RHETORICАL ANALYSIS OF BULGARIAN ADVERTISING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Assoc. Prof. Hristo Katrandjiev, PhD

University of National and World Economy

Department "Marketing and Strategic Planning"

Assist. Prof. Ivo Velinov Velinov, PhD

New Bulgarian University

University of National and World Economy

Department "Marketing and Strategic Planning"

The paper presents the results of an empirical research project devoted on the usage of

rhetoric figures in tourism Bulgarian advertising (advertising slogans). We analyzed a sample

of randomly selected 605 advertising slogans from the following product categories:

Foodstuffs; Drinks; Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations, and Bus lines; Banks and Insurance

companies; Chain Stores and Shopping Centers; Technology and Communications; Clothing

and cosmetics; Tourism; Other product categories. We measured the usage frequency of

rhetorical figures in advertising slogans. This empirical study may serve as basis for follow

up studies of the impact of rhetorical figures’ usage on advertising effectiveness.

Key words: advertising, slogan, rhetorical figures

1. Introduction

Rhetoric has played an important role in human society since the very beginning of

writing. The Ancient Egyptians as well as the Mesopotamians highly appreciated the oratory.

However, the systematic process of developing the concept of rhetoric started simultaneously

with the establishment of the Greeks democracy. The Greek perceived rhetoric as an art of

eloquent and convincing public speaking. Rhetoric became one of the most important skills at

that time due to the Athenian democracy that urged “every free male” to enter the Assembly

and speak in favour or against a specific legislative decision. Virtually all man’s achievements

at that time depended on his rhetorical skills. In the V century B.C., the enormous need for

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rhetorical education and training gave birth of the first rhetoric school known as Sophistry.

The Sophists were itinerant teachers in rhetoric who prepared their students to emphasize on

oral presentation, but not on truth. That is why Aristotle criticized them in his book “The Art

of Rhetoric”. In this treatise, Aristotle outlines the principles of rhetoric as a science that helps

people in the process of realizing and comprehending the truth. The impact of this book

proved to be enormous and influenced the science of rhetoric in the next two millennia.

The development of rhetoric in Ancient Rome burst after the occupation of Greece. Cicero

was the first prominent rhetorician from that era. His books “On Oration”, “On Invention”,

and “Topics” became a fundament for scientific development and rhetorical training until the

Renaissance. Another remarkable Roman rhetorician is Quintilian who wrote the books

“Institutio Oratoria” and “De Inventione” and developed the famous “five canons of

rhetoric”. From Ancient Greece up to the Middle Ages, the rhetoric developed as science and

art mainly in the field of politics. During the Middle ages, the potential of rhetoric was

applied not in the political sphere but rather in the religious one. St. Augustine and other

pastors appreciated the possibilities of rhetoric in the process of preaching. Rhetoric was a

mandatory course in the Medieval universities but in spite of that, the scientific development

of rhetoric was insignificant.

Rhetorical science however came to life again during the Renaissance. The treatises of the

ancient writers as Aristotle, Quintilian, and Cicero are paid attention and applied in the

European universities’ education. During the Renaissance, scientists thoroughly counted and

classified the rhetorical figures of speech. For example, in his work “The Garden of

Eloquence” (1577), Henry Peacham lists 184 different rhetorical figures of speech.

The rapid development of rhetorical science continued during the period of

Enlightenment. Politics and revolutionaries appreciated the art of rhetoric. In the XVIII

century, many influential books were published. In the XIX19th century and even before that

rhetoric became one of the most important disciplines in the European and American

Universities.

The XIX century brought media proliferation and invention of new visual forms of

communication – cinema, TV, and internet. The rhetoric shifted its development towards

visual communication. Scientists started the analysis of “visual metaphors”, “visual

metonymies”, etc. Advertising industry marked a considerable growth and an immense impact

on society. It is obvious that advertising needs rhetoric in order to create convincing

messages. Rhetorical figures possess a strong figurative and emotional impact, which is

achieved through empathy, persuasion and suggestion. However, the research works in that

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field are far from prolific. Of course there are some studies devoted on the application of

rhetorical figures in contemporary advertising but still there is a lot to do in that research area.

This paper investigates the use of rhetorical figures in Bulgarian advertising., highlighting

on tourism advertising. In fact wWe analyzed the usage of rhetorical figures in advertising

slogans. For the sake of the analysis, it is necessary to accept a classification of rhetorical

figures and define each figure. We follow a widespread two-type classification of rhetorical

figures – figures of speech and figures of thought. The figures of speech refer to the manner

of verbal expression, whilst the figures of thought are connected with ideas and perceptions

that are created in the mind of the listener/reader/viewer.

As already explained, the figures of thought are related to the ideas and perceptions that

are created in human’s mind. The most common rhetorical figures of thought are presented in

Table Appendix 1 together with their descriptions and illustrative examples. The figures of

speech are listed and described in Appendix 2. Our analysis encompasses all figures of

thought and figures of speech included in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2.

Table 1. Figures of thought

Accumulatio is a figure of thought by which the evidence is accumulating. It is provided by successive use of

notions, phrases or terms that have the same function in speech. In this way a characterization of the specific

object or event is obtained. This is the slogan of the insurance company "Bulins" - „Традиция и

сигурност“("Tradition and Security") in which two consecutive nouns are used.

Allusion (allusion) is a rhetorical figure, which influences by suggestion or hint of a fictional character,

historical event, geographical location or already known to the readers titles of books, movies, music ideas,

sayings, proverbs, etc. Through allusion something is expressed in an implicit way.

Anadiplosis (anadiplosis) is a figure of thought, in which at the beginning of the next sentence is repeated the

end, a single word or a part of the previous phrase. It has an extremely argumentative role.

Anti-climax (anti-climax) is a figure of thought in which the rhetorical effect is achieved by arranging of

similar concepts, signs of objects in descending semantic order. It has the opposite effect compared to climax.

It gradually reduces the strength of the emotional or logical impact.

Antithesis (antithesis) is a figure of thought, which arises as a result of opposition in thinking. It consists in

juxtaposing of contrasting words or ideas and thus achieves greater expressiveness. Even Martin Luther King

used the contrast in his speech "I have a dream" ("I Have a Dream"). U.S. President - John Fitzgerald

Kennedy also used antithesis in his opening speech - "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what

you can do for your country“. This figure of speech can be illustrated with the advertising slogan of the hotel

"Azzuro" - „Нашата грижа е вашето безгрижие!“ ("Our care is your carelessness!"). Here the contrast exists

not only in nouns “care-careless” but also in the possessive pronouns of the first and second person, plural

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form – “our-your”.

