SKRIPSI
Submitted to fulfill one of the requirements of Sarjana Sastra Degree
LANITA ERMAWATI 63708025
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS
INDONESIA UNIVERSITY OF COMPUTER BANDUNG
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dan Produk Perawatan Kulit.” Skripsi ini mengemukakan studi analitis tentang karakteristik bahasa dalam iklan berbahasa Inggris dan tujuan-tujuannya. Dua belas iklan kosmetik dan produk perawatan kulit diambil sebagai data dan dianalisis menggunakan metode deskriptif. Skripsi ini berusaha meneliti karakteristik bahasa dalam iklan berbahasa Inggris dan tujuan-tujuannya untuk dapat memahami teks iklan berbahasa Inggris dengan baik. Hasil dari analisis ini menunjukkan: pertama, penyimpangan sintaks, kata baru, kosakata yang tidak familiar dan keanehan makna yang bertujuan menarik perhatian; kedua, sederhana, personal, interaktif, mode percakapan, gaya sehari-hari dan kosakata familiar yang berguna untuk memenuhi tujuan dapat dibaca dan terbaca; ketiga, alat fonologi seperti rhyme, alliteration, repetition dan parallelism yang penting untuk memenuhi tujuan mudah diingat. Keempat, penggunaan berlebihan, superlatif, hiperbola dan bentuk perintah yang bertujuan memiliki kekuatan penjualan. Iklan kosmetik dan produk perawatan kulit ini berusaha memenuhi tujuan menarik perhatian, dapat di baca dan terbaca, mudah diingat dan memiliki kekuatan penjualan agar dapat mencapai iklan yang baik.
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Cosmetics and Skincare Products Advertisements.” It presents an analytical study of the language characteristics of English advertisements and their goals. The twelve advertisements from cosmetics and skincare products are taken as data, and are analyzed using descriptive method. This skripsi attempts to explore the language characteristics of English advertisements and their goals to understand English advertisement texts well. The results of this study show: first, unorthodoxies of syntax, coinage, unfamiliar vocabulary and semantic oddities which aim to fulfill the goals of attention value; second, simple, personal, an interactive addressing of the audience, a conversational mode, colloquial style and familiar vocabulary which are useful to fulfill the goals of readability; third, phonological devices of rhyme, alliteration, repetition and parallelism which are important to fulfill the goals of memorability; and fourth, abundant use, superlatives, hyperboles and imperatives which have purpose to fulfill the goals of selling power. These cosmetics and skincare products advertisements strive to fulfill the goals of attention value, readability, memorability and selling power in order to create good advertisement.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This skripsi entitled is submitted to fulfill one of the requirements of Sarjana Sastra Degree. Thus, I would like to appreciate and express the deepest for the following people:
1. Our Dean of Faculty of Letters, Mr. Prof. Dr. H. Moh. Tadjudin, MA, for giving me approval to perform skripsi.
2. Mrs. Retno Purwani Sari, S.S., M.Hum, The head of English Department. 3. Mrs. Asih Prihandini, S.S., M.Hum, coordinator of skripsi, for guiding all
students who conducted skripsi.
4. Mrs. Asih Prihandini, S.S., M.Hum, and Mrs, Nungki Heriyati, S.S., M.A as my advisors who give me enlightening instructions, patient guidance and valuable suggestions, which contributes to the completion of this skripsi. 5. All lecturers in the Faculty of Letter of Indonesia University of Computer,
whose lectures have given me a lot of knowledge.
