(2) It changed our Well Water to Wonderful Water.
The verbs used in the above two examples are all monosyllable verbs. In Example (1), the verb “tastes” denotes direct links between product and consumer. Since Pepperidge Farm’s stuffing tastes remarkable, it must be most delicious and therefore worth buying. It is true that what this verb tells about the food is what concerns the consumer most. The verb “fix” effectively suggests that Pepperidge Farm’s stuffing is very convenient to cook. The verb “pack” hints that the four varieties full of the fancy extras are put together in bags or boxes neatly and tightly so that they are convenient to carry. The verb “put” tells us that the food is so delicious that you will like it very much and eat plenty of it. The verb “try” indirectly urges the potential customers to buy and consume it. These words don’t reach too far to make a point. The verb “changed” in the example (2) conveys the wonderful function of the product. All these simple, colloquial verbs put across convincing information of the commodities because people tend to believe advertised messages presented to them in easy and simple words.
2.2 New Words Constantly Appear
In order to attract people’s attention, copywriters like to create some new words. Mimesis or misspelling, ingenious creation and conversion of parts of speech are the three typical approaches.
2.2.1 Mimesis or Misspelling
Mimesis, the imitation of incorrect spelling, is mainly used for truthfulness, humor or emphasis in English advertising texts.
(1) Frresh! (2) Ooohh – Pizza hut.
Example (1) is an advertisement for a brand of cream. It just uses only one word which is derived from the word “fresh”. This word has a stimulating effect that people seem to taste this delicious cream when they are reading this advertisement. In example (2), the misspelled word “ Ooohh” is intentionally derived from the English word “Oh”. It exaggeratedly expresses the feeling of amazement and happiness in Pizza hut. The word “Ooohh” looks like an open mouth. Moreover, when people read this ad text, they are naturally attracted and associate the food with lusciousness. It gives people visual and phonetic stimulation.
In order to create the uniqueness or novelty of a product, copywriters misspell some commonly used words with the same pronunciation on purpose. There are some examples here.
(3) We know Eggsactly How to Sell Eggs.
(4) Koin Klean laundry.
(5) What could be delisher than fisher?
The word “Eggsactly” in example (3) comes from the word “exactly”. It skillfully takes advantage of the same pronunciation of the word “Egg”, which helps consumers to memorize the brand easily. Copywriters usually replace the letter “c” with “k”. Example (4) shows this clearly, where “koin” and “klean’ respectively stand for “coin” and ‘clean’. In order to compose a rhyme, “delicious “, which praises the taste of food, is changed into “delisher” in Example (5) undoubtedly all these new spellings arouse consumers’ interest and help these brands come alive in consumers’ memory effortlessly. Furthermore, the mimesis drives people to take great interest in owing the product.
2.2.2 Ingeniously Created Words
In order to draw the readers’ attention to the special or unique features or functions of the advertised product, the copywriter creates some new words flexibly and ingeniously. Let’s see and analyze some examples.
(1)Hi-Fi, Hi-Fun, Hi-Fashion, only from Sony. Dynamic stereo sound sings full and clear from these tiny, comfortable Fontopia.
(2)Home Appliance Office Automation
Samsung’s feather-weight 8mm camcorder proves that you can have both sophisticated technology and user friendly features.
(3)Give a Timex to all, and to all a good time.
In Example (1) “Hi-Fun” and “Hi-Fashion” are invented from “Hi-Fi”. The connection of these three words has an alliterative characteristic that emphasizes the sound effect of Sony’s product. Example (2) the new word “camcorder” made up of the words “ camera” and “recorder” shows the characteristic function of this kind of Samsung’s product. From the new word people get the direct information that the product can function both as a camera and a recorder at the same time. Breaking orthographic rules is a popular practice in trade names, where the purpose is to provide the product with a distinctive written symbol. In example (3), the well-known watch brand “Timex” is a variation of “Time + Excellent”, which persuasively shows the merit of the watch brand. Thus, brand names get and retain a unique image.
2.2.3 Conversion of Parts of Speech
Advertising language, which is never invariable, is always changing and becoming colorful and eye-catching. The following are two examples in which we can see parts of speech are converted skillfully.
(1) Mother Them with a Guard
The best thing in life should be handled with care. Tender Loving Care. And that’s what Curity first-aid products are all about. From our “Ouchless” Guard Bandage to our Curity Wetproof Adhesive Tape, Curasorb Padvertising, and Stretch Gause…
That’s why so many mothers show their care with Cuity.
Tender Loving Care Inc.
(2) Sweet dreams. Weight Watchers makes desserts that will make your day. And berried or not, you’ll treasure them all. Weight Watchers International Inc.