Application (application) is the use of proverbs, sayings, quotations, aphorisms, poems in the argumentation

and they are used literally or in a modified form. It is characterized by wit, expressiveness and imagery that

provoke the thinking of the recipient. Using of this figure demonstrates a clear position. In its most

characteristic form, this figure of speech does not apply in the surveyed slogans, but the closest to it is the

advertising slogan of the brand "Vidima" - „Правим нещата като хората“ ("We do things like we are

supposed to), which is presented by the leader in the production of sanitary fittings and ceramics "Ideal

Standard - Visible" JSC.

Aposiopesis (aposiopesis) means silence. Breaking off the phrase in the middle or end of the sentence and

thus creating a feeling of incompleteness and the recipient is the one who can finish the missed thought. In

written language is usually marked by a dotted line, which is called "meaningful silence" Aposiopesis refers to

means of persuasion or suggestion which are out of logic. A typical example of this figure of thought is the

advertising slogan of the store "Domko" - „И домът Ви заживя...“ ("And your house began to live ...").

Еxclamatio (exclamatio) is a figure of thought that has emotive function, the impact is usually achieved as a

result of the use of exclamation. It can express enthusiasm or any other feeling. As an example can be

mentioned the advertising slogan of the company "Deroni" - „Винаги отличен вкус! “ ("Always excellent

taste!"), where definiteness is enhanced by the use of the exclamation mark.

Epanalepsis (epanalepsis) is a figure of thought that contains a repetition a word or phrase at the beginning

and the end of a phrase, sentence or line. It has strong expressive effects, and makes the argumentation more

convincing, more logical and emotional. Although this figure is not widely used in the surveyed slogans, a

typical example of its use is the slogan of "Reebok" - "I Am What I Am".

Inversion (inversion) is a displacement of the elements in the syntactic structure. It is made in order to focus

on something. Its functions include informational, suggesting or persuasive elements. This rhetoric figure

helps the speaker to attract audience’s attention. Both instances that are part of the advertising slogans in this

study and could be referred to this figure are in a foreign language – English and French ("Adidas" -

"Impossible is nothing" and "Citroen" - "Creative technologie").

Climax (climax) is a persuasive statement in which each preceding part is the basis for the next which in turn

adds expressiveness to the slogan. It occurs as a gradation of the characteristics of a particular object in

ascending order. This figure is the opposite of anticlimax. Typical example is the advertising slogan of

"Duracell" - „Издържа повече, много повече. “ ("Lasts more, much more.").

Litotes (litotes) is a deliberate understatement of an object’s characteristics or dimensions. Sometimes it is

used as a ridicule or mockery. It is the opposite of hyperbole. This figure is not widely used in the advertising

slogans that are part of this study. In not so typical use, it is found in the advertising slogan of "Technopolis" -

„Лесно е да избереш. “ ("It is easy to choose.").

Metaphor (metaphor) is a major figure which transfers characteristics of one object or phenomenon to

another object or phenomenon (based on similarity). Metaphorical images are those that contribute to the

development of new ideas and for reforming the traditional ones. Using them is a reflection of originality in

thinking. In addition, they expand the visual possibilities of the language as a whole. They may be associated

with the expression of tragic, funny feeling, criticism, and more.

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Examples of the application of this rhetorical figure in advertising slogans in Bulgaria are numerous and will

be discussed later in the study. A typical example is the slogan of "KFC" - „Животът е вкусен“("Life is

delicious") in which the characteristic typical of an inanimate object is transferred to another inanimate object.

Metonymy (metonymy) is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called not by its own name but

rather by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept. It can be defined as a figure

that replaces (based on similarity) the sign for one object with the sign for another one. A Very clear example

of metonymy is the use of nicknames (when we call our car "ladybug" instead of her brand name for example

we mean that it is small, agile and probably red). Metonymy enables demonstration of originality focusing the

attention on new aspects of traditional human thinking and the interpretation depends on the context. As an

example of metonymy could be considered advertising slogan of luxury brand watches "Breitling 1884" -

"Instruments for professionals", assuming that the term "clocks" absolutely intentional has been replaced by

the term "instruments".

Oxymoron (oxymoron) is a figure that contains words with opposite meanings. This combination of words

gives a new meaning and insight and enhances expressiveness. (for example: eloquent silence, sweet pain,

dark dreams).

Parallelism (parallelism) is the repletion of semantic or syntactic similarities that creates an emphasis.

Depending on whether you are comparing images, episodes or syntactic structures we can distinguish several

types of parallelism - figurative, narrative and syntactic parallelism. The most common type of parallelism

discovered by our analysis is the usage phrases with similar or same syntactic structure. The slogan of "BU" -

„Всичко, което си. Всичко, което можеш да бъдеш.“ ("All that you are. All that you can be.") and the

slogan of "Indesit" – "We work, you play." are typical examples of parallelism of this kind.

Paronomasia (paronomasia) is achieved by the use of words that are homonyms or paronyms and thus

contributes to the proof of a specific statement in an unusual way - through imagination, sense of humor or

suggestion. The only example of this is the advertising slogan of the automobile brand "Peugeot" - "Motion &

Emotion" where we found a use of words that have a similar sound content, but different meaning.

Personification (personification) is a figure of thought in which human qualities and actions are attributed to

an inanimate objects or a creature that has no consciousness. This is one of the oldest argumentative means,

especially in terms of religious beliefs and mythology. This figure can be achieved through the use of

metaphor, metonymy or synecdoche. In the advertising slogan "Barney" - „Мечето, което обича

детето“("Bear who loves children") a metaphor is used.

Rhetorical question (rhetorical question) is a question that does not require a response but stimulates the

recipient to focus on speaker’s viewpoint. In fact the listener is provoked to consider a particular problem and

to seek a new solution. The usage of rhethorical questions reinforces the emotional impact and the focus on

the main idea. Typical examples of this rhetorical figure found in Bulgarian advertising slogans include the

slogan of chocolate bars "LZ" - „Ако е шоколад, защо да не е аеро?“ ("If it's chocolate, why not aero?") as

well as the slogan of vodka "Flirt" - „Готови ли сте за довечера?“ ("Are you ready for tonight?").

Synecdoche (synecdoche) is a type of metonymy. Due to its widespread use some authors differentiate it as a

separate figure. Its application is related to giving a wider or narrower meaning of the term compared to its

normal use. The most frequently used type of synecdoche is the replacement of the name of the whole with

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the name of a part of it or vice versa - the part instead of the whole. There could be many different cases of

substitution - denote the subject through its typical part, quality replaces its carrier, the author's name is used

to indicate his work, the name of an object is replaced with the material, which it is made from, etc.

