PBI1052 English In the Media

Module 3: AdvertisementsIn this unit, students should be able to:

Recognize the functions of advertisements

Compare advertisements, brochures, catalogues, prospectus and posters both print and electronic

Describe the basic principles of advertising language

Analyse the language of advertisements

Identify and state specific techniques that may be employed to convince consumers

Interpret an advertisement

Create an advertisement or parts of an advertisementWarming up

There are so many advertisements out there. Which advertisement is memorable to you and why? What makes it so memorable?

Definition

What is advertising?

Activity for Assessment 2(a):

Think of a product/service (either new or existing one) or campaign. If it is an existing one, think of how you can improve it and make it better. Before you do your assessment, think of the function of your advertisement.

Types

Organization & Content

Activity 1: See if you can guess the different parts of an advertisement based on the descriptions given in the table.

Headlines Short paragraph representing the advertising theme, with bold letters bigger than the other parts of the ad.

Body copy Tells the complete story of the ad.

Set in smaller type than headlines or subheads, a continuation of the headline.

Should relate to the campaign appeal and readers self-interest.

Explain how the product or service advertised satisfies the customers needs.

Some ads may not need long copies to explain the product.

Slogan A form of verbal logo, usually appears just beneath or beside the brand name or logo,.

Sums up what one stands for, ones specialty, marketing position and commitment.

Short, striking , easy to remember and different.

Images Pictures/illustration on the ad.

Activity 2: Discuss what the headlines below are trying to sell/promote.

Your perfect WEIGHT MANAGEMENT partner From Farm to Counter: Only the Best make the gradeEveryday low fare. Weve always been crazy about coffee, now we re certified. Space. Comfort. Luxury. Discover luminous translucency with Triple Whitening100% Pure Enjoyment The Best treat for best buddies Drive in style

Activity 3: Can you guess the company/product for each slogan? Discuss. What is the meaning of the slogan? Later, relate the slogan with the product.

Im lovinit Its a passion Have a break, have a kit kat So good Lifes Good Connecting People Ideas for life The best a man can get Melts in your mouth, not in your hand Now everyone can fly Its the real thing Activity for Assessment 2(b):

Once you have decided what product you are going to advertise, think of a suitable slogan and headline for your company/product.*Analysing Advertising Techniques

These are some of the techniques which may be employed to convince consumers to buy the products:

a.SEDUCTIVE LANGUAGE

like new, improved, sensational offer, lasts longer, powerful, etc.

b.SATISFACTION OF NEEDS

suggesting that users will be stronger, healthier, more attractive, more popular, more appealing, etc.

c.ENDORSEMENTS

using movie stars or sports figures to give a false impression that they actually use the product. The most common one is Before and After, etc.

d.INACCURATE INFORMATION OF PRODUCT

implying that it has special powers or that is larger, etc.

Activity 4: Look at the advertisement above. Can you identify the techniques used? Look at the ads in your magazines/newspapers/brochures, do they have any of these?Activity for Assessment 2 (c): Go back to your advertisement and decide which technique you are going to incorporate in your advertisement.

Basic principle of advertising languageAccording to Lund (1947), there are five principles of advertising language:1. Attract attention

2. Arouse interest

3. Stimulate desire

4. Create conviction

5. Get action

Activity 5: Discuss whether the advertisements below have any or all of the five principles above. What makes you say that?Ad 1

Ad 2Ad 3

Ad 4Analysing Advertising LanguageActivity 6: Choose two of the advertisements above and analyze the language based on the table below.Pronouns used

Adjective used

Existence of technical terms/scientific sounding words

Negative words (no, nothing, never, not)

Use of inclusive words (always, everything, all, every)

*The language features of advertisements include:

1. First and second personal pronouns such as you, we and I.

2. Adjective (words used to describe people, things or place) is also one of the main language features of advertisements.

3. Besides that, (depending on the type of product or service sold) there may be instances where technical and scientific sounding words are used as well as negative words such as no, nothing, never or not) and inclusive words such as always, everything, all and every).

