Lecture 14 The English of Advertising

Lecture 14 The English of Advertising1 Advertising English as a Variety1. 1 The Ubiquity无所不在of AdvertisingNowadays advertising penetrates every corner of society; especially in developed countries, newspapers (most of which devote 60 to 70 percent of their space to advertisements), radio and TV (in the US for instance, often a 30-minute newscast is interrupted at least four times for commercials), magazines (for some, as much as half the space is given to advertisements), highway billboards, streamers, window shows, floor and counter displays, transport decorations, fairs and exhibitions, telephones and direct mails, and even sandwichman (man who walks about the streets with two advertising boards one hanging over his chest and the other over his back) indeed almost all the media, all usable spaces are employed to get all sorts of information to all people in all places. Since places to be filled are everywhere, the amount of advertising is not determined by the needs of advertising, but rather by the opportunities for advertising, which have become unlimited. According to Dominick (1990), about $118 billion was spent on advertising in the US in 1988. Newspaper accounted for the biggest share of advertising volume -- about 26 percent. TV ranked second, accounting for 22 percent, followed by direct mail, radio, magazines and outdoor advertising.1. 2 The Function of AdvertisingAdvertising has consistently played a very important role in the development of capitalism. Some people point to the vital role ads played in the settlement of the New World: Brochures published in England in the 17th century were full of hopeful overstatements, half truths, and downright lies, along with some facts, by which the promoters for the American colonies enticed people to settle in there. Nowadays, advertising performs four basic roles in society:1) Marketing role--helping companies sell their products or services;2) Educational role helping people learn about new products and services;3) Economic role--encouraging competition in product/service improvements and lowerprice;4) Social role--helping increase productivity and raise the standard of living.1.3 The language of AdvertisingIn order to fulfill these roles, advertising has resorted to all kinds of techniques-- audial and visual, sound and light, display and acting, photographs and drawing, etc. But the most basic is the language—its mode being either written to be read or written to be spoken as if not written. According to the target audience (mainly of two kinds: personal consumption and business), the functional tenor of advertising language is mainly persuasive (as consumer advertising) or mainly informative (as business advertising). But all advertising language must have its appeal to the target people. This is especially true of the language of consumer advertising, which is targeted at the broad masses of people who buy products and services for personal use. The personal tenor is reflected in its characteristic warm plain speech used in daily life and the various language tricks to impress and move the audience. This is why linguists have shown their interest in advertising language and why we study it as a variety. We shall focus on consumer advertising and also take a brief look at business-to-business advertising. And in terms of media, we shall first discuss newspaper advertising (including magazine).2 Newspaper Advertising2. 1 Display and Classified AdvertisingNewspaper advertising is divided into two types: display and classified. The former ranges from inconspicuous one-inch notices to multiple-page advertisements in which advertisers present and promote their products and services. The classified advertisements, adverts, or ads for short, are the small-print, generally brief announcements packed closely together, dealing with diverse topics, such as help wanted, apartments for rent, used furniture and automobiles for sale, instruction offered, film and theatre, lost and found, and so on. Various magazines and billboards also have display advertising. So we shall discuss display advertising, and point to the prominent features of classified later on.2. 2 Samples for Display AdvertisingHere we have two sample texts: One is an ad by the GM Corporation about the test drive to be conducted on May 1 and 2, 1992, which appeared in The Washington Post, May 1,1992. Another is an ad about video-writer by NAP Consumer Electronics Corporation, which originally appeared in Campus V oice, 1987. Reference will be made to other ads mostly found in recent newspapers and magazines.2.3 Stylistic Features of Display Advertising2.3 . 