Nota Introdutória

Advertising language (when "achieved") opens onto a spoken representation of the world, a representation which has been practised by the world since ancient times and is "narrative": all advertising says the product (its connotation), but it also tells something else (its denotation).(Barthes, 1985, p. 169) We propose to consider advertising as a discourse that derives its power from its capacity to produce and reproduce the meaning of a culture and a society.With remarkable speed and clarity, it generates instant portraits, akin to polaroids, where everyone either recognises themselves or prefers not to.What does advertising show us?For many, advertising is still primarily associated with consumption, representing everything that drags us towards the apocalypse as the effects of climate change become more tangible.Hence, this thematic edition -"Advertising and Sustainable Development" -seems to announce visions of advertising's unsustainability.However, this issue prompts us to adopt a different perspective: to explore the relationship between two concepts, breaking down the apparent antagonism and shedding light on both the contributions and challenges of advertising.Indeed, if we seek a vivid portrait of each era -including technological advances, social norms, expectations, anxieties, contradictions, and tensions -we need only examine advertising campaigns.It is crucial to remember that advertising reflects the tensions within a society.Nowadays, alongside environmental concerns, social issues dominate campaigns: gender equality, freedom of expression, inclusion, and diversity are just a few examples.Advertising possesses the power to summarise, yet it also wields influence over our choices.It showcases what is dominant, both at its best and at its worst, while also shaping new attitudes and behaviours.Through its captivating and persuasive discourse, it

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