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ABSTRAK vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT viii
CONTENTS ix
LIST OF APPENDIXES xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Background to the Study 1
1.2. Research Questions 2
1.3. Objectives 2
1.4. Significance to Knowledge 3
1.5. The Framework of the Theory 3
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW 4
2.1. Definition of Advertisement 4
2.2. Advertisement Components 5
2.3. The Characteristics of Language in Advertisement 6 2.4. The Goals of Language in Advertisement 7
CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHOD 16
3.1. Research Object 16
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3.2.1. Data Collection 17
3.2.2. Data Analysis 17
CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 18
Data 1 19
Data 2 21
Data 3 23
Data 4 25
Data 5 27
Data 6 29
Data 7 30
Data 8 31
Data 9 33
Data 10 35
Data 11 37
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 39
5.1. Conclusion 39
5.2. Suggestion 40
REFERENCES 41
APPENDIXES 42
1 1.1. Background to the Study
Advertisement is an important tool for presenting messages to customers. Customers cannot purchase an advertised product that they see unless media allows them to interact with the messages being delivered; then the advertisement perhaps can make the demand increase faster.
In order to achieve a successful marketing, the advertisers adopt a strategy or a plan to create a professionally designed advertisement. However, whatever the promotional strategies advertisement takes, language which is the most important tool of human communication has important role to influence customers in buying the advertised products. To achieve this awareness, it is important to have a good understanding of language characteristics in English advertisements and their goals. Therefore, an analysis of them is worthwhile to achieve successful advertisement.
This skripsi deals with the analysis of characteristics of language in English advertisement texts and their goals. The title is “The Language
Characteristics and Goals in Headlines of Cosmetics and Skincare Products
Advertisements.” The skripsi attempts to approach the main language
This skripsi uses cosmetics and skincare products advertisements as data, such as Dove, Maybelline, Revlon, Pond’s, Loreal and Nivea. These
advertisements are chosen from these brands because they have been popular and the products have been sold in many countries in the world.
The study of language of advertisement has been raised by Dessy Marlina in Petra Christian University. The title is “The Figure of Speech and its Figurative
Meaning Used in The Language of Cosmetics Advertisements in Cleo Magazine.”
She analyzes figure of speech used in the language of cosmetics advertisements such as hyperbole, metaphor and personification. She also describes its figurative meaning.
1.2. Research Questions
Advertisement owns its distinctive linguistic characteristics. The problems of the present study are formulated in the following questions:
1. What are the language characteristics of English advertisements in cosmetics and skincare products?
2. To which goals the characteristics of the language in English advertisements are applied?
1.3. Objectives
2. To describe which goals the characteristics of the language in English advertisements are applied
1.4. Significant to knowledge
This study is expected to be useful for the students to understand the language characteristics and goals in English advertisement. It is also hoped that the result of this study can add the readers’ comprehension of language
characteristics used in English advertisement text. It also can be used as further references about linguistic study in the language of advertisement.
1.5. Framework of the Theory
Leech (1966: 27), in his comprehensive study on English in advertising, has analyzed the characteristics of advertisement language. He has effectively related these characteristics with the goals of attention value, readability, memorability and selling power.
4 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
2.1. Definition of Advertisement
The word “advertisement” derives from the Latin word “advertere”. It
means “to inform somebody of something”, “to bring into notice” or “to draw
attention to something”, etc. (Xia Lei, 2003: 8)
So far different researchers have made different definitions of advertisement from different perspectives or purposes. Bolen (1984: 9) defines it as:
“A kind of paid, non-personal communication through various mass media
by business firms, non-profit organizations and individuals who are in some way identified in the message and who hope to inform or persuade members of a particular audience” (Bolen, 1984: 9).
Another definition of advertisement is: “Advertisement is the non personal
communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media” (Bovee, 1992: 7). O’ Guinn examines the conflicts on the definition of
advertisement and concludes by arguing that “Advertisement is a paid, mediated form of communication from an identifiable source, designed to persuade the receiver to take some action, now or in the future” (O’ Guinn, 1998:5).
2.2. Advertisement Components
An advertisement is composed of different components, which are either verbal or non-verbal. The verbal components consist of the headline, sub-headline, the body copy, trademark (including brand name, corporate or store name and visual symbol) and slogan. Bovée and Arens (1992: 291) propose a similar division of advertising components: headline, the visual, subheads, body copy, boxes and panels, slogans and logotypes. They further stress the fact that not all of these features typically appear in one advert. The verbal component of advertisement which mostly appears is headline.
