VISUAL NOSTALGIA IN CONTEMPORARY FILM POSTERS: A DESIGN DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BARBIE, THE HOLDOVERS, AND LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30651/cadj.v2i1.33709Abstract
The resurgence of retro aesthetics in contemporary graphic design has shaped visual strategies in film posters as both promotional media and cultural artifacts. This study aims to analyze how visual elements, namely typography, color palette, texture, and composition, in contemporary film posters construct nostalgia, and how this construction functions as a Design Discourse that shapes cultural meaning. Employing a qualitative visual research approach with Design Discourse Analysis and Roland Barthes' semiotics as the primary method, this study examines four official posters: Barbie (2023), two poster variants of The Holdovers (2023), and Late Night with the Devil (2024). Data were read through denotative and connotative levels of signification, combined with Svetlana Boym's Nostalgia Theory to distinguish restorative and reflective nostalgia, and Stuart Hall's Representation Theory to understand meaning construction through shared visual codes. The findings show that the four posters employ distinct nostalgic strategies suited to their genre and target audience: Barbie constructs nostalgia through iconic toy packaging colors and typography; The Holdovers uses analog film grain and classic serif typography to evoke restorative nostalgia for the 1970s; while Late Night with the Devil exploits analog broadcast television texture for retro horror nostalgia. These findings reinforce the argument that film posters are not merely promotional tools but visual discursive fields that construct cultural identity and collective audience emotion. This study contributes to Visual Communication Design scholarship by extending the application of Design Discourse and semiotics to the object of contemporary film posters.
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