trusted for its superiority. Totemism is a belief system in objects/things as a reference to a spiritual bond by highlighting its advantages for both short-term and long-term projections through various symbols (Christianna, 2012).

A social society system requires interaction between a person and another person, or between groups and other groups, thus demanding a distinction based on classification. The study of totemism relies on specialized terminology, concepts, classifications, and divisions. Totemism, a complex interplay between wholes and pieces of social and cognitive systems, is a term used to characterize social groupings. Depending on certain settings or occurrences, certain elements may become more prominent or less prominent (Phillips, 2021).

Advertising as a social product uses a belief system that can enchant consumers so they want to buy the product offered through symbols that are deliberately used to bind certain groups of people. Totemism has historically been used by anthropologists to comprehend traditional civilizations, their organizational structures and their symbolic markers. This literary work raised questions about the definition of totemism as magic or religion, whether it affected familial customs, and the relative importance of marriage and spirituality (Phillips, 2021). The relationship between totemism and advertising is the similarity in a belief system in an object or product or person. Suggestions built on consumers will certainly give rise to various kinds of perceptions and conventions that forms connotations in society. So that if the connotation is strengthened in society then it will become a myth which is a story (form), and behind the myth there will be an ideology (content) (Piliang & Jaelani, 2018).

2.4. Exclusivism

Someone is spiritually bound to something, so he will get the same spiritual group and feel exclusive in the same group. As said by Al-Fandi (2011) that exclusivism in the characteristics of social groups essentially has many meanings, but in some definitions, there are similarities in interpreting the word exclusivism; this similarity is the attitude of individuals and groups isolating themselves from other parties as written by (Knitter, 1995) that exclusivism, which can be understood as an ideology that tends to separate itself from society. Also in line with the thought (Khalid, 2020), exclusivism is a psychosocial condition that tends to choose and accept people who are deemed appropriate and according to their wishes, both individuals and groups. Furthermore, he stated that exclusivism is an attitude that feels the most righteous of others. Thus a person’s dependence on something and feel part of a particular community is used for interests in advertising production through brands that are embodied in signs that consumers can identify. Thus a person’s dependence on something and feel part of a particular community is used for interests in advertising production through brands that are embodied in signs that consumers can identify.

3. Research methodology

This article uses a type of qualitative interpretive research that consists of a series of material interpretation practices that make the world visible and involves a naturalistic interpretive approach to the world (Creswell, 2016). This study employs a purposive sampling technique to select and observe video advertisements, focusing specifically on seven Tolak Angin advertisements featuring the tagline “smart people drink Tolak Angin.” These advertisements showcase well-known figures from diverse professional backgrounds, including academics, presenters, actors, singers, and students. The selection criterion for these figures is based on their reputation as individuals commonly regarded as smart. Among these videos, the one featuring Rhenald Kasali is considered to be particularly representative of the desired criteria outlined in this study. By analyzing this specific advertisement, the research aims to gain deeper insights into the portrayal and perception of intelligence within the context of Tolak Angin’s marketing campaign.

This study places the advertisement “Tolak Angin with the figure of Rhenald Kasali” as a text through textual analysis using Roland Barthes’ dyadic semiotic model through the stages of understanding; denotation (expression), connotation (content), and Myth (McKee, 2003). states that textual analysis is the interpretations generated from the text. These interpretations are processes when we perform both encoding and decoding of the signs in the unity of a text that is produced. Advertising text as an object of research is understood by means of structural objectivation by using structural analysis of the text namely denotation and connotation which then carries out a semiotic process through the relationship between signs to myths. The first stage of significance is the relationship between signifier and signified in a sign in external reality, denotation is the most real meaning of the sign at this stage. The second stage is the connotation which describes the interaction that occurs when the sign meets the feelings and cultural values of the reader so that it has a high subjectivity value. In the second stage of significance related to content, signs work through myths. Myth is how culture explains or understands several aspects of reality or natural phenomena. Roland Barthes created a systematic model for analyzing the meaning of signs that focused on two-stage significance as shown in Figure Figure 1.

Figure 1. Two orders of signification.