Bovée and Arens (1992: 292) give a definition of the headline as “…the words in the leading position of the advertisement, the words that will be read first or that are positioned to draw the most attention”. Since the headline occupies a
leading position in the advert and it is therefore a striking element, its major role is to attract the readers’ attention. Bovée and Arens (1992: 292) state five
headline functions: 1. to select the reader
2. to lead the reader directly into the body copy 3. to present the complete selling idea
4. to promise a benefit to the customer
5. to present product news of interest to the reader
2.3. The Characteristics of Language in Advertisement
According to Leech (1966: 27), the language of advertisement is characterized by a number of preferred linguistic patterns and techniques:
1. Unorthodoxies of spelling and syntax including coinage, neologism, minor sentence, block language, misspelling word, unfamiliar vocabulary and semantic oddities such as pun, metaphor, personification are common to attract attention.
2. Simple such as the use of simple sentences and simple words, personal such as the use of second personal pronoun or personal words, and colloquial style such as the use of everyday or oral language, slang language and a familiar vocabulary are employed to sustain attention. 3. Phonological devices of rhyme, alliteration, parallelism and sheer
repetition are utilized to enhance memorability and amusement. Repetition is usually of two types: intra-textual and inter-textual. In the former, the product’s name and certain highlighted features are repeated several times.
In the latter, a single slogan is consistently used in different ads for a single product or manufacturer.
4. An intimate, interactive addressing of the audience and a conversational mode including the use of second personal pronoun and interrogative sentence.
2.4. The goals of language in advertisement
According to Leech (1966: 27-31), to achieve successful advertisement, the language must have attention value, readability, memorability, and selling power.
1. Attention value
According to Leech (1966: 27) as cited in Alena Zapletalová (2008: 30), the advertisement must draw attention to itself, which is usually achieved by violation of some obvious rule of the language or unorthodox use of language. It includes untypical form of the language such as neologism, coinage, misspelling word, minor sentence, block language, unfamiliar vocabulary and semantic oddities such as metaphor, pun, and personification.
The first unorthodox use of language is neologism. Neologism refers to a new word, term, or expression newly created or an old word with new meanings. For example: “Dogbot doesn't rate Vivaldi. He's into tech no. If only he had an
MP3 connector socket like the new Fiesta Zetec Climate.” (Glamour, p. 132).
`Dogboť is a neologism which means a robot-like dog.
The third unorthodox use of language is misspelling word. According to Xia Lei (2003: 49), misspelling some common words is also a clever use of coinages. The proper use of misspelling can reach an effect of novelty. Although misspelling words are different from original words in forms, they remain the same meaning and deliver effectively the information of products. For example:
“For twogether the ultimate all inclusive one price sunkissed holiday.” This is an
advertisement on providing a couple with a holiday inn. “Twogether” and
“together” are similar both in spelling and pronunciation. “To” is misspelled as
“Two”, to indicate that the couple could get the romantic yesterday once more if
they spend their holiday together in this inn. Psychologically, emotion between lovers tends to become common and ordinary on the surface after a long period, “Twogether” here can remind them of the romantic time in the past.
The fourth unorthodox use of language is minor sentence. A minor sentence is one that does not necessarily have a main verb in it, but which can be understood as a complete unit of meaning. The absent part of a minor sentence might be the subject, predicate, or other parts. Minor sentence is a sentence which is chopped up into shorter bits by using full stops, dash, semi-colon and hyphen, where ordinary prose would use commas or no punctuation at all. Leech (1966:
113-116) calls it as „disjunctive syntax’.
The fifth unorthodox use of language is block language. Leech (1966: 90
-93) defines block language as “…the type of restricted variety of grammar called
sentences, styled in a way that they are easily understandable. Block language usually refers to a simple, short message which tends to be verbless and consists of a noun or a noun phrase.
