Abstrack:
Advertising is part of a social phenomenon of contemporary consumer society. Objects in the ad does not stand alone but is formed by a system of language. Through language, the ad shows people’s daily practice in the relationship in which power relations including lifestyle supported by consumptive life. Currently, when environmental issues became popular, the ad was taking shape of it into a green advertising. Construction of meaning “green” in the ad shows a paradox .This article found that green with the tagline “energy saving ” and “environmentally friendly” is just mask of reality. Existing green ads actually build a new type of consumption that make environmental issues a new class marker. A class that builds their superiority by creating an upper middle-class subjects as environmental heroes. This article takes a case on ads household electronic appliance be energy saving so that it can be used by the lower classes that would basically eliminate the distinctive nature of the upper class. However, through the construction of the myth of the upper middle class as environmental heroes then this distinctive trait can be maintained simultaneously keep open the possibility of lifestyling. Through this green advertising, capital is able to expand its market reach lower class consumers while keeping the upscale market. This article looks at the construction of the imaginary subject position creates a distinctive imaginary relationship that is able to maintain the hierarchy between the lower class and upper class, although both consume the same thing.
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