Hyperbole (hyperbole) is excessive, deliberate overstatement/understatement of size, features or

characteristics of an object, person or action. It is often used to express irony or sarcasm. Examples of

hyperbole usage in advertising slogans include the slogan of Bulgarian TV channel "Btv" - „Повече от

телевизия“ ("More than a TV"), the slogan of "Cappy" - „Повече от сок.“ ("More than a juice.") and the

slogan of "OMV" gas stations- „Повече от движение. “ ("More than a movement.").

The rhetorical figures of speech are those that concern the manner of verbal

expression and their description is provided in Table 2.

Table 2. Figures of speech

Anaphora (anaphora) is a stylistic figure and this is the repetition of the same characters, the same

parts of words, whole words or phrases at the beginning of sentences. It can be created through

synthases - combinations of several words. It is used to affect the listener emotionally and

psychologically, to provoke a stronger reaction or their attitude. Moreover, the repetition of the

same element is used for amplification of symmetry in rhythmic plan. Examples of the use of this

figure of speech are the advertising slogans of the shops "DM" - „Тук съм човек, тук пазарувам. “

("Here I am fine here I am shopping."), advertising slogan of the company in the field of energy and

services "EVN" - „Винаги тук, винаги с вас. “ ("Always here, always with you.") and the slogan of

the trade center "Serdika centre" - „Винаги неустоими, винаги на мода.“ ("Always irresistible,

always in vogue.") and others.

Epistrophe (epistrophe) is the repetition of the same word or group of words at the end of phrases

or sentences. It increases the expressiveness of the speech and its rhythm. It gives the impression of

certainty and attitude towards the specific problem. Repetition facilitates recipient in adopting the

idea and provokes emotional and psychological attitude of the audience towards it. When epistrophe

is used together with anaphora a symploce is formed. Example of epistrophe is the advertising

slogan of the candies "Skittles" - „Открий дъгата. Опитай дъгата! “(" Find the rainbow, taste the

rainbow!)

Appeal (appeal) is a figure of speech that is used as a call and to attract attention. It is used to

create a favorable attitude towards the adoption of a particular idea, neutralize negative attitude

towards it. Typical example is the manifestation of this figure in the advertising slogan of "Pepsi" -

"Искай повече." („Dare for more”).

Alliteration (alliteration) is the repetition of one or more similar consonants in adjacent words.

Examples of alliteration are the slogan of the automotive brand "Infinity" - "Inspired performance"

(repetition of "r"), and the slogan of the chocolate bar "Nestle Lion" - „Зверски вкусен! “ ("Beastly

yummy") (alliteration of "z-s").

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Assonance (assonance) is the repetition of vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different

consonants, mostly in stressed syllables of adjacent words. Assonance of sound "e" is clearly

audible in the advertising slogan of the cake for children "Barney" - „Мечето, което обича

детето.” ("Bear who loves the child.").

Gradation (gradatio) is a sequence of several syntactically equivalent, uniform words or phrases

by which a particular idea, image or feeling is presented in order of progressive ascent or descent,

i.e. amplifying or weakening of the emotion. There are two types of gradation - descending and

ascending. Example for ascending gradation is the advertising slogan of one of the leading chains -

"Praktiker" - „Само Вие, Вашите идеи и Praktiker. “ ("Only you, your ideas, and Praktiker.").

Epithet (epitheton) is the artistic definition of the object, indicating some quality. It is used when

we are looking for security and evidence during the presentation of a specific idea or value.

Concepts that are accompanied by epithets stand out in their meaning and emotional impact and

they have greater imagery and expressiveness. Epithets can be autonomous figures, but they can

also be linked with others and form a gradation, repetition, antithesis. A typical example of the use

of the epithet is the advertising slogan of the ice-cream "BOSS" - „Покоряващо желание“

("Conquering desire") and the slogan of the insurance company "Euroins" - „Интелигентното

застраховане“ ("Smart Insurance.")

Repetition (repetition) is deliberately repeating of terms, paragraphs, phrases, in order to convey a

particular idea. It has an expressive effect and enhances the impression of certain concepts. An

example of this figure of speech is the repetition of the epithet in the advertising slogan of

"Diplomat Plaza Hotel & Resort" - "Special moments for special people. “

Pun (pun) is based on superficial or accidental resemblance - two words that sound similar in

composition but different in meaning (paronym) or a word that has two or more different meanings

(homonyms). Pun is consciously created and deliberate so to reinforce the ambiguity, to make the

choices between the meanings impossible, and to let the listener or reader hesitant. The use of pun

flatters intellectual abilities of the audience that it is intended for, as they show that they have the

appropriate knowledge to solve the mystery set in the message (Mulken et. al., 2005). Interesting

examples of wordplay are the advertising slogans of one of the most popular brands of coffee

"Lavazza" - "Lavazza. Espress Yourself " and the slogan of ice tea "Lipton"-"Drink positive ".

Neologism (neologism) creates a new word from two or more existing words or fragments of

words. the slogan of the car brand "Seat" - "Enjoyneering", and also the coffee brand "Jacobs" –

(“Unique charomat”).

Resonance (resonance) is a literary device that is often used by professionals in advertising and it

is a combination of pun and a relevant image, i.e. a phrase acquires significance by juxtaposing to a

particular picture. The most typical example of the application of this figure is very creative slogan

of Vodka "Absolut".

Etymological figure (figura etymologica) is another rhetorical technique which is a structure in

which words having the same root are connected in an expression. Etymological figure is used in the

advertising slogan of "Grand hotel & Spa Primoretz" - „Един единствен“("Only one"), and also in

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the advertising slogan of the global beauty brand "Max factor" - "The make-up of make-up artists".

Our research analysis encompasses all figures of thought and figures of

speech listed above. We analized their usage in advertising messages within the sector

of tourism as all as other sectors.

[1.] Research Goals and Hypotheses

The major goal of the present study is to analyze the usage of rhetorical figures in

Bulgarian advertising. A special accent is put on the analysis of rhetorical figures usage in

tourism advertising slogans. The major goal of our study can be broken down into several

specific subgoals:

1. Analysis of slogans’ length. This subgoal is connected with the analysis of

average slogan’s length for all slogans, computing the average slogan’s lengths

for each product category, compariosn of slogan’s length across product

categories.

[2.] Analysis of advertising slogans vrom the point of view of presence or

absence of a rhethoric figure. The proportions of slogans with and without

rhetorical figures are calculated. Analyses are performed to determine the

presence/absence of rhetoric figures as general and by product categories.

Comparisons acrross product categories are provided.

2. This analysisi gravitates around the tourism advertising.

[3.] Analysis of advertising slogans depending on the type of rhetorical

figures. This kind of analysis is one of the most important within the presented

study. The proportions of each rhetorical figure areis calculated an analyzed.