The other characteristic of language in advertisement which is used to achieve attention value is semantic unorthodoxy. Semantic unorthodoxy can be crudely characterized as “playing with meanings of words” (Leech: 1981). It includes literary devices such as metaphor, personification and pun.
According to Myers, metaphor sets up a relation of similarity between two referents, as if they were the same thing. X is described in terms of Y’ (Myers, 1994: 125). For example, “the world is a stage.” The world is described in terms
of a stage. Tanaka (1994: 82) agrees that metaphor and pun have power to draw attention and enhance memorability. Metaphor plays an important role in English advertisements. It renders advertisements attractive and picturesque to attract the
customer’s attention to the advertised product. So metaphor contributes to
promoting the sale of products.
Semantic oddity also includes pun. According to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1986: 1642), pun is “a humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest different meanings or applications of words having the same sound or nearly the same sound but different meanings: a play on words.” Nida (1993: 87) argues that “Plays on the meaning and formal resemblance of words
(punning) is a universal phenomenon, and in some languages this rhetorical
device is extensively encouraged and practiced.” Pun is used to attract the
easy, as Tanaka (1994: 82) points out, the extra processing effort needed to process the pun helps to sustain readers' attention and makes the advertisement more memorable. Therefore, puns which are often emp1oyed by the manufacturers to seek attention are almost the most attention-getting device of the rhetorical figures. The word used as a pun is usually related to the characteristics of product or the brand name of the product. For example: From sharp minds. Come Sharp products. In the first sentence, “sharp” is used as an adjective in its
actual literal meaning. In the second sentence, it has double meanings: one is an adjective in its habitual sense; the other means the brand name or the company that produces the products.
Another semantic oddity is personification. According to A Hand Book to Literature, published by the Bobbs Merrill Company in 1972, personification is “a figure of speech which endows animals, ideas, abstractions, and inanimate objects with human form, character, or sensibilities; the representing of imaginary creatures or things as having human personalities, intelligence, and emotions; whether real or fictitious, by another person,” For example, the wind whistled
through the trees. By using personification, something without life is represented or thought of as a human being, or as having qualities or feelings of human being. Personifying the advertised product and giving it feeling and emotion aims to make an advertisement more acceptable.
2. Readability
According to Leech as cited in Kateřina Krčmářová (2008: 25),
simple and short as not to discourage from further reading. This is achieved by the same elements which make language easy to listen to simple, personal, colloquial style and familiar vocabulary (which, however, as Leech (1966: 28) points out, can be in conflict with the attention and interest value which emphasize the importance of unexpectedness rather than predictability).
To achieve readability, the advertisement must be simple. There are some ways to make it simple such as using simple sentences, monosyllabic words or fewer letters. To make simple advertisement, it may contain less than ten syllables. There are 20 most common verbs according to Leech, which are monosyllabic. They are: make, get, give, have, see, buy, come, go, know, keep, look, need, love, use, feel, like, choose, take, start, taste. All these verbs are common and simple. These common verbs make advertisement in English simple
and easy to understand. According to Leech, some verbs as „look, see, and watch
are common in commercials of the demonstration type, where they call the consumer’s attention to what is happening before the consumer’s eyes’ (Leech,
1966: 46). Leech (1966: 152) also lists the most frequently 20 adjectives: new, good/best, free, fresh, delicious, full, sure, clean, wonderful, special, crisp, fine, big, great, real, easy, bright, extra, safe and rich. Most of them are monosyllabic. These adjectives help to build a pleasant picture in reader's minds and manage to bring the potential consumers.