1 Graphological features2.3 .1.1 Full use of graphological contrastsWith the development of advertising business, the design of ads has become an art. Most display ads have a well-thought-out manipulation of sharp graphological contrasts to achieve the best possible eye-catching effect. As the samples show, the headlines are either in 27mm +2o mm high, heavy bold roman capitals, or in 25 mm high roman lettering. The body of the first ad is set in different shapes of type: some lines for citation are in italic lettering, some in roman lettering, with subtitles in 7 mm high bold roman capitals. In the body of the second ad, there is contrast in shapes too.2.3 .1.2 Prominent use of picturesPictures are most attractive. So nowadays the general practice is combining sharp graphological contrasts with a picture of the advertised product, or the potential customer, or the service being offered, which in many cases occupies half or even two-thirds of the space. Sample 2 has one picture of the potential consumer and another for the product. Sample 1 has a notice-board which tells the event, time, place of the road test.2.3 . 1. 3 Clear identification of the advertiserIn both sample ads, the advertiser is conspicuously identified. Sample 1 makes GM very prominent, and Sample 2 has MAGNA VOX stand out. This is only natural; if not, why advertise?2.3 .2 Grammatical featuresIn order to be easily comprehensible and to achieve the effect of a warm conversation, display advertising tends to be grammatically simple. This is shown in its preference forshort sentences, combined use of various sentence types, and simple verbal groups, though, we must admit, there is heavy pre- and post-modification of the nominal group.2.3 . 2.1 Preference for short sentencesAs is shown in the samples, most sentences in the body of the ads are short, some composed of only two or three words. The longest sentence in Sample 1 has 32 words, and that of Sample 2, 26; the average length of both samples is m.4 words per sentence, which is a little more than that of conversation (with 8 words per sentence). Of the 13 sentences in Sample l, 3 have subordinate clauses. Of the 31 sentences in Sample 2, 9 have subordinate clauses, but all the subordinate clauses are simple and so present no problem whatsoever for quick reading. Worthy of our notice is the occurrence of verb-less sentences, such as the first sentence in Sample 2. These are frequently used in written ads, though there are not many of them in the samples. See the following ad for example:2.3 .2.2 Combined use of various types of sentencesIn the study of conversation, we noticed the co-occurrence of questions and commands as well as statement-type sentences in that variety of English. Now we find in advertising English another variety where various sentence types have their co-occurrence. In some ads, like Sample 2, statements are relieved with occasional questions and commands. In some, like Sample l, commands are used in a succession (see the paragraph under the subtitle ' GO FOR A TEST DRIVE ' in Sample l).And in some, questions are used one after another. The following ad is a good example: Ask questions first:When it comes to camcorders, make sure you ask the right questions:Who delivers the finest picture and sound quality?Who gives you five times more recording time than VHS-C?Who makes it simple to play back directly on any TV?Who was ranked NQ 1 by the leading consumer rating magazines?And, who is America 's most popular choice?Shoot later.Who has all the answers? Without question, Sony Handycam.Among the ten sentences in the ad, there are as many as six questions. The use of commands and questions in advertising kindles a spark of interest in the reader and induces him/her to have a go at it.2.3 .2.3 Use of simple verbal groupsLike conversation verbal groups in the samples are simple, composed of one word, or Auxiliary +Verb. But unlike conversation, in which all verb tenses may occur, advertising mostly uses the present tense. This is to satisfy the reader's curiosity about the present status quo (existing conditions) of the advertised products or service. The present tense can at once indicate a present action and hints at a permanent state. Past tense is sometimes used (though not in the samples) only when referring to the effort that was made in improving the product or service or to a past experience. For example, speaking of the El-new cabin or a Citation III plane, one ad says:Everything you see is new. Everything.In creating this elegant environment, Cessna designers started from scratch--with the objective of making the best possible use of every cubic centimeter of available space. They succeeded beautifully.Another ad asks a question concerning the poor food and uncomfortable seat offered by other airlines:REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU WERE STUCK IN A SMALL SEAT WITH A TRAY FULL OF