Source: Fiske 1990

4. Finding

Myths in Indonesia are usually filled with values and life advice, in the process conveyed through the culture of speech, generally myths contain stories about the initial state of the world, stories of gods and supernatural beings, and stories of the origins of something. Myths in Indonesia also receive influences from abroad which in general have undergone changes and further processing, so that they do not feel strange anymore due to the adaptation process, due to changing times. The myth that developed gradually was believed to be the truth so that belief in it arose, even leading to worship. Beliefs and worship of objects or humans are used to influence people to become part of their group, then exclusivism is formed.

In the interpretative analysis of the visual text of the ad “Tolak Angin, Rhenald Kasali’s version, it is carried out through the stages of reading analysis of the meaning of denotation and connotation, then reading the mythical constructions in the advertising text related to totemism which forms exclusivism.

Table 1 below shows the visual of the scenes contained in the advertisement “Tolak Angin with the figure of Rhenald Kasali”. Interpretation is carried out on the denotation that appears in the advertisement through the capture of images in the Tolak Angin advertisement by Rhenald Kasali by using Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis in the cultural studies approach.

Table 1. Advertisement Tolak Angin with the figure of Rhenald Kasali

Sc	Time	Capture	Narration	Denotation	Connotation
1	00:00			The writing “By Rhenald Kasali” uses a typewriter	In the past, Rhenald Kasali was an academic
	00.01		Waktu sekolah saya punya impian besar dan selalu bekerja keras sampai larut malam I had big dreams at school and always worked hard until late at night.	Rhenald Kasali is in the private library Foreground: room dividing wall displaying photographs and achievement certificates	Tells the story of Rhenald Kasali’s struggle to affirm that he is an academician/ professor
2	00:03			Photo of Rhenald Kasali holding a folder/book	Rhenald Kasali’s achievements, both in Education and in his contribution to the country
	00:04			Photo of Rhenald Kasali wearing a toga with his friends
				Photo of the certificate of appreciation from the president of the Republic of Indonesia
				Photo of graduation certificate given by the University of Illinois
3	00:05			Rhenald Kasali is selecting a book from the private library	Rhenald Kasali, a person who likes to read, is synonymous with the title of the professor who is always close to books/science
	00:06			Rhenald Kasali is reading
4	00:07			Rhenald Kasali took off his glasses	Finish reading late at night
	00:08		Supaya ngga masuk angin saya minum tolak angin So that I do not catch a cold, I drink Tolak angin	Rhenald Kasali rubbed his hands over his eyes	Fatigue that can cause colds
	00:09			Rhenald Kasali looked at the room	Remember something
	00:11			Rhenald Kasali drinking Tolak Angin	Drinking Tolak Angin can overcome colds
5	00:12		Dulu serbuk sekarang cair, keren, praktis Previously powder is now liquid, calm, and practical	Tolak Angin packaging in powder form	Tolak Angin product is powder in old packaging.
	00:14			Close up, Rhenald Kasali stares flatly	Rhenald Kasali remembers the past when technology was not yet advanced, such as his experience using a typewriter
	00:17			Rhenald Kasali stares flatly
	00:18			Rhenald Kasali is presenting in front of the class using a projector	Describe the changes in technological advances used today
	00:19			a note written by someone with a pen pointed at it.	something important, movement, change, innovation
6	00:20		Saya percaya dua hal, niat baik dan bertanggung jawab I believe in two things, good faith and being responsible	Rhenald Kasali is writing on his laptop “Good intentions and responsibility, that is what Sido Muncul does.”	Rhenald Kasali always has good intentions and responsibility.
	00:22		Itu yang dilakukan Sidomuncul That is what Sido Muncul did	Activities in the laboratory	Sido Muncul is produced in good faith and responsibly through laboratory research
	00:23
	00:25		Pilih yang terbaik choose the best	Rhenald Kasali looks at the camera: Choose the best	Rhenald Kasali’s Affirmation of Tolak Angin Products
	00:27		Kalau masuk angin orang pintar minum Tolak Angin If you catch a cold, smart people drink Tolak Angin	Writing: “If you catch a cold, smart people drink Tolak Angin” Tolak Angin packaging on the book	If you catch a cold smart people drink Tolak Angin
	00:30			Closing with the words: Direction to use	Direction to use