20) has looked into the aspect of vocabulary in advertisement and identified ten words as the most personal and persuasive. They are: “new”, “save”, “safety”,
“proven”, “love”, “discover”, “guarantee”, “results”, “you” and “health”. Based
on this theory, pronoun “you” is included in personal word. It is useful to create an
intimacy as Alena Zapletalova (2008: 78) said that pronouns especially we/you, our/your are frequently used to bring an element of interactiveness between the advertiser and a potential consumer. The commonly employed technique of synthetic personalisation is used to make the consumer feel s/he is addressed as an individual. In connection to this, Ogilvy (1983: 80) advises copywriters to address readers in the second-person singular since readers are alone when reading the advertisement, and should therefore be addressed as individuals not as a crowd.
3. Memorability
According to Leech as cited in Kateřina Krčmářová (2008: 25), to achieve
memorability, some advertisers employ rhetorical devices such as parallelism, alliteration, repetition and rhyme.
The first way to achieve memorability is parallelism. Crystal (1995: 456) defines the term parallelism as “…the use of paired sounds, words, or
constructions”. Parallelism also could be thought as a kind of repetition due to
accompaniment of repetition, but phrases or sentences with the same or similar structure, relative meaning and consistent mood are coordinately used in the sentence. Parallelism is used to emphasize message as Leech (1966: 190) said “Formal schemes, or parallelisms, are often „rhetorical’ in a familiar sense of the
word, in that they heighten the emotional tone of the message, giving insistent emphasis to points of strategic importance.” The examples of parallelism:
Foodfor life Foodfor peace Foodfor protection Foodfor work Foodfor stability Foodfor education
Alliteration can be found in all the examples stated above: Food for life, Food for peace, Food for protection, Food for work, Food for stability, Food for education. Leech (1966: 188) calls this device striking and helpful as far as memorability is concerned. Alliteration is applied in advertisement because of its aesthetic feeling for the audience. Usually alliterations are pleasing to audience’s ears because of the clever choice of the word by the advertiser
Another way to achieve memorability is repetition. Repetition is defined as saying the same thing again, though perhaps with a significant difference. Repetition, including repetition of key words and key phrases and that of similar structures, is an important rhetorical device employed to stress the tone and to bring out the message. In English advertisement, repetition is used to emphasize some important aspects of the advertised product or service or certain information. Another phonological device to achieve memorability is rhyme. According to Nayak (2002: 74), rhyme is related to the use of an identical sound, letter or syllable at the end of adjacent words or lines. For example: The flavour of a Quaver is never known to waver. Rhyme is used to make advertisement rhythmical and leave impression on readers’ mind.
4. Selling power
According to Leech as cited in Kateřina Krčmářová (2008: 25), the last
goal presented by Leech is selling power. Once the advertisement is successful when arousing readers’ action and getting into public awareness, it can be said
finding out what general linguistic features. However, according to Leech, imperatives, superlatives, hyperboles and abundant use are useful to achieve selling power,
The first way to achieve selling power is the use of imperatives. An imperative sentence is a sentence used to give an order or to make request (Todd, 2000: 66). According to Givon (2001: 318) it has a function to elicit an. action. Linguistically, imperative clauses seem to be the most powerful devices. Leech (1966) further reminds, it is within human experience that telling someone to do something is less successful than politely asking him/her to do it (1966: 30). Imperatives aim to provoke the customers to take action and encourage them to buy something immediately.
Hyperbole is also used to achieve selling power. LONGMAN Dictionary of Contemporary English (1998: 751) defines hyperbole as “a way of describing something in order to make it sound bigger, smaller, better, worse, etc, than it
really is.” In advertisement, the use of exaggerated statements puts emphasis on
the particular features of the products or services, or sometimes achieves humorous effect. For instance: It’s time to rewrite history. (Ad. of cosmetic)
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This chapter discusses about the methodology that is used in doing this skripsi. Research object, research method, techniques of collecting data and procedures of analyzing the data will be explained in this chapter.
