THOUGHTS ON SIGNS...

the object road sign with the word "stop" is a sign. the word "stop" is the signifier, and the signified concept is the fact that we have to stop in front of the sign.
so, the sign is readeble only in a culture that recognizes it as such... a sign is a product of a culture which has established the meaning a priori.
the meaning is idealized when the sign becomes consistent and familiar in a specific environment.
for example, in advertising we consistently see the repeated images of healthy-good looking people using a certain beauty product, the mith is created in our mind not only by the advertised product, but also by the appearence and the lifestile proposed by the image which sells an ideolgy within the sales of the product.