April 2020
98
ISSN 2278 0742
The Language of Advertising: A Critical Study Pinali Vadher
Abstract:
Advertising is a form of communication, an art, used to influence or persuade individuals to purchase a product or a service of a particular brand. Language plays vital part in any form of communication. It is the language that plays a major role in advertising. In the journal Nature, Pullum and Scholz (2001) points out, ―at every level language has a level of creativity that allows it to be ever-expanding, ever-changing. Even the idea that there is a stock of words which constitute the English language cannot be upheld, because it is always possible to invent new words and new names in particular. Thus, here is my new invention: I call it X is strategy in everyday English which advertisers can take advantage of when they state ―Introducing all new Y‖.
The researcher has done Discourse Analysis of 50 fairness commercials targeted to both men and women in India. The use of English, bilingualism or code-switching, the persuasive element of the language, the concept of fair skin in India, the psyche of the audience and convince them to buy the product, are the issues explored by the researcher in the paper.
Key Terms: Advertisements/Commercials, Language, Discourse Analysis, Communication
It is impossible to imagine human world without advertisements. The moment our day begins with sipping a cup of coffee, we are purposelessly pushed into the world of advertisements on television, radio, internet, mobiles, newspaper, etc. While walking on the street, in a traffic jam, in shopping malls, at bus stations, railway stations, airports, seeing stickers on apples in supermarkets, at all these places and various other places we come across various kinds of advertisements every now and then. Each and everything that we use in our day in and day out target us with a message ranging from hi-fi electronic items up to small scale grocery products that we use in our home. We never realize how smartly these ads/commercials penetrate deeply into our mind. Thereby, shape our attitudes, beliefs, perspectives. Thus, change our lifestyle and become an integral part of our life.
Volume 9 Issue 1
www.ijells.com