2. Analysis of rhetorical figures usage across product categories. This analysis is

the most important in our study. It is intended for computation and comparison of

proportions (frequency of usage) of each rhetorical figure across product

categories. Naturally, the stress is put upon the tourism advertising.

[2.] Methodology

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Time frame definition: 2012-2014

Sampling

Content analysis of advertising slogans

Coding of rhetorical figures

Data analysis

Figure 1 Research Procedure

The research methodology can be described by .a 5-stage processresearch

procedure. The first step ot of the research procedure (fig.Figure 1 1) includes

definition of ttime frame of observation. This time frame includes the period october

2013 - october 2014.

At the second stage of the research process we randomly chose a sample of 605

unique advertising slogans. Slogans were gathered from advertisements published in

the following 3 media:

1) Magazines – a samle of 34

magazines were selected randomly

from the deposit list of “SS. Cyril

and Methodius” National Library

(Bulgaria). The advertisements in

these magazines were analyzed and

the ad slogans were picked up.

2) Internet – the most popular

Bulgarian websites were monitored

and advertising slogans were

collected. By the help of the students attending “Marketing research” class we

monitored banner advertisements in top 10 websites in Bulgaria (ranked by

GEMIUS). Advertisements were scanned for slogans. Those with advertising

slogans were payed more attention and their slogans were added to the database. It

is necessary to note that not all Internet announcements contained a slogan.

3) TV – 3 national broadcast stations were monitored during the period. These were

BTV, NOVA, and BNT 1. Advertising blocks within the prime time slot were

investigated and unique advertising slogans were added to the database.

We built a database containg 605 unique advertising slogans. All irreleveant data (such as

advertising titles, parts of advertising copy in big font size and other non-slogan texts) were

removed from the database.

In the next step of the research procedure we performed a content analysis of the

advertising slogans. Each slogan was analyzed carefully for inherent rhetorical figures. The

found rhetorical figures were coded as well as the product categories of the advertising

slogans. The length of each slogan (number of words) was measured.

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The last step of the research procedure included data analysis. We calculated the average

length of advertising slogans, measured the frequency of usage of each rethoricrhetorical

figure within the sample and within each product category. , tested the research hypothesis,

and analizet the “rhetorical profile of Tourism advertising.

[3.] Results and Discussionand analysis

4.1 Analysis of slogans’ length

One of the main characteristics of the advertising slogan is its length. And one of the

main requirements for a slogan is to be concise and clearly reflecting the overall philosophy

of the particular brand or company.

The advertising slogan should not be too long. Otherwise the audience may not pay

attention to it. Excessively long slogans are difficult to rememebr and could lead to

information deformations.

On the basis of the whole sample we calculated the average length of Bulgarian

advertising slogans ant and it equals 3,7 words.

Nearly 35,2% of all analized slogans (605) contain 3 words. Almost 15,2% of all slogans contain 2 words, whilst 25,9% are longer – 4 words. It is important to point out that the percentage of longer slogans (over 6 words) is extremely low. An example of a slogan of this kind is that of “Hotel Mirena, Plovdiv” – “Luxury is a whim, comfort is a necessity!”.

We calculated the average slogan’s length for each product category (Table 4). It is interesting to point out that the slogans in tourism advertising are among the longest.

Table 4 1 Average slogans’ length across product categories

PRODUCT CATEGORY AVERAGE SLOGAN'S LENGTH(NUMBER OF WORDS)

Foodstuffs 3,8Drinks 3,3Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations and Bus companies 3,7Banks and Insurance companies 3,4Chain stores and Shopping centers 4Technology and Communications 3,2Clothing and Cosmetics 4,3Tourism 4,1Others 3,8

* Source: authors’ calculations

Nearly 35,2% of all analyzed slogans (605) contain 3 words. Almost 15,2% of all slogans

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contain 2 words, whilst 25,9% are longer – 4 words. It is important to point out that the

percentage of longer slogans (over 6 words) is extremely low. An example of a slogan of this

kind is that of “Hotel Mirena”, Plovdiv – “Luxury is a whim, comfort is a necessity!”.We

calculated the average slogan’s length for each product category (Table 1). It is interesting to

point out that the slogans in tourism advertising (4,1 words) asl well as in clothing and

cosmetics (4,3 words) are among the longest.

4.2 Analysis of advertising slogans depending on presence or absence of a rhetoric figure

Based on the total number of slogans were calculated how many of them contain at least

one rethoricrhetoric figure and how many of them do not. We did not detect any

rethoricrhetoric figure in 22,1% withinof all slogans. The rest of the slogans in the sample

(77,9%) contained at least one rethoricrhetoric figure. Obviously rethorical figures are used

quite frequently in Bulgarian advertising. Something more – a considerable number of slogans

contain more than one rethorical figure – their proportion is 19,5% within the total number of

slogans containing a rhetorical figure (Table 6).

Table 6 2 Presence of rhetorical figures in advertising slogans – major characteristics

Sample size 605 advertising slogansNumber of slogans containing a rhetoric figure 471 (77,9%)Number of slogans without a rhetoric figure 134 (22,1%)Number of slogans conatining more than one rhetoric figure

92 (19,5% within slogans containg at least one rhetorical figure)

Ratio figures of thought : figures of speech 293 : 168 (1,74) * Source: authors’ calculations

Obviously rethoricrhetorical figures are used quite frequently in Bulgarian advertising.

Something more – a considerable number of slogans contain more than one rethoricrhetorical

figure – their proportion is 19,5% within the total number of slogans containing a rhetorical

figure (Table 2).

It is interesting to point out that the rethoricrhetorical figures of thoght are considerebly

more often used in Bulgarian advertising compared to the rethoricrhetorical figures of speech

– the ratio within our sample is 293:168 (1,74).

The proportion of slogans containing more than one rhetorical figure is 19,5%. It is

important to point out that 77,9% of all slogans with a rethoricrhetorical figure contain two

rethoricrhetorical figures. Total 471 (77,9% of the total number of slogans with rhetorical

figure) have two rhetorical figures.

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High levels of usage of rhetorical figures are inherent in the product categories “Foods”, “Drinks”,“Technology and Communications” and “Tourism” – Fig. 2 as previously mentioned, these are products that are an integral part of the daily life of the consumer, these are products to which advertising messages he has developed some resistance and so the rhetorical figures are the chance to draw his attention again. The lowest level of usage of rhetorical figures is observed in "Financial services" category. In the first place these are areas of activity which require a higher degree of seriousness, and this considerably limits the possibility of intensive use of rhetorical figures, and moreover, it requires a greater degree of precision in terms of the message that will be set in this slogans.