source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOcrj_8kzOk

The signs that appear sequentially in the ad interact with the audience’s feelings, leading to the following assumptions: Rhenald Kasali is a smart person who has consistently pursued his field for a long time (using a typewriter) until now (using a computer), hard worker (using a typewriter). work late into the night), he drinks Tolak Angin when he has a cold or feels tired. Tolak Angin is a herbal medicine that is trusted by Indonesians, especially residents of the island of Java, as a nutritious traditional medicine. In the past, Tolak Angin was produced traditionally in powder form which had to be brewed (old packaging), now it is made more modern in liquid form (new packaging in sachet form) with the use of a laboratory to maintain quality. So Rhenald Kasali (a smart person) drinking Tolak Angin (traditional herbal) is the use of a smart person’s figure to gain public trust in traditional products.

5. Discussion

The present study delved into the phenomenon of totemism and exclusivism in advertising, focusing on a case study of Tolak Angin advertising featuring the prominent figure of Rhenald Kasali in Indonesia. The analysis shed light on the use of totemic symbols and exclusive messaging in promoting the product associated with these advertising strategies.

Scene 1: The expression of the visual scenes showing the name “By Rhenald Kasali” through a typewriter and the visual Rhenald Kasali reading a book in the private library room is a denotative meaning that explains and affirms that Rhenald Kasali is a Professor. The public knows a professor has expertise in a particular field. The following visual scene is the denotation of the library, which connotes a place to get information, a source of knowledge, educational facilities, and a place to find research materials. The denotative meanings of the two visuals have a relationship that forms the sign of “smartness.” The connotation constructed in the visual above is Prof. Rhenald Kasali is considered to have strength or intelligence. Rhenald Kasali is smart and can internalize all the knowledge in the books in the library. Meanwhile, the myth formation in the visual above is that a library is a place for smart and diligent people, such as academics or professors. The library is also considered a place for various sources of knowledge and life stories worldwide.

The value system in the visual above is related to the belief system in certain classes and at the same time produces meanings and ideas about the figure of Professor Rhenald Kasali as a smart person with a high social stratum because he has a private library room in his house. In addition, the visual manual typewriter is an idea or concept associated with Rhenald Kasali, which has a social and cultural value system that describes the generational changes, processes, and transformations of the figure of Rhenald Kasali. The general process related to the production of meaning and the idea that reading culture will make someone bright, form a class or group, and become exclusive. Then “intelligence” will become a connotation, then through a process of semiosis, it will become a myth, which is a type of speech, and everything will become a myth as long as it is presented by a discourse (Barthes, 2013). Barthes (2013) explained that language requires special conditions to become a myth, but what must be emphasized from the start is that Myth is a communication system that has a message and this allows one to understand that myths cannot possibly be objects, concepts or ideas as a way of marking, a form.

Scene 2: The visual of Rhenald Kasali is continuing his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois and wearing a toga dress with his friends after graduation. This visual is the meaning of the denotation that doctoral program lectures (S3) are the highest level of academic Education. The doctoral program is a step towards advancing to become professors with highly qualified scientific expertise. Meanwhile, the visual plaque of the Satya Mediterania Karya Satya award in 2014 from the president of the Republic of Indonesia is a form of appreciation for the contribution and dedication so far by Rhenald Kasali to the nation and state of Indonesia. Then the graduation certificate given by the University of Illinois is a form of achievement achieved while attending lectures and awarding the title of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) to Rhenald Kasali. The connotative meaning is that people who can study at the doctoral level are diligent and have an above-average level of intelligence.

Moreover, studying abroad must have good skills, especially in terms of language, capital, and relations. While getting the award is for the chosen person with a specific intelligence. The Myth in the visual above explains that studying abroad will make people smart and successful in all things, because the quality of Education abroad is much better compared to Indonesia.

