Smartphone brands as semiotic information cues in Chinese drama

Smartphone brands function as moral symbols in the 2025 Chinese legal drama In the Name of the Law, as revealed by mixed-methods content analysis informed by Barthesian semiotics. Quantitative analysis of all episodes demonstrates a systematic dichotomy where protagonists predominantly utilize Xiaomi devices, while antagonists favor Huawei or Honor. Qualitative semiotic analysis shows how this pattern transforms consumer electronics into narrative shorthand for character virtue through visual coding and repeated association. Brand mythology is further examined for its potential to serve Chinese soft power objectives as the drama circulates internationally, while acknowledging that audience reception varies across cultural contexts. Contrasting moral valences assigned to these domestic brands are interpreted as a complex textual pattern driven by multiple factors rather than a singular deliberate strategy. Findings contribute to the understanding of branded entertainment, cultural symbolic construction, and the intersection of commercial media production with national cultural diplomacy.