PBI1052 English In the Media

Module 3: Advertisements
In 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 advertisement

Warming 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?

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
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31st August,
2012
P a gtwo
e
advertised
product.consists
of1 |only
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-

PBI1052 English In the Media

Activity for Assessment 2(a):

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PBI1052 English In the Media

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

Print

Service
ads
promote
services

Product
Ads
sell
product

Public
Service
Ads
social
issues

Institutional
Ads
promote
image of
company

Electronic

Organization & Content

Activity 1: See if you can guess the different parts of an advertisement

based on the descriptions given in the table.

Headlin
es
Body
copy

Short paragraph representing the advertising theme, with bold

letters bigger than the other parts of the ad.
Tells the complete story of the ad.
Set in smaller type than headlines or subheads, a continuation of
the headline.

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Slogan

Images

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.
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.
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 grade
Everyday low fare.
Weve always been crazy about coffee, now we re certified.
Space. Comfort. Luxury.
Discover luminous translucency with Triple Whitening
100% 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.
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PBI1052 English In the Media

Im lovinit

Ideas for life

Its a passion

The best a man can get

Have a break, have a kit kat

Melts in your mouth, not in your hand

So good

Now everyone can fly

Lifes Good

Its the real thing

Connecting People

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.

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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?

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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 language
According 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

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Ad 2

Ad 3

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Ad 4

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Analysing Advertising Language

Activity 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
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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/Definition
Pun
- Use of a word that has
two meanings
(polysemy) or words
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Examples
Give your hair a touch of
spring.
Give your business a
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Purpose of use
Leave deep impression on
readers.
Extend the content of the
message while presenting a

PBI1052 English In the Media

with same sound but

different meaning
(Homonymy) in an
amusing way.

sharp edge.

more compact form.

Nude, in
Dior = Pun

Types/Definition
Alliteration
- Use of words that begins
with the same sound.

Examples
Sea, Sun, Sand and
Spain!
Intel Inside
Sensuously smooth,
Gloriously golden

Alliteration
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Purpose of use
Emphasizes the
meaning the ad wants
to express.

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Types/Definition
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.

Examples
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

Purpose of use
Enlivens by touching
the readers
imagination
Give clearness and
liveliness to the
expression.
Facilitate understanding

Metaphor = truly
my safe
companion

Types/Definition

Examples

Simile

Cool as a mountain
streamcool fresh
Consulate

- comparison between two

different things that
resemble each other in at
least one way using like
or as.

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Like your baby, kittens

need more nutrition than
adult cats.

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Purpose of use
Facilitate understanding
of the products.
Consumers can imagine
the product.

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Simile = as tender
as the first
blossom in spring

Types/Definition

Examples

Personification

Introducing a camera that

shares your vision of the
perfect picture.

- describe an animal or
inanimate object as with
human attributes such as
forms, character, feelings ,
behavior etc. includes
ideas and abstraction.

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Where the smart money

spends its time.

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Purpose of use
Serve to make an
abstraction clearer and
more real by defining or
explaining the concept
in terms of everyday
human action.

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Personificatio
n

Euphemis
m

Types/Definition

Examples

Euphemism

We know you are both

gourmet and weight
watcher.

- words or expressions
which are neutral or
positive and used in place
of negative words or
expressions.
Repetition
- repeating of the same
word, phrase or clause.

Does your skin pose a

problem?
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.

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Purpose of use
To replace
word/expression
/product which may
somewhat seem
sensitive

Makes a deeper
impression.

PBI1052 English In the Media

Your dads insurance?

Parallelism

Buy one, get one free.

- some parts of a sentence

(s) are expressed similarly

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.

Parallelism

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.

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Comprehension

Answer the questions below based on the advertisement below:

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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.