The emerging value system is related to the belief system and forms a dualistic relationship between East and West. Studying abroad will get quality knowledge. After graduation, you will become someone who has expertise or is smart, gets an uphill career, and will always be prosperous in business. Then from a scientific point of view abroad, it is developing faster and more modern compared to the eastern world, especially in Indonesia. The figure of Rhenald Kasali is one of those who took doctoral studies abroad and got awards from the University of Illinois and the president of the Republic of Indonesia for his contribution to the nation and state. In general, it is related to the production of meanings and ideas that studying abroad will form someone who thinks logically and is forward-thinking so that they will have achievements to build the progress of the Indonesian state and can form an entire class which then becomes a symbol or meaning as success. The outstanding achievements of Rhenald Kasali made people believe he was “a smart man.” He became a reference for a spiritual bond by highlighting his strengths for both short-term and long-term projections through various symbols (Christianna, 2012).

Scene 3: Rhenald Kasali’s visual expression is looking for and looking at some books, and reading them is a routine or daily activity as a professor. Apart from being an academic, Rhenald Kasali already has several books that have been circulated. In the visual above, Rhenald Kasali is reading one of his books. The great shifting (Kasali, 2018): when the platform changes, life, and business also change. The connotation in the visual above is that a professor usually has a personal library, has an extensive collection of books, and owns the books he has written. Libraries and books are two things that can never be separated from and are always close to a professor. The Myth in the visual above is that people or professors must always read and have a personal library.

The value system built is related to a library space landscape with a belief system in forming personal and social identities. A professor is believed to have a private library room and a habit of always reading. It becomes a concept or idea in a person’s or society’s mind. If you want to be smart, you must be diligent in reading books, like Professor Rhenald Kasali, who is always close to the world of reading and writing. Generally related to producing meanings and ideas, smart people are always diligent in reading. They have an extensive collection of books in the library, like a professor who is always looking for novelty with scientific procedures, thereby forming an identity that forms class and is exclusive. Exclusivism arises because there are groups that form a certain class, Rhenald Kasali forms his class as “smart people,” people who are close to science. Knitter (2008) states that exclusivism can be understood as an understanding that tends to separate itself from society.

Scene 4: Visual expression Rhenald Kasali is taking off his glasses and rubbing his hands over his eyes because he feels tired after reading a book for a long time. However, he smiled because there was a solution to overcome this fatigue, namely by taking the herbal medicine “Tolak Angin” produced by Sido Muncul in sachet form. The connotative meaning is that conditions of fatigue or colds will be cured by taking herbal medicine, especially by taking the drug “Tolak Angin” produced by Sido Muncul. The Myth in the visual above is that taking the herbal medicine “Tolak Angin” produced by Sido Muncul can cure symptoms of colds and fatigue.

The value system that emerges is related to belief systems and false consciousness or illusions of belief. The fatigue condition experienced by professor Rhenald Kasali in the advertisement is believed to have a solution because the professor is an expert, smart, and thinks scientifically. Fatigue and colds can be cured by taking the herbal medicine “Tolak Angin” produced by Sido Muncul. However, it becomes a false awareness or illusion of belief when taking the drug and immediately returns to health. There is a contrast between the healing truth of drinking the herbal medicine Tolak Angin and the truth of science. In general, it is related to the production of meanings and ideas that a professor like Rhenald Kasali also chooses to take the herbal medicine Tolak Angin, because a professor is a smart person who of course in solving problems always goes through a process of analysis as well as scientific methods so that he can convince a person or group public. The Myth about the efficacy of Tolak Angin was raised through natural justification through the figure of Rhenald Kasali for a historical purpose and making dependence on many of these things appear as something eternal (Barker & Jane, 2016).

Scene 5: Visual expression of old products from “Tolak Angin” powder produced by Sido Muncul appears in sachet packaging. Rhenald Kasali is looking or looking at something in front and explaining or presenting something. Then visualize a note written by someone using a pen pointed at the writing. The connotative meaning of the visual of the old product “Tolak Angin” suggests the past, traditional, healthy, natural, made of herbs, and safe for consumption. Visuals of Rhenald Kasali staring at him in close-up and extreme close-up form signify focus, commitment, looking to the future, and having a vision. Meanwhile, Rhenald Kasali’s visual, which carries out teaching and presentation activities and shows several notes, is the connotative meaning of something important, movement. The Myth that is formed is that smart people have the vision and can make changes.