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13

Foodstuffs

Drinks

Technology and Communications

Tourism

Chain stores and Shopping centers

Others

Clothing and Cosmetics

Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations and Bus companies

Banks and Insurance companies

0%20%

40%60%

80%100%

94.10%

88.30%

81.50%

81.50%

80.40%

72.90%

72.60%

69.30%

44.00%

5.80%

11.70%

18.50%

18.50%

19.60%

27.10%

27.40%

30.70%

56.00%

Figure 2. Distribution of advertising slogans by product categories

Presence of rethoric figures Absence of rethoric figures

Foodstuffs

Drinks

Technology and Communications

Tourism

Chain stores and Shopping centers

Others

Clothing and Cosmetics

Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations and Bus companies

Banks and Insurance companies

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

94.1

88.3

81.5

81.5

80.4

72.9

72.6

69.3

44

5.8

11.7

18.5

18.5

19.6

27.1

27.4

30.7

56

Figure 2 Presence/Absence of Rhetorical Figures in Advertis-ing Slogans (%)

Presence of rethoric figures Absence of rethoric figures * Source: authors’ calculations

High levels of usage of rhetorical figures are observedinherent in the following product

categories: “Foods”, “Drinks”,“Technology and Communications” and “Tourism” (– Figure

2). These products and services As previously mentioned, these are products that are an

integral part of the daily life of the consumer who receives hundred ad messages on ,a dayly

basis. Because of the intensive ad campaigns of these products, consumers these are products

to which advertising messages he hashave developed some kind of resistance against the

influence of advertising. In a situation like this the use of and so the rhetorical figures

enhances the chance to are the chance to drawattract hisaudience’s attention again.

The lowest level of usage of rhetorical figures is observed in "Financial services"

category. In the first place these are areas of activity which require a higher degree of

seriousness, and this considerably limits the possibility of intensive use of rhetorical figures,

and moreover, it requires a greater degree of precision in terms of the message that will be set

in this slogans.

4.23 Analysis of advertising slogans depending on rhetoric figure’s type

14

Using the division of rhetorical figures in two groups, namely figures of thought and

figures of speech, we calculated the frequence of usage of each rethoricrhetorical figure. This

is represented as table in Table Figure 31 and Table Figure 42 are hsowing where the

numbers express the proportion of slogans containing a certain rhethoric figures (excluding

the slogans without a rhethoric figure).

4.23.1 Analysis of the usage of figures of thought in advertising slogans

Figure 3 displays the frequency of usage of figures of thought in our sample of slogans. It

appears that the metaphor (31%) is the most frequently used figure in advertising slogans,

followed by the exclamatio (14,6%). Considering the characteristics of these two figures, weit

can be concluded that their use has the purpose to impact on the emotional sphere of the

potential purchaserbuyer. The use of metaphors helps to go beyond the traditional and trivial.

So a potential for a positive impact on consumers’ perceptions can be found. Moreover, it is

one of the verbal symbols that expands the creative possibilities of language and plays a

crucial role in the process of remembering the advertising slogan.

Exclamatio, in turn, is directly related to the manifestation of an emotion or feeling

occurred. Of course it is used for the sake of influencing the emotional sphere of the audience.

The presence of metaphor (31%) in the advertising slogans, however, is two times greater

than that of eksklamatsio (14.6%). In the following antithesis (8.1%), a hyperbola (6%),

aposiopesis (4,2%), acumulatio (3,6%), parallelism (1,9%), and rhetorical question (1,5%).

Very small frequency of usage is observed for the following rhetorical figures of thought –

application (0,8%), paranomasia (0,6%), inversion (0,4%), epanalepsis (0,4%),

personification (0,4%), oxymoron (0,4%), climax (0,2%), metonymy (0,2%), litotes (0,2%),

anadiplosis (0,2%).

15

AnadiplosisLitotes

MetonymyClimax

OxymoronPersonification

EpanalepsisInversion

ParanomasiaApplication

Rhetorical questionParallelism

AccumulatioAposiopesis

HyperboleAntithesis

ExclamatioMetaphor

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0.21%

0.21%

0.21%

0.21%

0.42%

0.42%

0.42%

0.42%

0.64%

0.85%

1.49%

1.92%

3.60%

4.25%

5.94%

8.07%

14.65%

31.00%

Figure 3. Figures of thought in advertising slogans: frequency of usage

Frequency of usage

16

Anadiplosis

Litotes

Metonymy

Climax

Oxymoron

Personification

Epanalepsis

Inversion

Paranomasia

Application

Rhetorical question

Parallelism

Accumulatio

Aposiopesis

Hyperbole

Antithesis

Exclamatio

Metaphor

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.600000000000001

0.8

1.5

1.9

3.6

4.2

6

8.1

14.6

31

Figure 3 Figures of Thought in Advertising Slogans: Frequency of Usage (%)

* Source: authors’ calculations

The use of metaphors helps to go beyond the traditional and the trivial. SoIn this way a

potential for a positive impact on consumers’ perceptions can be found. Moreover, it is one of

the verbal symbols that expands the creative possibilities of language and plays a crucial role

in the process of remembering the advertising slogan. Exclamatio, in turn, is directly related

to the manifestation of an emotion or a feeling occurred. Of course it is used for the sake of

influencing the emotional spherestring of the audience. The presence of metaphor (31%) in

the advertising slogans, however, is two times greater than thatcompared to the proportion of

ekskxclamatsio (14.,6%). The usage of the rest of the figures is as follows (Figure 3): In the

following antithesis (8.,1%), a hyperbolae (6%), aposiopesis (4,2%), accumulatio (3,6%),

parallelism (1,9%), and rhetorical question (1,5%). Very small frequency of usage is observed

for the following rhetorical figures of thought – application (0,8%), paranomasia (0,6%),

inversion (0,4%), epanalepsis (0,4%), personification (0,4%), oxymoron (0,4%), climax

17

(0,2%), metonymy (0,2%), litotes (0,2%), anadiplosis (0,2%).

4.23.2 Analysis of the usage of figures of speech in advertising slogans

Figure 64 shows the usage frequency of the figures of speech. The dominant figures here

are the appeal (16,3518,5%) and the epithet (11,50%). The main purpose of these rhetorical

figures is emotional and psychological impact on the consumer as well as provoking a strong

reaction or attitude. The use of epithets enhances the expressiveness and strengthens the

perception of a specific idea. The appeal helps attracting attentions and creating favorable

attitudes towards the advertised brand.

