Language in Advertising

Language in Advertising

1. Persuasive Language Techniques

   • Similes and Metaphors
     • can be mixed or extended
   • Allusion to a powerful, well-known phrase
   • Tricolons (list of three)
   • Repetition
   • Parallelisms
     • Synonymous (second half develops first)
     • Antithetic (two halves are opposed)
   • Alliteration
     • makes lines quotable and memorable
   • Word-Play
     • e.g. puns
   • Buzzwords (cliched but well-known phrases)
   • Oxymorons

2. Grammar

   • often departs from standard forms
     • often resembles headlines
       • omit articles "the" and "a/an"
   • Minor Sentences (short forms of sentences)
   • Pragmatic Assumptions
   • Grammatical Conversion (take noun/brand name and make it another word class)
     • e.g. "that's so Suzuki" and "how refreshing, how Heineken"
   • Pseudo-Science
     • e.g. "beauty therapist"

3. Discourse

   • narratives
     • self-contained or episodic