The value system in the visual above relates to the belief system of classes and groups with concepts and ideas for making changes. Professor Rhenald Kasali is described as having the vision to make changes from a product to innovate. In transforming a product, experience, knowledge, and confidence are needed to become an orientation in action. Besides that, hard work and optimism are driving enthusiasm for making changes. In general, concerning the production of meanings and ideas, the herbal medicine “Tolak Angin” produced by Sido Muncul makes innovations or novelties from traditional to modern herbs. The symbol of change is applied to the figure of professor Rhenald Kasali who is a reformer, academician, professor a smart person.

Scene 6: Rhenald Kasali’s visual expression while writing using a laptop reinforced with the text “Good and Responsible Intentions.” The visual of the researchers doing scientific research in Sido Muncul’s instrumentation laboratory is reinforced by the text “That is What Sido Muncul Did.” Then the visual Rhenald Kasali is sitting in the library smiling, and the last visual shows the wind reject product on a book which is reinforced with the text “If you have a cold, smart people drink Tolak Angin,” and closing with the words “direction to use.”

The visual connotation meaning of Rhenald Kasali is typing with the text “Good Intentions and Responsibility” as an affirmation that a professor must have good intentions and be responsible for what will be done or conduct research so that it can benefit society. Then research in the instrumentation laboratory proves that Sido Muncul products have carried out a series of scientific product research and produced products that are hygienic and can cure cold symptoms. Visual Rhenald Kasali smiling in the library room signifies the joy, success, and success of the products produced. While the visual of the product that is placed above the pile of books explains that the product was produced through a long research process by experts or professors as smart people. Closing “direction to use” emphasizes that smart people always read the information so they do not take the wrong action. The Myth built up is that Tolak Angin can cure people who have a cold and only smart people drink Tolak Angin.

The value system in the visual above relates to the belief system and false awareness or illusion of belief. Discourse through the text “good intentions and responsibility” is a commitment made by the Sido Muncul company for each of its products, especially the herbal medicine Tolak Angin. The discourse is carried out through language, morality, and law symbols. The figure of Rhenald Kasali depicts the language symbol as a professor who is believed by many to be smart. Morality is related to how the Sido Muncul company gives good intentions and responsibilities for its products.

Meanwhile, the law relates to various scientific principles or rules and methods in making Tolak Angin herbal medicine through an instrumentation laboratory. However, false awareness or illusion of belief is described as “if you catch a cold, a smart person drinks Tolak Angin,” which is contrary to science. Concerning the production of meanings and ideas, the herbal medicine Tolak Angin, produced by Sido Muncul, provides confidence and comfort for consumers who drink it. The figure of Rhenald Kasali reinforces this belief as a professor is a smart person. Rhenald Kasali’s figure turns into a totem, a sign referred to as “binding” community groups with a symbol. Hoed (2014) states that we will see the advertised product as a type of symbol. However, the convention that underlies this symbol is formed through suggestions built through the figure of Rhenald Kasali as a “smart” person.

6. Conclusion and recommendation

In conclusion, the study of Tolak Angin advertising with the figure of Rhenald Kasali exemplifies the use of totemism and exclusivism as advertising strategies. This study shows that the Tolak Angin advertisement uses the figure of Rhenald Kasali which is used as a kind of totem which is given the meaning of “smart person”. Rhenald Kasali becomes a commodity representation which is then offered to audiences or consumers who will respond to identify themselves with their class or group. The totemism referred to here is not in relation to what happened in primitive society, but totemism here is a similarity in terms of “binding” characteristics on a symbol, the figure of Rhenald Kasali becomes a symbol that binds groups of people who feel smart. Thus, Rhenald Kasali is not only a denotation (expression) but also a connotation (contenu) which is then strengthened in society so as to form the myth of being a “smart person”.

Behind this myth, of course, there is an ideology which then becomes a value system or belief system, the production of meanings and ideas, as well as the illusion of belief or false awareness. Ideology will then form the identity of the product which will later become a lifestyle and evoke consumerism among the public or consumers. This consumerism will certainly give rise to a belief or belief in the product “Tolak Angin” because it is considered to have the power to cure fatigue and colds. This power will later form “exclusivism” in a product that forms certain classes and groups that have the same attachment to the product “Tolak Angin” with the totem as “smart people”.