Resonance

Gradation

Rhyme

Assonace

Epistrophe

Etymological figure

Neologism

Repetition

Pun

Alliteration

Anaphora

Epithet

Appeal

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

0.2

0.6

0.6

0.8

0.8

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.7

1.9

5.1

11.5

18.5

Figure 4 Figures of Speech in Advertising Slogans: Frequency of Usage (%)

18

Resonance

Gradation

Rhyme

Assonace

Epistrophe

Etymological figure

Neologism

Repetition

Pun

Alliteration

Anaphora

Epithet

Appeal

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

0.2

0.600000000000001

0.600000000000001

0.8

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.7

1.9

5.1

11.5

18.5

Figure 4 Figures of Speech in Advertising Slogans: Frequency of Usage (%)

* Source: authors’ calculations

The usage of anaphora (5,10%) also should be mentioned. This rhetoric figure of speech

takes the third place from the point of view of frequency of usage in advertising slogans. The

fourth place is occupied by the pun (1,79%) which level of usage can be estimated as low. As

can be seen at Figure 4 the usage of three rhetorical figures is slightly above 1% - these are

repetition (1,30%), neologism (1,30%), and etymological figure (1,30%). The usage of several

other rhetorical figures is even below 1% - epistrophe (0,8%), assonance (0,80%), rhyme

(0,60%), gradation (0,60%), and resonance (0,20%). That is why many of these rhetorical

figures willare not discussed furtherin detail in this article.

19

[4.] ConclusionsConclusions and guidelines for future research

The presented study is the first of its kind in Bulgaria. The research is directed towards the

usage of rhetorical figures in in tourism ad slogans. However, we also analyze the rhetorical

figures in the following categories: Foodstuffs; Drinks; Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations,

and Bus lines; Banks and Insurance companies; Chain stores and Shopping centers;

Technology and Communications; Clothing and cosmetics; Other product categories.

An important conclusion, derived in the research process, is that nearly 80% of advertising

slogans contain any kind of rhetorical figure. It is interesting to point out that the frequency of

usage of figures of thought is much higher compared to the usage frequency of figures of

speech – the ratio is 293:168 (1,74). Almost 20% of all advertising slogans contained more

than one rethoricrhetorical figure.

Guidelines for future research

This study revealed the rhetorical profile of tourism advertising in Bulgaria. It also

investigated the usage of rhetorical figures across product categories. In this sense our

research may serve as a starting point for future studies in that area. A very important

direction for future research is the one concerning rhetoric’s influence on advertising

effectiveness. Research data about effectiveness of each rhetorical figure will be extremely

useful for advertising practicians.

The future research of rhetorical figures in tourism advertising also must delve into other

elements (not just slogans) – headlines, sub headlines, visual components. An accent on the

visual rhetorical figures must be put on.

Another important field for future exploration is the use of rhetorical figures in different

product categories. Researchers should answer the following questions: What is the

contribution of each rhetorical figure to advertising effectiveness? Does this contribution vary

20

across product categories? Does this contribution vary across target groups (from

demographic, educational, economical, and cultural viewing points)? Does this contribution

vary across media channels? What is the effect from combining two or more rhetorical figures

in an ad message?

Literature:1. Ботева, М., Речник по реторика – 150 аргумента на оратора, Издателство „Парадигма“, София,

2008.

[1.]

2. Aristotle, The Art of Rhetoric, William Heinemann, London, UK, 1926

3. Cicero, M. T., On Orations: Pro Archia, Post Reditum in Sentu, Post Reditum ad Quirit. Harvard University

Press,. 1923.

4. Cicero, M. T. On Invention: The Best Kind of Orator. A Rhetorical treatise, Harvard University Press, 1949.

5. Cicero, M. T. Topica. Paper presented at: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/cicero/topica.shtml [01.10.2015 г.]

6. Enchot van R., Hoeken H. and Mulken van M., Rhetoric in Advertising: Attitudes Towards Verbo-Pictorial

Rhetorical Figures, Information Design Journal, 16(1), 2008. рр. 35-45.

7. McQuarrie, E. F. and Mick, D. G., Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising Language, Journal of Consumer

Research, 22(4), рр. 424-438, 1996.

8. McQuarrie, E. F. and Mick, D. G., Visual Rhetoric in Advertising: Text‐Interpretive, Experimental and

Reader‐Response Analyses, Journal of Consumer Research, 26(1), рр. 37-54, 1999.

9. McQuarrie, E. F. and Mick, D. G., Visual and Verbal Rhetorical Figures under Directed Processing versus

Incidental Exposure to Advertising, Journal of Consumer Research, 29(4), рр. 579-587 2003.

10. McQuarrie, Е. F. and Mick, D. G., On Resonance: А Critical Pluralistic Inquiry into Advertising Rhetoric,

Journal of Consumer Research, 19(2), рр. 180-197 1992.

11. McQuarrie, Е. F. and Mick, D. G., Reflections on Classical Rhetoric and the Incidence of Figures of Speech

in Contemporary Magazine Advertisements, Advances in Consumer Research, 20, рр. 309-313, 1993.

12. Peacham, H., The Garden of Eloquence, Scholars Facsimilies and Reprint, USA, 1954.

13. Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria /Institutes of Oratory/, Lee Honeycutt, USA, 2010.

14. Reinhardt, T., Cicero’s Topica, Oxford Classical Monographs, UK, 2003.

15. Tom, G. and Eves, A., The Use of Rhetorical Devices in Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research,

15(3), рр. 39-43, 1999.

21

22

TableAPPENDIX 1 1:. FIGURES OF THOUGHT

Accumulatio is a figure of thought by which the evidence is accumulating. It is provided by successive use of

notions, phrases or terms that have the same function in speech. In this way a characterization of the specific

object or event is obtained. This is the slogan of the insurance company "Bulins" - „Традиция и

сигурност“("Tradition and Security") in which two consecutive nouns are used.

Allusion (allusion) is a rhetorical figure, which influences by suggestion or hint of a fictional character,

historical event, geographical location or already known to the readers titles of books, movies, music ideas,

sayings, proverbs, etc. Through allusion something is expressed in an implicit way.

Anadiplosis (anadiplosis) is a figure of thought, in which at the beginning of the next sentence is repeated the

end, a single word or a part of the previous phrase. It has an extremely argumentative role.

Anti-climax (anti-climax) is a figure of thought in which the rhetorical effect is achieved by arranging of

similar concepts, signs of objects in descending semantic order. It has the opposite effect compared to climax.

It gradually reduces the strength of the emotional or logical impact.