FOOD YOU HATED?The present perfect is sometimes used to emphasize the present state or the consistent quality of a product or service, as in Sample 1:Olds has produced an honestly American sport coupe with outstanding style, attractive potential and no pretension.and in a corporate Angel Network advertisement:FOR TEN YEARS, A VERY SPECIAL AIR FORCE HAS BEEN BATTL1NG CANCER And like in conversation, contractions are common. In Sample 2, all the verbs to be (except one) and auxiliaries shall/will appear in the contracted form.2.3 .2.4 Use of heavily modified nominal groupsIn order to pack more information into a limited space, many ads have heavily modified nominal groups. In Sample I there is one:An honestly American sport coupe with outstanding style, attractive potential and no pretensionIn other advertisements, there are more pre-modified nominal groups, as in the summary of an ad about MAZDA MX-3 CS:The only L 8 L , 24-valve in its class. Plus 4-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes (ABC optional). And a 36-month/50,000-mile limited warranty with non-reducible, 'bumper-to-bumper' protection. See your dealer for details. So where do you find one? Call 1-800-639-1000.Such heavily pre-modified nominal groups seem to be more often used in describing machines. One ad about Dodge is studded with such groups:the new Dodge Magnum Series EnginesV-6 or V-e gasoline-powered enginesnew sequential multipoint fuel injectionthe mighty Cummins Turbo Dieselnew charge-air coolingour 7 year//70,000 mile power-train warranty3 years/36 ,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage2.3 .3 Lexical featuresSo far as the lexis is concerned, advertising is characteristic of its richly suggestive anddescriptive language.2.3 .3-1 Wide use of affirmative and commendatory words and expressionsThe purpose of advertising is to impress the potential customer with the quality of a product or service, so it often uses affirmative and commendatory words and expressions in describing the commodity. In Sample l, we have a pleasure to drive, a truly great car, automobile of the gear, the new commitment to qualify, Detroit 's magic touch, an honestly American sport coupe, outstanding style, attractive potential, a perfect world, runs with the best . And in Sample 2, we see a series of positive affirmation about the good points of the advertised Video-writer as compared with an ordinary typewriter: solves all your typing problems, edits, spell~, counts words, makes multiple copies, obviously does a lot more than type, very smart etc.Comparisons are many in advertising, usually to affirm the improvement made to a product or service. The contrast made by contrasting with another object in Sample II is clearly more concrete and more convincing. But chances for such comparisons are not many -- it is against the law to build up one's commodity image by condemning other brands (even Sample II does not mention any ordinary typewriter by name). That is why vague and subtle comparisons are often used in ads. A very good example is the ad about Trident:Of America 's best-tasting gums, Trident is sugar-free.There are two tricks here: l) Without saying so directly, the ad places Trident among ' America 's best-tasting gums'. 2) By deliberately omitting (but obviously implying) the word only , Trident does not say that other gums are not sugar-free-a claim that it would not be able to support if taken to court. Nevertheless, the sentence is so brilliantly constructed, with the word only so heavily implied, that most people hear the word in their mind, even though it has not been said.Actually many positive-sounding words and expressions are non-specific in meaning; there is hardly any objective standard to measure them by. For example, the word enriched is often found in describing bread. Maybe the manufacturer win put a couple of drops of vitamins into the batter, and then it is 'enriched'! It sounds great when you hear it. It looksgreat when you read it. But the catch is: what is the objective standard of being 'enriched'? There is simply no such standard. But, the word 'enriched' gives you a feeling of satisfaction and makes you choose the bread for breakfast.Advertisers often couch their sentences in a way that taps the audience's assumption about the superb quality of the products or services they are advertising. Much ad-language makes as many positive claims as possible for the products or services without actually making them, by the use of PRESUPPOSITION (what is often thought of as true, something that is assumed to be the case) and EXPECTATION (what is easily taken to be true, something that is thought to be the case) on the part of the audience. For instance, the following head-line of an adWhich of these continental quilt patterns will