Rhenald Kasali is an academic who has long been accustomed to writing using a typewriter (showing past tense), as a person who is academically capable he continues his tertiary education abroad, after returning to Indonesia he teaches at well-known university to become a professor, and has a private library, these things create the connotation that he is a smart person which then becomes a story that develops in society, thus creating a myth about the figure of Rhenald Kasali as a smart person. Because of his profession and work in the world of education, he is believed to be a reference for various solutions to problems, the myth has developed into an ideology, people believe that he is a smart person, so that he is worshiped by people as someone who can give good advice, worshiped like a totem.

Rhenald Kasali’s habit of reading late into the night shows that he is a hard worker, when he feels tired he drinks Tolak Angin (traditional herbs that have been produced in a modern way), this seems to lead people to drink Tolak Angin when they feel tired by building trust through a smart person figure drinking traditional herbs. Tolak Angin products with old packaging address the past, followed by the process of herbal medicine research in the laboratory with the results of products using new packaging giving the connotation of the present time showing changes that keep up with the times. The writings “Good and Responsible Intentions” and “That’s what Sido Muncul does” have led public opinion to Sido Muncul’s commitment in the production process, “If you have a cold, smart people drink Tolak Angin” is an affirmation and suggestion delivered by Rhenald Kasali as a smart person who is trusted and adored by his group.

This study contributes by examining the use of exclusivism and totemism in the creation of advertising value systems. Totemism and exclusivism can be used as a recommendation for advertising producers and designers in producing advertisements by making a particular person/figure a totem that can attract consumers into a community created as a result of ideological similarities that are deliberately offered so that consumers feel part of the community. This study provides ethical implications for the use of totemism and exclusivism, including the cultural appropriation of totemic symbols from certain cultures. Therefore, advertisers should conduct extensive research and consult with cultural experts to ensure accurate and respectful portrayals. Moreover, the use of totemic symbols or exclusive messages in advertising can perpetuate stereotypes and strengthen social divisions if they depict inappropriate figures. It is crucial to avoid simplistic or reductionist depictions that reinforce existing prejudices or marginalize certain groups. Advertisers must also disclose the intent and purpose behind the use of totemic symbols or exclusive messages.

This paper has the potential for bias and limitations in the interpretation of its meaning, as the analysis is based only on the authors’ subjective interpretation and understanding of the advertisement. Consequently, various audiences may perceive advertisements differently based on their own perspectives, experiences, and cultures. Thus, this study provides directions for future research in order to provide a more comprehensive understanding by investigating the impact and significance of advertising in the context of its intended audience and cultural environment. In addition, future research can also expand upon this study by examining the impact of totemism and exclusivism in advertising on consumer attitudes, behavior, and social dynamics.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledged Telkom University for sponsoring this research, the Faculty of Creative Industries, and the Visual Communication Design Study Program. We also appreciate the Tolak Angin advertising product that inspired this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Research Grant of Telkom University [2023].

Notes on contributors

Mohamad Tohir

Mohamad Tohir is a senior lecturer in Semiotics at the Visual Communication Design Study Program, School of Creative Industries, Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia. He received his Master of Design degree from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia. His research interests include semiotics, cultural studies, discourse analysis, advertising and film.

Teddy Hendiawan

Teddy Hendiawan is a senior lecturer at the Visual Communication Design Study Program, Faculty of Creative Industries, Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia. He teaches courses in Film Theory, Cultural Studies, Research Methodology. and Multimedia Studios. He received a Doctoral Degree from Padjadjaran University, in the field of Cultural Studies. His research interests include Film Studies, Cultural Studies, Visual Culture, Moving Image of Aesthetic.

Riksa Belasunda

Riksa Belasunda is a senior lecturer at the Master of Design Study Program, Faculty of Creative Industries, Telkom University, Bandung, Indonesia. He teaches courses on design research methodology and design projects. He received his Doctoral Degree from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia, in Fine Art and Design. His research interests include cultural studies, humanities, discourse analysis, and film media.