Antithesis (antithesis) is a figure of thought, which arises as a result of opposition in thinking. It consists in

juxtaposing of contrasting words or ideas and thus achieves greater expressiveness. Even Martin Luther King

used the contrast in his speech "I have a dream" ("I Have a Dream"). U.S. President - John Fitzgerald

Kennedy also used antithesis in his opening speech - "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what

you can do for your country“. This figure of speech can be illustrated with the advertising slogan of the hotel

"Azzuro" - „Нашата грижа е вашето безгрижие!“ ("Our care is your carelessness!"). Here the contrast exists

not only in nouns “care-careless” but also in the possessive pronouns of the first and second person, plural

form – “our-your”.

Application (application) is the use of proverbs, sayings, quotations, aphorisms, poems in the argumentation

and they are used literally or in a modified form. It is characterized by wit, expressiveness and imagery that

provoke the thinking of the recipient. Using of this figure demonstrates a clear position. In its most

characteristic form, this figure of speech does not apply in the surveyed slogans, but the closest to it is the

advertising slogan of the brand "Vidima" - „Правим нещата като хората“ ("We do things like we are

supposed to), which is presented by the leader in the production of sanitary fittings and ceramics "Ideal

Standard - Visible" JSC.

Aposiopesis (aposiopesis) means silence. Breaking off the phrase in the middle or end of the sentence and

thus creating a feeling of incompleteness and the recipient is the one who can finish the missed thought. In

written language is usually marked by a dotted line, which is called "meaningful silence" Aposiopesis refers to

means of persuasion or suggestion which are out of logic. A typical example of this figure of thought is the

advertising slogan of the store "Domko" - „И домът Ви заживя...“ ("And your house began to live ...").

Еxclamatio (exclamatio) is a figure of thought that has emotive function, the impact is usually achieved as a

result of the use of exclamation. It can express enthusiasm or any other feeling. As an example can be

mentioned the advertising slogan of the company "Deroni" - „Винаги отличен вкус! “ ("Always excellent

taste!"), where definiteness is enhanced by the use of the exclamation mark.

Epanalepsis (epanalepsis) is a figure of thought that contains a repetition a word or phrase at the beginning

and the end of a phrase, sentence or line. It has strong expressive effects, and makes the argumentation more

23

convincing, more logical and emotional. Although this figure is not widely used in the surveyed slogans, a

typical example of its use is the slogan of "Reebok" - "I Am What I Am".

Inversion (inversion) is a displacement of the elements in the syntactic structure. It is made in order to focus

on something. Its functions include informational, suggesting or persuasive elements. This rhetoric figure

helps the speaker to attract audience’s attention. Both instances that are part of the advertising slogans in this

study and could be referred to this figure are in a foreign language – English and French ("Adidas" -

"Impossible is nothing" and "Citroen" - "Creative technologie").

Climax (climax) is a persuasive statement in which each preceding part is the basis for the next which in turn

adds expressiveness to the slogan. It occurs as a gradation of the characteristics of a particular object in

ascending order. This figure is the opposite of anticlimax. Typical example is the advertising slogan of

"Duracell" - „Издържа повече, много повече. “ ("Lasts more, much more.").

Litotes (litotes) is a deliberate understatement of an object’s characteristics or dimensions. Sometimes it is

used as a ridicule or mockery. It is the opposite of hyperbole. This figure is not widely used in the advertising

slogans that are part of this study. In not so typical use, it is found in the advertising slogan of "Technopolis" -

„Лесно е да избереш. “ ("It is easy to choose.").

Metaphor (metaphor) is a major figure which transfers characteristics of one object or phenomenon to

another object or phenomenon (based on similarity). Metaphorical images are those that contribute to the

development of new ideas and for reforming the traditional ones. Using them is a reflection of originality in

thinking. In addition, they expand the visual possibilities of the language as a whole. They may be associated

with the expression of tragic, funny feeling, criticism, and more.

Examples of the application of this rhetorical figure in advertising slogans in Bulgaria are numerous and will

be discussed later in the study. A typical example is the slogan of "KFC" - „Животът е вкусен“("Life is

delicious") in which the characteristic typical of an inanimate object is transferred to another inanimate object.

Metonymy (metonymy) is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is called not by its own name but

rather by the name of something associated in meaning with that thing or concept. It can be defined as a figure

that replaces (based on similarity) the sign for one object with the sign for another one. A Very clear example

of metonymy is the use of nicknames (when we call our car "ladybug" instead of her brand name for example

we mean that it is small, agile and probably red). Metonymy enables demonstration of originality focusing the

attention on new aspects of traditional human thinking and the interpretation depends on the context. As an

example of metonymy could be considered advertising slogan of luxury brand watches "Breitling 1884" -

"Instruments for professionals", assuming that the term "clocks" absolutely intentional has been replaced by

the term "instruments".

Oxymoron (oxymoron) is a figure that contains words with opposite meanings. This combination of words

gives a new meaning and insight and enhances expressiveness. (for example: eloquent silence, sweet pain,

dark dreams).

Parallelism (parallelism) is the repletion of semantic or syntactic similarities that creates an emphasis.

Depending on whether you are comparing images, episodes or syntactic structures we can distinguish several

types of parallelism - figurative, narrative and syntactic parallelism. The most common type of parallelism

discovered by our analysis is the usage phrases with similar or same syntactic structure. The slogan of "BU" -

24

„Всичко, което си. Всичко, което можеш да бъдеш.“ ("All that you are. All that you can be.") and the

slogan of "Indesit" – "We work, you play." are typical examples of parallelism of this kind.

Paronomasia (paronomasia) is achieved by the use of words that are homonyms or paronyms and thus

contributes to the proof of a specific statement in an unusual way - through imagination, sense of humor or

suggestion. The only example of this is the advertising slogan of the automobile brand "Peugeot" - "Motion &

Emotion" where we found a use of words that have a similar sound content, but different meaning.

Personification (personification) is a figure of thought in which human qualities and actions are attributed to

an inanimate objects or a creature that has no consciousness. This is one of the oldest argumentative means,

especially in terms of religious beliefs and mythology. This figure can be achieved through the use of

metaphor, metonymy or synecdoche. In the advertising slogan "Barney" - „Мечето, което обича

детето“("Bear who loves children") a metaphor is used.

Rhetorical question (rhetorical question) is a question that does not require a response but stimulates the

recipient to focus on speaker’s viewpoint. In fact the listener is provoked to consider a particular problem and

to seek a new solution. The usage of rhethorical questions reinforces the emotional impact and the focus on

the main idea. Typical examples of this rhetorical figure found in Bulgarian advertising slogans include the

slogan of chocolate bars "LZ" - „Ако е шоколад, защо да не е аеро?“ ("If it's chocolate, why not aero?") as

well as the slogan of vodka "Flirt" - „Готови ли сте за довечера?“ ("Are you ready for tonight?").