suit your bedroom best?presupposesAll these continental quilt patterns will suit your bedroom.andOne of these continental quilt patterns will suit your bedroom better than the others.The play on expectation is found in a sentence containing a negative and an adjective in the comparative; asBeauty wise, value wise, you can't buy better than Rimmel.expectsRimmel is the best you can buy.although it 'actually' asserts onlyRimmel is as good as anything else you can buy.Other such repeatedly used ad-language is: helps (keep you young), cleans (like a white tornado), virtually (trouble- free), can be (of significant value when used... ), refreshes, comforts, tackles, fights, the feel of (real leather), looks like (a real oil painting ), flavor (every supermarket has advertised the most flavor ful meat), taste (every famous cigarette in the world has claimed the best taste), a roma, smell (as all out doors), difference (in such statements as 'Look at ours, and look at anyone else's. You can see the difference ourexclusive formula makes'), at last (as in: 'At last! An entirely NEW collection of beautiful underwear and lingerie.' Here 'At last' suggests that a new collection of underwear and lingerie is here available for the first time).Most prominent is the use of a large number of adjectives. The customer's eyes, ears, mind and soul are often bombarded with adjectives such as easy, great, groovy, swinging, wonderful, fantastic, flesh, stylish, beautiful, handsome, elegant, exceptional, exclusive, high-size, roomy, sleek, crisp, fast, smooth, exciting, fuel-efficient, all-new , etc, some of which have become overused. That is probably why advertisers have now begun using direct quotations that praise the quality of their products or services instead of heaping positive adjectives on it by themselves. Sample 1 is an example.2. 3 .3.2 Frequent use of personal pronounsUse of personal pronouns is extremely common, especially you and we , obviously to make the language more warm and friendly in tone and strengthen its appeal to the reader. Our samples have shown this. Another GM ad goes like this:Because quality over time means so much for you, it means even more to us.In the past several years, we have turned our company inside out to deliver lasting quality to you.Today we're building quality you'll experience from the first months you own your new car or truck through the years that it's part of your life.And after some deliberations on 'the deep-down, long-lasting satisfaction' that the new cars and trucks will give 'you', the ad goes on:We don't expect you to take our word for this. All we ask is that you read what the experts say.And take a look.One cannot help being deeply impressed by GM's earnest concern for their customer in terms of the lasting quality of their cars and trucks.Sometimes she or he is used to refer to your loved one; as in an ad for ring:Real gold.Slip it on her fingers and she 'll know what's in your heart.Nothing else feels like real gold.and also:Give him a diamond, the girl he will never forget.2.3 .3.3 Extensive use of neologismsThe creativity of advertising can best be seen in its coinages of new terms. Take American advertisements for example.As early as 1895, C W Post introduced his all-grain brew Postum, claiming not only that it made 'red blood' but that it cured coffee nerves , a malady then unknown both to doctors and to the general public, but which Americans have been aware of ever since.Ringworm of the foot is a real ailment. But it was seldom mentioned until it was widely called athlete foot wben Absorbine Jr advertised itself as a remedy for it.In the mid 197os, a manufacturer of a preparation to relieve itching in the groin area popularized the term jock strap itch , later on, jock itch for this 'ailment', which was soon spread far and wide.In 1924 liquid Odorono was advertised as a perspiration corrective-for both the underarms and the feet--whose protection could last for days. Its ads popularized a blunt new term, saying Odorono used under arms would prevent underarm odor . During the 193os people were using an underarm deodorant ,' and in the 1960s the name anti-perspirant took its place to stop wetness , a new euphemism for underarm stains. In 1933 millions of Americans began to laugh at and use the abbreviation B. D. to mean body odor , as popularized by the advertising of an 'orange-colored, peculiar-smelling, oddly shaped bath-soap'.Numerous other terms were coined. From 'boutique' comes bootique . From 'hamburger' comes cheeseburger, fishburge r. From 'clean excellently' comes Klenex (a facial tissue). From 'wear for ever' comes Wear-Ever (a cooking utensil). From 'computer' and 'accessories' comes compucessories . From 'sun' and 'sensitive' comes sunsitive .Extremely common are words with a new spelling; such as Kozy Klips (cosy clips), Kash 'n' Karry (Cash and Carry), Penlite Battery (Penlight Battery), foto (photo), foncard (phonecard), NEW AAJVFTIME PARE FOR BUSINESS, NEW PLANAAHEAD FARES FOR LEISURE (AA is the symbol for American Airline), We Know Eggsactly How to Sell Eggs, TWOGETHE R--The Ultimate All Inclusive One Price Sunkissed Holiday.Most prominent is the nonce formation of adjectival phrases such as: a boardroom-size leather recliner, all-new, the most thoughtfully designed and handsomely crafted interiors, the oh-so-comfortable size, such a devilishly smooth cool creamy minty chewy round slow velvety fresh clean solid buttery taste.2. 