Brand Communication as Intertextual and Intermedial Myth:

A Cultural Semiotic Reading for Audiovisual Campaigns

Abstract

In a context of pervasive connectivity and multimedia environments, brand communication
increasingly relies on discursive forms that transcend literal description to produce cultural
meanings. These representational structures combine image and text across diverse formats and
media, strategically engaging audiences and reconfiguring real referents into widely circulating
symbolic narratives. This article advances conceptual foundations for a cultural–semiotic
reading of brand communication, conceived as an intertextual and intermedial myth. The focus
is on audiovisual and digital campaigns that adapt and appropriate authentic attributes,
benefits, and spaces, transforming them into narratives of identity, belonging, and
consumption. For exemplification, three main areas are considered: products such as food,
clothing, or automobiles; services such as mobile telephony, entertainment venues, or urban
transportation; and places such as tourist countries, heritage regions, or developed cities. Recent
Portuguese campaigns illustrate these dynamics, demonstrating how cultural references are
reworked into intertextual and intermedial myths within the online world. Without
constituting an in–depth case study or a closed methodology, the article proposes an exploratory
reading framework that can be applied to different communicational fields and sociocultural
contexts. Ultimately, reflecting on brands as cultural semiotic myths clarifies their role in
shaping collective imaginaries, generating symbolic value, and constructing shared social
realities in the digital age.