Language Study at Key Stages 2 and 3

3 Persuasive language: Advertisements

Advertisements are very distinctive types of persuasive text in that they show evidence of playing with language, often in ways that might be recognised as using literary techniques. Readers of advertising copy are seen as potential purchasers of a particular product or service. The complete text also goes beyond language, in that the particular language presented often interacts with another medium (e.g. photo or drawing)

Activity 3.1 Analysing an advertisement

Look at the attached advertisement and respond to the questions below (click on the image to enlarge in a new window).

In what sorts of context might it be found? Who is the intended audience? What is its purpose? What is the relationship between the writer and the reader?

Commentary

This advertisement is from a Sunday Colour Supplement Magazine, so the audience is the kind of person likely to buy and read a certain type of Sunday newspaper. Its purpose is to sell the product. The way in which the text works can be analysed using the same language systems and levels as outlined in the Introduction.

Overall Organisation
Both the text and the image are designed to be read in terms of left/right orientation. The reader moves backwards and forwards from picture to text. The link between picture and text forms a dialogue between command and reason: i.e. BUY Chivas Regal BECAUSE… The dialogue is one between father and son. The image reflects maturity and warmth of both the product and the father. The colours in the visual reflect warmth and contentment. The ‘12 Years’ in the background again suggests maturity.

Cohesion and Grammatical Choices
The ‘text’ involves the repetition of the same grammatical structure over several sentences: Buy Chivas Regal BECAUSE (subordinate clause). The picture acts as the main clause (I am sending you this) to each subordination in the actual text (saying ‘why’). Initially the interaction that usually occurs in an advert is between father and son; but, in the final sentence, involves the reader: Because if YOU don’t deserve ….(the personal pronoun refers both to ‘father’ AND to the reader. This is reinforced by the question: to both. Such parallelism is a marked feature of advertising with a repetition of grammatical structure. Similar parallelism of utterances is frequently found in poetry and in the heightened style of public speakers (e.g. political speeches) where there is a reinforcement of key points through memorable repetition.

Vocabulary
‘Because’ continually repeats the reasons for both ‘buying’ and ‘giving’ the product.
The contractions found in spoken language convey the ‘conversational’ tone of the written dialogue: I’ve; there’s; you’ve; don’t. The vocabulary suggests a particular ‘lifestyle’ for this family e.g. red Rudge bicycle; cheque book; playing rugby; scholarship. The repeated phrases also mirror the chronological development (in years) of the family: bicycle – books – rugby – birds and bees – scholarship – 38 birthdays – grandfather – glasses for reading. The chronology is implicit in the parallelism of the grammatical structures. Terms of endearment suggest a certain ‘formality’: my mother; my wife.

Activity 3.2 Create your own advert

The following task is one presented to our trainees to try out themselves and adapt for use in the classroom.

Create your own advert for a specified purpose and audience. Bear in mind language use at different levels - organisation; grammar; vocabulary. Consider the following points, highlighted by professional copywriters:

DON’T

Say a great deal in a few words
Use language the reader will understand
Delete redundant words
Use plain English
Write as though you know, and like, the reader
Vary the length of your sentences
Beware the endless sentence with several clauses
Match the language to the reader
Use colloquial and Standard English appropriately
Make sure your punctuation doesn’t let you down
Keep your paragraphs short
Split your infinitives if it makes your copy sound better
Use the active voice, unless you’ve good reason to do otherwise
Create short, snappy headlines

Use terms you don’t understand yourself
Use tautology or repeat yourself
Use long, complicated headlines
Use user-unfriendly words
Use clichés
Use empty phrases and hype
Avoid the unusual

Activity 3.3 Using DARTs (Directed Activities Related to Texts)

This activity aims to help trainees create DARTs materials based on the texts they use in the classroom. There are many different kinds of DARTs activity. We have found that the following lend themselves particularly well to the analysis, understanding and writing of texts at different levels. Trainees should consider using them when teaching pupils how to analyse adverts. Which might help pupils analyse the Chivas Regal advert?

Deleting words/phrases from a text and discussing alternatives
Asking questions of a text (e.g. why choose this word/phrase?)
Predicting an aspect of the advert (e.g. final ‘punchline’)
Underlining features of a text (e.g. those words that indicate the ‘target audience’)
Focusing on the written text and create the visual image
Sequencing the ‘sentences’ of a text
Summarising the text in FOUR words.