The word “Mother”, commonly used as a noun, is employed as a verb in Example (1). It means to care like a mother. After reading this advertisement, the readers will instantly associate the product with mother’s warm care. There is no doubt that the word not only impresses the readers with a vivid image but also arouses their feeling of mother-like love. In Example (2) the adjective “berried” converted from the noun “berry” denotes that the desserts taste like berry. Clearly, the word “berried” effectively stimulates people’s interest in desserts and arouses even their desire for buying.
2.3 Concise Adjectives Frequently Found
It is hard for us to think of any really persuasive message without the use of descriptive and vivid adjectives. Copywriters like to use a large number of adjectives not only to describe the quality and features of the products or services, but to a great extent to praise and beautify them.
2.3.1 Concise Adjectives
Colloquial adjectives are constantly encountered in English advertising texts. In order to let advertisements read, heard, understood and remembered easily, copywriters make good use of many oral adjectives. The most frequent adjectives are new, crisp, good, fine, free, big, fresh, great, delicious, real, full, easy, clean, extra, special, and rich. Among them, “new”, “good” and “great” are the three most popular adjectives (William Wells & John Burnett, 1989，P108), They are used to praise any kind of product. “fresh” and “clean” are employed in advertisements for toothbrush, shampoo or toilet soap. “delicious”, “rich” and “crisp” appear in food advertisements. All of the following examples contain colloquial adjectives.
(1) What a good time for a good taste of a KENT?
(2) For people who care about their bodies, Dairy Farm brings fresh skimmed milk. With almost no fat, it keeps your body fit inside and outside, fresh skimmed milk. Fresh Dairy Farm.
In Example (1), the copywriter uses double “good” to emphasize the merit or good quality of “KENT”. The adjective “fresh” in Example (2) appears three times to emphasize how fresh the product is, making its quality particularly attractive. And the adjective “fit” points out the remarkable function of the product.
2.3.2 Comparative and Superlative Degrees of Adjectives
The occurrence of comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives is more typical of advertising English than other varieties of the English language. The main purpose of advertising is to sell a product to as many people as possible. To do so, the copywriter needs to convince the customers of the very good qualities of the product. Therefore, the copywriter tends to select the superlative or comparative forms of adjectives that carry positive meanings so as to make a comparison and stress the wonderful qualities of the advertised product. E.g.
(1) You manage a business, stocks, bonds, and people. And now you can manage your hair. For the first time, there is a remarkable gel that can give your hair any look you want –– sleeker, fuller, straighter, curlier, and more natural––without a drop of alcohol or oil …
(2) Things go better with Coca-Cola.
(3) Using Dove, I do feel 20 years younger.
(4) Tastes richer…mellower…more satisfying.
Example (1) uses comparative adjectives continuously to emphasize the multi-functions of the product. They effectively hold people’s attention, dramatically present the selling message and impressively arouse consumers’ awareness of the product’s benefits. In Example (2), the word “better”, the comparative form of the adjective “good”, also recommends the product and leaves a good impression on readers. “Younger” in Example (3) just emphasizes the magic power of the product. Example (4) of REAL CIGARETTE advertisement employs “richer”, “mellower” and “more satisfying” to make the comparatively stronger points of the product obvious, attractive and tempting.
(5) Discover the season’s newest splendor.
(6) The FAX with the lowest cost-per-copy is one player you can’t do without.
In (5) and (6), “newest” and “lowest” are the superlative forms of the words new and low. The word “newest” in (5), which is an advertisement of a kind of perfume, means “fashionable to the highest degree”. And the word “lowest” in Example (6) clearly indicates that the product is the cheapest and that consumers will spend much less money using Sharp Copier. Both of them cater to consumers’ psychology closely. Of course, the advertisers must make sure that the advertised goods or services are actually the best in the same category, otherwise it would be immoral to use the superlative forms of adjectives. Sometimes people do not know how superb the goods or the services are in quality. Anyhow, people tend to believe what is said in advertisements.
2.3.3 Compound Adjectives
“Perhaps the most conspicuous characteristic of advertising language to a casual reader or listener is an abundance and variety of adjectival compounds” (Leech, 1966:135). As the advertising cost depends on the length of an advertisement, compound adjectives are frequently used to express more information in limited space.
In fact, a compounded adjective may consist of a group of words. As compound adjectives are formed in many different ways, they help make advertisements colorful and humorous. Observe the following examples.
(1) best-selling desktop computers.
(2) ……which demonstrate that this comfortable mid-size sedan handles the hazards of the road better than most?
(3) Water World Hydro-active Moisture Masque will keep you in the water 24 hours.
(4) But this fuel-injected 30-liter engine gives you more than just straight away speed.
As we can see, English words can be combined flexibly. Compound words may be “adverb/adjective + -ing participle”, such as “best-selling” in Example (1); or “adjective + noun”, like “mid-size” in Example (2); or “noun + adjective”, like “Hydro-active” in Example (3); or “noun + -ed participle, like “fuel-injected” in Example (4); or “a phrase or a group of words”. In fact, compound adjectives also exist in other sorts of combination. For instance, “noun + -ing participle” (a relief- giving liquid), “-ing participle + adjective” (shining-clean), or even “adjective + infinitive” (easy-to-dress) (章振邦, 2002, P405). Language never stops changing. Various kinds of compound adjectives make advertising language new and fresh, or vivid and colorful, thus rendering the product fantastic and marvelous
2.3.4 SUPER－ & －Y
Derivative adjectives also fulfill an important function of advertising texts.” Super-” as prefix and “-y” as suffix are most frequently used among them. “Super-” is used to form nouns, adjectives and verbs, meaning (1). above, beyond or over; (2). to a great or extreme degree; (3). extra good or large of its kind; (4). of the highest kind. For instances, “supernatural”, “super-light”, “supersonic”, “super-taste”, “superfine”, “super-calendared”. This prefix describes a special advantage or quality of the advertised product in an exaggerative way so that the product leaves a strong impression on potential consumers. The prefix has the same unforgettable effect as superlative adjectives. The suffix “-y” suggesting “sort of” or “a little” seems more colloquial, which actually proves to be a simple wording feature of advertising texts.
2.4 Borrowed Words Commonly Employed
We know that a great number of words in English are borrowed from foreign languages. They have become a part of the English language. As is known to all, borrowed words often emerge in English advertising texts.
(1) Order it in bottles or in cans. Perrier……with added je ne sais quoi.
(2) Achieving the five star marque, and recognition as one of the most innovative international hotel groups is, we would suggest, a notable achievement in a few short years. 38
In Example (1), “je ne sais quoi”, which comes from French, means that I don’t know what. The copywriter appropriately employs these French words to imply the French flavor of the drink. “Marque” is also a French word, which creates conviction and from which consumers have a fashionable and glamorous impression of the hotel.
Some celebrated masterpieces become another source for copywriters to borrow words. See the following two examples.
(3) We take no pride in prejudice.
(4) Go with the flow. Soft, swaying shapes, so right for summer.
In Example (3) “ pride in prejudice”, which is a variation of Jane Austin’s novel Pride and Prejudice, not only reminds us of the famous novel but also creates a noble image of the advertisers and boosts their quality of being fair and square. Reading the next advertisement, the readers easily associate “Go with the flow” with Gone with the Wind, a notable literary work. What’s more, “flow” and “wind” share the similar meaning. With the employment of flexible variations of titles of famous books in advertising texts, the advertised products attract people’s attention and even improve their images in people’s minds.
3. Syntactical Features
At syntactical level, advertising tends to be simple. Its simplicity is characterized by its preference for short sentence and coordinates structure, though other kinds of sentence are used.
3.1 Use of Simple and Short Sentence
The advertising language is restricted greatly in the space of the page: it should convey the message effectively by saving the length and time to arouse the consumers’ interest actively. For this purpose, its language must be simple and attention-catching. Short sentences are concise, easy to remember. Here are some examples.
(1) Coke Adds Life.
(2) Something cooler happens with Canada Dry. (Canada Dry is a wine name.)
(3) Christy Towels revive the drying art. (Ad for Towel)
(4) Think Once. Think Twice. Think Bike. (Encourage people to use bicycle)
Advertisement is often advertised with pictures; in this case the sentence can be more brief and accurate. An ad of Chartreuse wine uses one sentence” The absolute end of memorable meals.” t o show that this kind of wine is without comparison to end a sumptuous feast. “The absolute end” is a common saying, here it means “the best possible end”, and “end” also means “goal, aim”.
3.2 Use of Coordinate Structure
In English, a series of coordinate sentences are more easily understood than compound sentences, so coordinate structure is often used.
(1) Inter-city makes the going easy and the coming back.
(Inter-city refers to the high-speed train.)
(2) A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play.
(Mars is a kind of candy bar.)
(3) We integrate, you communicate.
(Mitsubishi Electrical Appliances)
(4) No business too small, no problem too big. (IBM Corporation)
(5) Tide is in…Dirt is out. (Tide Laundry Powder)
Through the examples, you can see that coordinate structure is brief and concise and easy to remember.
3.3 Use of Imperative Sentence
The imperative sentences have a meaning of claiming, calling and commanding, similarly the goal of advertising is to persuade and urge consumers to accept its product or service. Therefore, there are lots of imperative sentences in advertising, such as:
(1) Go well. Go Shell.
(2) Drinka pinta milk a day.
(3) Hounds off our wild life.
(4) Express Card: Don’t leave home without it.
(5) United Airlines: Life is a journey, travel it well.
(6) Have quality and luxury at sensible prices.
After reading these ads, you may well consider to have a look at the products or the services.
3.4 Use of the Interrogative Sentence
Advertising English is well noted for its abundant use of interrogative sentences, the purpose of which is, as the copywriter hopes, to obtain an affirmative answer or at least some reactions, look at the following examples:
(1) Have you kept all your year resolutions? Fancy another chance to keep the one about sorting out your pension.
(2) You will buy this special gift for your darling, won’t you?
When we read this ad, we may be immediately attracted. We probably cannot help wondering what this special gift is, and whether we have bought, or will buy it for our darlings.
(3) How the IBM Personal Computer can bring you the world subject?
(4) How do I stay fresh, clean and comfortable all day, everyday?
(5) If your pay packet was one pound short each week, who would really notice?
Form the above examples, you will find interrogative sentences are quick and effective arouse the readers ‘response.
4. Rhetorical Features
Rhetorical devices are variation of literal or ordinary form of expressions used to make the persuasive communication more striking and effective, for they have the power to vivify and illustrate. A fresh, apt rhetorical device appeals to the imagination, creating mental pictures and making the speech or writing vivid, impressive and interesting. For this reason, advertisers often use various rhetorical devices to increase the readability and appeal of an advertisement and to arouse consumers’ interest of buying the product. Both the advertisement writers and the English learners have improved their English, the copywriters can employ various kinds of rhetorical devices to achieve their commercial purposes and the learners can learn the rhetorical in the practical way.
4.1 Repetition
In some advertisements, the copywriters often use the method of repetition to stress certain information. Look at the following examples:
IS GENTLE
GENTLE ENOUGE? (Ad for Instant Beauty Tint)
The two capitalized “gentle” attract people’s attention, and express the product’s “gentle” quality.
Free Hotel! Free Meal! Free Transfers! For a free “stay-on-the-way” in Amsterdam, you can rely on KIM. (Ad for Tourist Company)
“Free” appeared four times, clear and attractive, making the ad more credible.
“No ordinary number. No ordinary taste.” This ad uses the repletion of “no ordinary” to show the excellence of this 555 brand cigarettes, which are extraordinary in number and taste. When we mention the cigarettes, what we pay more attention is the taste of the cigarettes. However, this ad does not only talk something about the taste, but also use repletion to say something about the number. The use of repetition to some extent promotes the quality of the cigarettes and will also get more benefits form this ad.
We are not in the computer business. We are in the results business. (IBM Computer)
Form these examples, we can clearly find that repetition is a good figure of speech in the English Ad. On one hand, it can reach the rhetorical effect. On the other hand, it can give us the readers more hints about the product. So in our daily life, we can also apply this figure of speech in the practical use that will get benefits form it.
4.2 Pun
Pun is an amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, which is called polysemy, or of words with the same sound by different meanings that is called homonymy. Pun that is the game of words will leave a deep impression on readers by its readability, which is humorous. However, to make a successful and impressive pun is not easy. Except for its own meaning, the word used as pun is usually closely related to the characteristics of a certain product or to the brand name of the produce. Such coincidence does not occur often. Here I will present several classic pun used in the advertisements.
“Coke refreshes you like no other can.” This is an ad. for Coke Cola. It can be understood in two ways. One is that Coke refreshes you as no other (drinks) can (refresh you). Here “can” is taken as a motive verb. The other is that coke refreshes you like no other can (can refresh you). The “can” is used as a noun referring to the tin that contains the drink.
“A deal with us means a good deal to you.” This is an ad. for department store. “A good deal” usually means a large or considered quantity, but it also means a profitable bargain, that is, a good deal (bargain). The advertisement combines the two meaning so wonderfully together that you can not help wondering doing the good deal.
“Ask for More.” This is an ad. for More brand cigarette, Apart form being the brand name, “More” at the same time suggests that the quality of this kind of cigarettes is more than other kinds-being longer, better and milder probably. Because of this, you are urged to buy More cigarette and to buy more. Moreover, the sentence “Ask for more” is a well-known saying form Charles Dickens’s novel Oliver Twist.
A Mars a day keeps you work, rest and play.
The ad is punned with the proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctors away” and “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.”
Make your every hello a real good-buy. (Ad for Telephone)
In this ad, “good-buy” is punned with “good-bye”.
4.3 Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which inanimate objects or abstractions are endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form that will make ads full of energy. The use of personification in advertisements will endow the product with human emotions, and will make them amicable to the potential consumers.
“Time will tell” when we hear this ad lines we firstly think about the good quality of a product. It right! This is an ad for product which can be long used and endure the test of time even time will testify to it quality. So the ad using personification will vividly show us the best quality of the product and makes people have more desire to buy it.
“It is for your lifetime.” This is an ad for watches. And this ad clearly makes this kind of watch as persons and always accompanies with you by day and by night even in a long lifetime. In our views, the watch seems to become the lover of the owner. So this ad use so few words to show the human features of the watch that will make great impression on the readers.
“The world smile with the Reader’s Digest.” The world smiles because of the Reader’s Digest. We can know from this ad that the Reader’s Digest can bring smiles and joy to the whole world. The main figure of speech is personification with some kind of hyperbole. No matter what the information the ad brings to us, the main purpose is that the Reader’s Digest is a very good magazine and can bring joy to the whole world. After some classic examples are presented, we can clearly find that personification can make the ad much lively, more touching and more impressive because it endow with human qualities.
4.4 Parody
Parody applies mechanically some proverbs, the maxims, and the famous phrases which the people know very well, causing it to have one kind of new significance. Therefore parody achieves purposes something new and different, deepening he impression of the ads.
As a rhetorical device, parody is not often used in other writings. But parody is greatly favored by the copywriters because by changing the form or some other words in some famous sayings, epigrams, idioms or poems, it can produce a surprising and humorous effect.
“Not all video recorders are created equal.” This is an ad for National Recorders, Japan. This ad is obviously based on “All men are created equal.” in Declaration of Independence. So this ad seems more humorous and more attractive by using this kind of figure of speech.
“Empty glasses speak louder than empty words.” This is an ad for Heineken Beer. Just think about where does ad come form? Evidently it comes from the proverb “Facts speak louder than words.” What do empty glasses mean? This phrase tells the potential customers that people really enjoy the Heinekens Beer. In fact, the empty beer is the evidence to testify that this brand of beer is tasty.
“Better late than the late.” This is a slogan for safe driving. It is apparent that it is form the proverb “Better later than never.” The late means the dead, such as the late premier. Therefore, the ad means it is better to drive slowly and to be late than to drive fast and cause accident in which death may occur. So the use of parody often makes the ad more humorous, more attractive and can also reach the due effect.
4.5 Rhyming
Rhyming is correspondence of terminal sounds of words or of lines of verse. In English advertisements, rhyming is one of the important figures of speech. Rhyming could make the English advertisement full of rhyme and male the tones in accordance with these of music. Besides these, the use of rhyming can make the ad easy to recite and easy to memorize.
Pepsi-cola hits the spot.
Twelve full ounces that’s a lot.
Twice as much for a nickel, too.
Pepsi-cola is the drink for you.
This ad of the Pepsi-cola puts the rhyming in the practical use. Spot and a lot are of the same rhyme. The same is true with too and you. So the method of rhyming makes this short and widely spread for its beautiful tone and rhyme. In this way, this ad can enlarge their influence in the vying society world so that it can therefore increase the familiarity of this product. There is another example, too.
“PK chewing gum, penny for a packet,
First you chew it, then you crack it.
Then you stick it to your jacket.
PK chewing gums, penny for a packet.”
Please look at these lines carefully and try to find the characteristics of this ad. Of course, it is the rhyming that uses a lot in this advertisement. For the end of each line are with the same rhyme. This ad just looks like a beautiful scene and sounds like a harmony childish music.
The rhetorical devices used in the advertising English can not only make the ads more vivid and expressive but also can make more customers buy the products they advertised. Besides this, for us English learners we can also absorb certain knowledge of the rhetorical devices. Therefore, in our daily lives, we can put more suitable rhetorical devices in the ads and put more rhetorical devices in our practical study so as to absorb more knowledge form the rhetoric.
5. Conclusion
In summary, no matter what kind of structure, or content, or words are used in an advertisement, all of them serve the purpose of attracting ads readers, conveying information to them, and urging them to purchase the products or to use the service. That is what an ad for, and that is also the function advertising language performs. With the development of the times, advertising English will add new content, and form their own characteristics. The understanding of English is conducive not only to learn English, understand English national culture, values, but also for the effective promotion of China’s products to entering the international market. The study and grasp of the English language advertising features help us to grasp the pulse of the development of English, expand horizons, and improve the understanding and appreciation of English language.
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