3.4 Semantic featuresSemantically, newspaper or other print advertising is distinctive in its heavy reliance on the overall layout of the ad for its desired impact, its adaptation to the target audience and marketing objective, its rhetorical devices, etc.2.3 - 4.1 Heavy reliance on overall layoutRegularly a newspaper (or other print) advertisement is composed of five parts: the headline, the body, the illustration(s), the signature line (with an optional symbol), and the epigrammatic slogan accompanying it. Both samples are composed of five parts. In Sample l, the illustration is a notice board for the test drive, and the slogan accompanying GM is THE TIME IS RIGHT. In Sample 2, the illustration presents two pictures, one showing the mess created by an ordinary typewriter, another showing the product of a Video-writer; the slogan accompanying the name MAGNA VOX is: 'Smart. Very Smart.'Each pact contributes to the organic whole of the ad – rendering it more eye-catching and impressive. No other varieties of English rely so heavily on the overall layout for their impact as advertising English.2.3.4. 2 High attentions to positioning and themeIn order to be successful in the fierce competition, advertising language is often directed to one or more segments of the broad market so as to set the advertised product or service apart from the competition without making any change in the product or service. This process is known as 'positioning'. For example, in a soft drink market dominated by colas, Seven Up successfully competed by positioning itself as the 'uncola'. Seeing sunbathershighly conscious of the risk of skin cancer due to over-exposure, Bain de Soleil repositioned its product to stress the protection angle.After the positioning, an overall idea or theme must be formed. In the early 198os, for example, Delta Airlines had positioned itself as an airline catering to the needs of business traveller. But what specific item should be stressed in Delta's ads: food? courteous service? Extensive mutes? Research revealed that the most important factor to the business flyer was convenience, so Delta's agency came up with the theme: 'Delta is ready when you are.' The Canon Corporation, in order to make its new automatic camera appeal to college-educated men or women, eighteen to forty-five, who happened to be the prime buying audience for single-lens cameras, decided to emphasize the camera's ease of operation and hit upon the theme: 'The Canon AE-1 is so advanced it's simple.' In order to please its diet and health conscious buyers, TCBY yogurt based its ad campaign on the theme: 'Say goodbye to high calories. Say goodbye to ice cream.'2.3.4 .3 Use of rhetorical devicesTo achieve vividness mad humor and to entice and appeal to more audience, various rhetorical devices are employed in advertising.Repetition is striking in some ads. An ad about Sunbeam's new Easy-to-Assemble gas grill plays up on the word easy:IT'S SO EASY to go from box to barbecue with Sunbeam's new Easy -to-Assemble gas grill. Factory assembled components make it easy to be cooking in just minutes. And features like convenient side burners, easy -clean cooking grids and foldaway side tables make it so easy to use. American made quality and Sunbeam's exclusive 10.3.1 consumer warranty make it so easy to see why sunbeam is America 's favorite gas grill. Easy to use, easy to dean, easy to assemble, and easy to find.Parallel structure is often seen, as in the ad about Sony Handyeam mentioned 9.2.3 .2.2. A MassMutual ( Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. ) ad provides another example:A promise to attend recitals, late meeting notwithstanding.A promise not to show up when you're with your friends at the mall.A promise to keep it all safe no matter what.Nothing binds us one to the other like a promise kept. Nothing divides us like a promise broken. At MassMutual we believe in keeping our promises. That way all the families and businesses that rely on us can keep theirs.Various metaphorical uses of language are common; as inAmerica 's love affair with the original minivan continues.Last year