The Style of Advertisements.

Non-classified Advertisements and Commercials

Relations to Other Styles

- relevant in the business style

- also relevant in the newspaper style

- shares some features with the publicistic style

Functions

- provides information

- persuades about the qualities of the item offered

- reminds of the item to stabilise one’s marked position

- appeals for purchase or co-operation

- covers a whole range of situations: products, services, jobs

- addresses general public

x but: designed wrt specific target groups (beer commercials: targeted at men > use their language, broadcast during a football game)

Forms

- written = advertisements

- spoken = radio, TV commercials

- slogans /‘Spain. Everything under the sun.’/

- also political speeches, sermons, etc.

- billboards, circulars, internet commercials

Substyles

- the style of non-classified advertisements

- also the genre of classified advertisements

General Characteristics

- the style of non-classified x classified advertisements

- greater freedom of expression

- greater appeal

- graphical layout

- illustrations, pictures, colours

- repetitions /‘Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.’/

- credibility strategy (a toothpaste recommended by a dentist; anything recommended by a celebrity) /‘Max Factor. The make-up of make-up artists.’/

- personal, colloquial

Syntactical Features

- frequently marked word-order

- declaratives and imperatives

- simple sentences rather then complex sentences

- elliptical, even vague /‘A better deal’/

Lexical Features

- often words outside the standard language variety

- marked colloquial words, slang words, dialect words

- emotional words, interjections

- positive and unreserved words /‘Pilsner. The world’s first golden beer.’/

- original and memorable catchwords

- words with contextual meaning; simultaneous realisation of two meanings

- inventive word-forming

- puns /‘Guinnless isn’t good for you.’/

- metaphors /‘Pilsner. Out of the darkness comes light.’/

- alliteration /‘Take your lashes to luxurious lengths.’/

- rhyme /‘Winston tastes good like a cigarette should’/

- phraseology, idioms

Special Nomenclature

- advertising terminology: jingle; brand; freebie

Classified Advertisements

Forms

- classified advertisements: Events, Meetings, Holidays, Situations Vacant, Personal, Accommodations Offered, etc.

- announcements: births and deaths, marriages, legal notices, health warnings, etc.

Syntactical Features

- elliptic and abbreviated for the sake of economy /‘Ford/Merc exp a must. Excel sal/bnfts.’ > Ford/Mercury experience a must. Excellent salary and benefits.’/

- short and compact sentences

- omission of articles

- lack of punctuation

Lexical Features

- neutral words