Synecdoche (synecdoche) is a type of metonymy. Due to its widespread use some authors differentiate it as a

separate figure. Its application is related to giving a wider or narrower meaning of the term compared to its

normal use. The most frequently used type of synecdoche is the replacement of the name of the whole with

the name of a part of it or vice versa - the part instead of the whole. There could be many different cases of

substitution - denote the subject through its typical part, quality replaces its carrier, the author's name is used

to indicate his work, the name of an object is replaced with the material, which it is made from, etc.

Hyperbole (hyperbole) is excessive, deliberate overstatement/understatement of size, features or

characteristics of an object, person or action. It is often used to express irony or sarcasm. Examples of

hyperbole usage in advertising slogans include the slogan of Bulgarian TV channel "Btv" - „Повече от

телевизия“ ("More than a TV"), the slogan of "Cappy" - „Повече от сок.“ ("More than a juice.") and the

slogan of "OMV" gas stations- „Повече от движение. “ ("More than a movement.").

* Developed on the basis of the classification of Marietta Boteva:. Ботева, М., Речник по реторика – 150

аргумента на оратора, Издателство „Парадигма“, София, 2008.

25

The rhetorical figures of speech are those that concern the manner of verbal

expression and their description is provided in Table 2.

TableAPPENDIX 2.: FIGURES OF SPEECH

Anaphora (anaphora) is a stylistic figure and this is the repetition of the same characters, the same parts of

words, whole words or phrases at the beginning of sentences. It can be created through synthases -

combinations of several words. It is used to affect the listener emotionally and psychologically, to provoke a

stronger reaction or their attitude. Moreover, the repetition of the same element is used for amplification of

symmetry in rhythmic plan. Examples of the use of this figure of speech are the advertising slogans of the

shops "DM" - „Тук съм човек, тук пазарувам. “ ("Here I am fine, here I am shopping."), advertising slogan

of the company in the field of energy and services "EVN" - „Винаги тук, винаги с вас. “ ("Always here,

always with you.") and the slogan of the Trade center "Serdika Centre" - „Винаги неустоими, винаги на

мода.“ ("Always irresistible, always in vogue.") and others.

Epistrophe (epistrophe) is the repetition of the same word or group of words at the end of phrases or

sentences. It increases the expressiveness of the speech and its rhythm. It gives the impression of certainty

and attitude towards the specific problem. Repetition facilitates recipient in adopting the idea and provokes

emotional and psychological attitude of the audience towards it. When epistrophe is used together with

anaphora a symploce is formed. Example of epistrophe is the advertising slogan of the candies "Skittles" -–

„Открий дъгата. Опитай дъгата! “(" “Find the rainbow, taste the rainbow!)

Appeal (appeal) is a figure of speech that is used as a call and to attract attention. It is used to create a

favorable attitude towards the adoption of a particular idea, neutralize negative attitude towards it. Typical

example is the manifestation of this figure in the advertising slogan of "Pepsi" - "Искай повече." („Dare for

more”).

Alliteration (alliteration) is the repetition of one or more similar consonants in adjacent words. Examples of

alliteration are the slogan of the automotive brand "Infinity" - "Inspired performance" (repetition of "r"), and

26

the slogan of the chocolate bar "Nestle Lion" -– „Зверски вкусен! “ “Зверски вкусен“ ("Beastly yummy")

(alliteration of "z-s").

Assonance (assonance) is the repetition of vowel sounds, preceded and followed by different consonants,

mostly in stressed syllables of adjacent words. Assonance of sound "e" is clearly audible in the advertising

slogan of the cake for children "Barney" - „Мечето, което обича детето.” ("Bear who loves the child.").

Gradation (gradatio) is a sequence of several syntactically equivalent, uniform words or phrases by which a

particular idea, image or feeling is presented in order of progressive ascent or descent, i.e. amplifying or

weakening of the emotion. There are two types of gradation - descending and ascending. Example for

ascending gradation is the advertising slogan of one of the leading chains - "Praktiker" - „Само Вие, Вашите

идеи и Praktiker. “ ("Only you, your ideas, and Praktiker.").

Epithet (epitheton) is the artistic definition of the object, indicating some quality. It is used when we are

looking for security and evidence during the presentation of a specific idea or value. Concepts that are

accompanied by epithets stand out in their meaning and emotional impact and they have greater imagery and

expressiveness. Epithets can be autonomous figures, but they can also be linked with others and form a

gradation, repetition, antithesis. A typical example of the use of the epithet is the advertising slogan of the

ice-cream "BOSS" - „Покоряващо желание“ ("Conquering desire") and the slogan of the insurance

company "Euroins" - „Интелигентното застраховане“ ("Smart Insurance.")

Repetition (repetition) is deliberately repeating of terms, paragraphs, phrases, in order to convey a particular

idea. It has an expressive effect and enhances the impression of certain concepts. An example of this figure

of speech is the repetition of the epithet in the advertising slogan of "Diplomat Plaza Hotel & Resort" -

"Special moments for special people. “

Pun (pun) is based on superficial or accidental resemblance - two words that sound similar in composition

but different in meaning (paronym) or a word that has two or more different meanings (homonyms). Pun is

consciously created and deliberate so to reinforce the ambiguity, to make the choices between the meanings

impossible, and to let the listener or reader hesitant. The use of pun flatters intellectual abilities of the

audience that it is intended for, as they show that they have the appropriate knowledge to solve the mystery

set in the message (Mulken et. al., 2005). Interesting Examples of wordplay are the advertising slogans of

one of the most popular brands of coffee "Lavazza" - "Lavazza. Espress Yourself " and the slogan of ice tea

"Lipton"-"Drink positive ".

Neologism (neologism) creates a new word from two or more existing words or fragments of words. the

slogan of the car brand "Seat" - "Enjoyneering", and also the coffee brand "Jacobs" – (“Unique charomat”).

Resonance (resonance) is a literary device that is often used by professionals in advertising and it is a

combination of pun and a relevant image, i.e. a phrase acquires significance by juxtaposing to a particular

picture. The mostT typical example of the application of this figure is very creativethe slogan of Vodka

"Absolut".

Etymological figure (figura etymologica) is another rhetorical technique which is a structure in which

words having the same root are connected in an expressiona phrase. An eEtymological figure is usedcan be

found in the advertising slogan of "Grand hotel & Spa Primoretz" - „Един единствен“("Only one"), and also

in the advertising slogan of the global beautycosmetic brand "Max factor" - "The make-up of make-up

27

artists".

* Developed on the basis of the classification of Marietta Boteva: Ботева, М., Речник по реторика – 150

аргумента на оратора, Издателство „Парадигма“, София, 2008.

28