4. Interrogative (posed questions) and imperative sentences (give command or make a request), usually simple sentence (contains a subject and predicate) or minor sentence (containing either a subject of just a predicate)

5. Literary devices

Activity 7: From those two advertisements that you have chosen, list down the adjectives used and give another word/phrase to replace that adjective.Literary Devices

In advertisements, you may find some of these literary devices being used. There is a reason why certain literary devices are used over the other. These devices are used to improve effectiveness, clarity and persuasiveness to the advertising and the audience may better remember the advertising with literary devices.

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Pun

- Use of a word that has two meanings (polysemy) or words with same sound but different meaning (Homonymy) in an amusing way.Give your hair a touch of spring.

Give your business a sharp edge. Leave deep impression on readers.

Extend the content of the message while presenting a more compact form.

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Alliteration

- Use of words that begins with the same sound. Sea, Sun, Sand and Spain!

Intel Inside

Sensuously smooth, Gloriously golden Emphasizes the meaning the ad wants to express.

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Metaphor

- compares two different things by speaking of one item of the other. Asserts that one thing is another thing, not just like. Explains by making the unknown/abstract concrete and familiar.You are the traveler. Your investments are the terrain. We are the map.Our flights get the green light six times a week from JFK to Johannesburg

Enlivens by touching the readers imagination

Give clearness and liveliness to the expression.

Facilitate understanding

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Simile

- comparison between two different things that resemble each other in at least one way using like or as.Cool as a mountain streamcool fresh Consulate

Like your baby, kittens need more nutrition than adult cats. Facilitate understanding of the products.

Consumers can imagine the product.

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Personification

- describe an animal or inanimate object as with human attributes such as forms, character, feelings , behavior etc. includes ideas and abstraction. Introducing a camera that shares your vision of the perfect picture.

Where the smart money spends its time. Serve to make an abstraction clearer and more real by defining or explaining the concept in terms of everyday human action.

Types/DefinitionExamplesPurpose of use

Euphemism

- words or expressions which are neutral or positive and used in place of negative words or expressions. We know you are both gourmet and weight watcher.

Does your skin pose a problem? To replace word/expression /product which may somewhat seem sensitive

Repetition

- repeating of the same word, phrase or clause.When youre sipping Lipton, youre sipping something special

Dont just show me the crystal, show me Galuay.

Your own car. Your own phone. Your own place. Your dads insurance? Makes a deeper impression.

Parallelism

- some parts of a sentence (s) are expressed similarlyBuy one, get one free.

Tough on plague, easy on teeth

Work for the world, care for the community. Shows that the ideas in the sentences are equal in importance.

Adds balance and rhythm and clarity to the sentence.

Activity 8: Analyze the advertisements below for any literary devices which you have learnt in this module. Later, you may choose two to three advertisements in this module and see if you can identify any of the literary devices discussed in this section.

Comprehension

Answer the questions below based on the advertisement below:

1. What kind of literary devices were used in this advertisement?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What do you think is/are the effect (s) of using such devices?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the slogan of this advertisement? Relate the slogan to the product. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What does the phrase crystal-clear images mean? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. What is the message of the headline?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Writing

Lets Recap and have fun!

Activity for Assessment 2 (d):

Look back at your advertisement. See if you can use any of the literary devices in your advertisement.

Assignment 2: Now its time to create your own advertisements.

Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media. (Bovee, 1992, p.7).

"Advertising is simply the communication of a sales or persuasive message designed to affect attitudes or behaviors toward the advertised product.consists of only two basic parts, the creative product ormessageandthe mediumor method used to get the message to the audience primary goal of advertising is to get the right message to the right audience at the right time," (Schultz, D.E, Essentials of Advertising Strategy in Advertisment-for-small-business.com)

Institutional Ads promote image of company

Print

Electronic

Public Service Ads social issues

Service ads promote services

Product Ads sell product

Nude, in Dior = Pun

Alliteration

Metaphor = truly my safe companion

Simile = as tender as the first blossom in spring

Personification

Euphemism

Parallelism

Updated 31st August, 2012

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