we delivered a 899379 babies. All colors and shapes and sizes. But we never forget that the most important is yours. Quality care. It may be your car, but it's still our baby.Angler's Nail has got the nation hooked.Allusions and puns are thought-provoking and humorous. One ad entitled 'Lose face. Save face.' makes the reader curious. On further reading, it turns out to be an ad about a new post-shave conditioner from Old Spice:It will help restore skin's protective moisture of your face that you lose every time you shave.Ads for Brat afier-shave, stick deodorant and anti-perspirant spray make explicit invitations by alluding to an image of masculinity:'Make every day your Brut day', 'Carry a big stick', and 'Give it your best shot'.An ad for 'Close-Up' toothpaste alludes to sex appeal:Your perfume turns him on. Will your breath turn him off?A Mobil ad entitledThe Winds of(Trade) Warreminds us of the novel on WWII; and a car ad is entitledDefy the Jonesesbecause with that car, it is suggested, you are far ahead of your neighbors.A Mansfield Shoes ad begins with:What's afoot in the world of fashion?The punning on the two meanings of afoot (one 'happening', another 'on foot') implies thatMansfield Shoes are the fashion of the day. A cigarette ad plays on the word more, saying: It is More youto have a smoke of 'More'. In an adCutex Strongnail with nylon for long, strong, beautiful nails.the pun rests on the double meaning of nail , which is verbal, and also visual--there is a picture of a nail held in a hand with beautiful nails.Sound effects are embodied in alliteration or metrical rhythm; as inSea, sun, sand, seclusion -- and Spain !You can have all these-- at a price that is hard to believe--when you visit the Hotel Caliente, Barcelona .Piccadilly pack a promiseLook in 'Foxy. Feel in 'Fantastic.and the conversational rhythm of many ads:HA VE YOU WANTED A GOOD ANSWER TOHA VE YOU DRIVEN A FORD LATELY?THE NEW ESCORT LX SEDAN .Isn't it time you saw a new car and said to yourself, 'Now that really is new.' We thought so too. That's why we've added the new Escort LX Sedan to the recently redesigned line of 1992 Ford Escorts. THINK BIG.Finally, a small car that offers something you may not expect in a small ear. Sophistication. From fine points like side window demisters to the I. 9 L SEFI engine, the Escort LX makes you think sedan before you think small. And options like a smooth automatic transmission tilt steering and speed control, make even your longest trip seem short and sweet.2. 4 Conspicuous Features of Business-to-business AdvertisingBusiness-to-business advertising is designed to sell products and services not to general consumers but to other businesses. It is typically found in specialized trade publications, direct mail, professional journals and special display advertising planned for trade shows. Recently some business-to-business advertisements have also turned up in the mass media. There are obvious differences between advertising directed at consumers and business advertising. First, the target audience in business advertising is much smaller. Second, most of the products or services that are advertised tend to be technical, complicated, and high priced. Third, the buyer will be professionals. These factors make it necessary to pay close attention to the copy in the business-to-business advertising.A lot of consumer advertisements depend on impression and style to carry their message. Their copy tends to be brief and can cater to the emotions of their audience. Business copy, however, tends to be longer, more detailed, and more factual. Emphasis is placed on accuracy and completeness. Any technical inaccuracy or unsubstantiated exaggeration is likely to result in compromised credibility of the product or service. Some of the most used formats in business advertising are testimonials, case histories, news, and demonstrations. But this does not mean that all business advertisements should be dull. Warmth, humor, and creativity are also necessary.For example, Federal Express ran a print ad that featured a Federal Express Overnight Letter package next to a plain brown envelope that might be sent through the postal system. Under the Federal Express envelope was ‘V. I. P.' (Very Important Persons); under the brown envelope, 'R. L P.' (Rest In Peace, often carved on gravestones).2.5 Conspicuous Features of Classified AdvertisingClassified advertising supplies abundant information about help wanted, used furniture and automobile for sale, apartments for rent, instruction offer, film and theatre, etc which is all factual. For the sake of space economy, classified advertising is always packed closely together with small print. Most prominent is its use of elliptical sentences and abbreviations. Here is an ad for help wanted:。