Hi all,
Before reading these paragraphs, please take note. PRAGMATICS is hugely important when it comes to power in advertising. As a lot of your theories relate to power in CONVERSATION, they will mainly not be relevant in printed adverts.
You may talk about INSTRUMENTAL POWER (Fairclough) if the text is from an authority figure. You could also mention INFLUENTIAL POWER (Also Fairclough). You could also mention Grice. Also, if the advert mimics speech, it may well be that Fairclough's features of dominance of 'Face' could be mentioned (For example, if a rhetorical question was used to commit a FTA, or if the advert seemed to be preserving the reader's negative face).
However, largely you will need to focus on PRAGMATICS. By this I mean, talking about why CERTAIN WORDS are important in CERTAIN SITUATIONS (Contexts/Target audiences).
Because of this, I have chosen texts where pragmatics is very important. You do not need to mention the word 'pragmatically' or 'pragmatics'. Just say something like, 'This noun takes on extra significance when we consider the target audience of elderly women because...'
So, here are some example paragraphs:
You will already have done 2 on the stimulus text. Here are another 3!
P3 - An additional example of a powerful advert which I have studied is an extremely emotive appeal by 'Pancreatic Cancer Action'. Within this advert, power is exerted through the use of direct speech in the form of the controversial declarative, 'I wish I had breast cancer.' By juxtaposing the emotive verb 'wish' with the common noun 'cancer', the author creates a sense of shock and intrigue in the reader, pressuring them to read on to find an explanation for this shocking admission. These words would be received particularly alarmingly by a modern audience who are frequently bombarded with appeals to aid cancer charities. Perhaps this is an attempt to stand out from other similar appeals. Power is also exerted through synthetic personalisation by ensuring the quote appears to be from a real person 'Kerry, 24'. The inclusion of her age would shock the audience and make them feel vulnerable, increasing the likelihood they might want to help. By using the adverb 'today, the author is able to exaggerate the seriousness of the problem faced by many, putting it into context. Additionally, the use of superlative phrases 'biggest cancer killer' and 'lowest survival rate', the disease is inflated hyperbolically to make it seem more of a threat, increasing peoples' interest in the topic. The use of the abstract noun 'action' in the title of the charity contrasts with the more passive 'research' in the title of the UKs biggest cancer charity, perhaps making the reader more likely to donate due to the fact they may think their money will be spent fighting the disease rather than simply researching.
P4 - In a hugely contrasting advert for Maybelline's 'Colossal Spider Effect' mascara, the advert exerts power by targeting a specific demographic of insecure young women in order to use language for maximum effect. Utilising an imperative tone throughout, the advert leads with the command 'open your eyes', the idiom simultaneously implying that the product will increase the size of your eyes, whilst also seemingly implying that the reader is naïve if they do not yet use the product, which may encourage them to buy it. Later in the advert, the effect of the product is billed as 'Boldly Sculpted Lashes'. Here, the adverb 'boldly' implies that a person can improve their shy personality by using the product, and the adjective 'sculpted' seems to suggest that it is preferable to appear different to how you do naturally, implying that readers should always see themselves as a work in progress. The title of the product 'colossal spider' is seemingly designed to polarise the target demographic as the adjective 'colossal' and noun 'spider' sound eye-catching and over-the-top simultaneously. Then result of this may be that more shy readers see the product as a way to improve themselves, and more bold readers may feel pressured into using it to be on trend.
P5 - In an advert run by Martin Guitars, the text exerts power over the reader by insinuating that by buying a Martin guitar, you are buying into a legacy, exemplified by the declarative that Heather's guitar teacher 'introduced her...to a guitar that would change her life.' Clearly an example of Norman Fairclough's 'Influential Power', the past participle verb 'introduced' seemingly personifies the guitar. This idea is continued through the statement that on their last lesson together, the teacher 'passed down' a guitar to her. The phrasal verb implies a sense of tradition an cross-generational appreciation, raising the prestige of the guitars in question. Arguably, here - as an older guitar company - Martin Guitars attempt to appear as if they have instrumental power by seemingly claiming that they are a cut above their competitors. The advert even seems to put off some potential buyers, claiming 'A Martin guitar is nothing unless you know how to play one.' The use of direct address shown through the second person pronoun 'you', coupled with the sensationalist indefinite pronoun 'nothing' seems to put the onus on the customer to prove their worth and commitment, and prove that they are worthy of owning a Martin guitar, a very bold application of power.
Have a go at writing a paragraph for the 4th text by yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment