The Contribution of Phonetics to the Power of Persuasion in Advertising

Abstract

The aim of the present paper was to investigate phonetic elements contributing to the persuasive effect of brand names and popular advertising slogans in commercial campaigns. The segmental level included the analysis of the phonological structure and the possible sound symbolic value of brand names, while the suprasegmental level analysis incorporated advertising slogan ranking and investigation of advertising slogans manipulated in terms of pitch, speech tempo, and intensity. The participants were 26 second-year English-major students performing different tasks pertaining to the analysis in question. The results showed front vs. back vowels, as well as sonorants vs. obstruents preference depending on the size and shape of the products, which confirmed the idea of sound symbolism prevalent in brand naming. All three chosen suprasegmental variables proved to be relevant in determining the persuasive effect of advertising slogans. In general, the results of the study, though preliminary in concept and conclusions, underscored the significance of phonetic research in deeper understanding the language of advertising.