The Future of Creativity: A Textual Analysis of a Mug Coffee House Commercial

Abstract

This paper aimed to analyze a Mug Café House commercial that reached a high viewership and generated debate in the Arabian world. The commercial was examined based on Stuart Hall’s "encoding/decoding" theory; therefore, three levels of analysis have been discussed: the preferred level, the negotiated level, and the oppositional level. The analysis explained the reasons behind criticizing the commercial and fighting creativity generally in the Arabian countries. Also, it reveals the negative impact of religious hegemony and educational systems that do not give priority to teaching art and encourage critical thinking. The paper provides many ideas to encourage creativity and support commercials that show Arabian producers' abilities to compete in the global world.