The Power behind Images: Advertisement Discourse in Focus

Abstract

This paper aimed at analyzing six different advertisements (product/non-product ads) to investigate the intentions and techniques of consumer product companies to reach more consumers and sell more products. Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) appear as a useful approach for they offer excellent methods, not only for analyzing texts and images adequately, but also for putting them in analyzable relations to socio-cultural processes and changes. Norman Fairclough"s 3-D model and Kress and van Leeuwen"s grammar of visual design were used to analyze the data. Thus, the results of the present study showed that when a private producer intends to persuade the viewer to buy a special product, s/he gives the power to the viewer. While the producer of the ad is the government, she tries to show her power. However, it could be understood from the results that the producers, generally tend to use their power and ideology to change people"s behavior and thought.

Critical Discourse Analysis of Advertising: Implications for Language Teacher Education

“…For this reason, it is essential to analyse them critically, especially the ones related to education which plays a vital role in our lives and shapes our future. Another reason for analysing such advertisements may be related to the fact that they can change social practices (Tasmasbi & Kalkhajeh, 2013) and perceptions (Vahid and Esmae'li, 2012). In the advertisement analysed in the present study, the advertiser's implicit objective is likely to change the traditional teacher image in Turkish context.…”

“…While doing so, the persuasive language used in advertisements can sometimes mislead each one of us either consciously or unconsciously (Woods, 2006;Lunga, 2006;Bloor & Bloor, 2007). In this way, advertisements create structures of meaning and change perceptions and all these cause and reveal social divisions (Vahid & Esmae'li, 2012). Most probably, the study of advertisements is becoming more important as Ahmed (2000) argued.…”

“…The history of advertising goes back to 1950s and 60s and the aim of advertisements was hard-selling with the help of some wise strategies (Vahid & Esmae'li, 2012), but nowadays, it changed towards a more commercial tool. According to Ruiz (2014), it is also an important genre, it is everywhere and it influences everyone.…”

“…This study is mostly based on the latter one which can also be called as non-product advertisements. Non-product advertisements show the effects of adopting or not adopting the advocated behaviour (Vahid & Esmae'li, 2012).…”

Phân Tích Diễn Ngôn Một Số Quảng Cáo Của Nivea

“…and "what are their objectives?" [12]. Fairclough [11] also believes that the text description process in the first dimension of Critical Discourse Analysis can convey certain meanings in the second dimension.…”