3.1. Research Object
The object of this research is characteristics and goals of language in headlines of English advertisements based on Leech. This skripsi uses 11 advertisements from the popular brands of cosmetic and skincare product such as Maybelline, Revlon, Ponds, Dove, Loreal and Nivea as data. The data are taken from print advertisement, and stated in English. Print advertisement usually consists of verbal text and picture. The verbal part is composed of headline, subheadline, body copy, etc. This skripsi only focuses on headline because it is often placed at the leading position of advertisement to draw the most attention.
3.2. Research Method
3.2.1. Data Collection
In collecting the data, there are several steps used. Firstly, the data are taken mainly from cosmetics and skincare products advertisements. Secondly, the advertisement materials used in this skripsi are collected from the internet and cosmetic websites such as www.maybelline.com, www.dove.us, www.nivea.com, www.revlon.com, www.ponds.com and www.loreal.com. The data are taken at 25th February 2012. Thirdly, after getting the data, they are read and classified based on Leech’s theory.
3.2.2. Data Analysis
The data are taken in the form of print advertisement because it is easier to analyze. After getting the data, they are read and analyzed to get the characteristics and goals laid in each advertisement. The characteristics of language in these advertisements are analyzed based on Leech’s theory.
These characteristics of language are related to the goals of attention value, readability, memorability and selling power based on Leech.
Sample of data analysis: Style your lashes!
This advertisement is simple and short. It uses simple word, simple sentence and pronoun “you.” Based on Leech’s theory, simple sentence and
pronoun “you” are used to make it readable. This advertisement also uses
18 CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter elaborates the analysis of language characteristics of advertisement and their goals. From the data analysis, there are some language characteristics of advertisement based on Leech found: coinage, minor sentence, block language, unfamiliar vocabulary, metaphor, pun, personification, simple, personal, colloquial style, phonological devices of rhyme, alliteration, repetition, an interactive addressing of the audience, a conversational mode, abundant use, superlatives, hyperboles, and imperatives.
These language characteristics are related to the four goals of successful advertisement based on Leech: attention value, readability, memorability and selling power. The analysis is limited on the usage of language characteristics in achieving the four goals above and does not extend to the respond of the reader towards the advertised products. Thus, mentioning that the advertisement is readable, memorable or has an attention value and has a selling power is measured by the language used in the advertisement.
Data 1: Style your lashes! (Maybelline lash stylist mascara)
This is the mascara advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Simple
This headline of advertisement is simple because there are only 3 words in it. It uses monosyllabic words such as “style” and “your”, and dissyllabic word
“lashes”, so it just has 4 syllables. This headline of advertisement also uses simple imperative sentence which just contains verb “style” and object “your lashes”.
Based on these reasons, this headline of advertisement can be classified as readable. Simple sentence and simple words aim to attract the customers’ attention to read this advertisement.
2. Personal style and an intimate interactive addressing of the audience This headline of advertisement uses personal style by using pronoun “you.” Pronoun “you” is used to create interactiveness and intimacy between
advertisement and customer to make the customers feel as if their friends ask them to style their lashes. By using pronoun you, this advertisement is communicating or talking directly to any reader or customer. It sounds as if it is putting across messages or giving desirable advice to the customer in front of the customers’ face.
3. Imperative sentence
This headline of advertisement uses imperative sentence. Imperative sentence in general is used quite frequently because it performs the function of direct persuasion and exhortation. The imperative sentence is used to persuade the customers to use the advertised product by commanding them to style their lashes. It implies that by using this product their lashes will look stylish.
Imperative sentence is used to persuade the customers to take the action of purchasing the product. It indicates that by using imperative sentence it can achieve selling power.
4. Abundant use
In this advertisement, the word “style” is related with the word “lashes.”
It exaggerates the quality of the product. The verb style has meaning “make or shape something in a particular way.” It means that the advertisement persuades
the customers to make or shape their lashes to be stylish and beautiful. The word style is hoped to raise positive connotation (to have style, be stylish) and to show the benefit of the product. It shows that this advertisement guarantees the customers’ satisfaction because women want to look beautiful.
Data 2: See the sumptuous side of high shine (Maybelline Colorsensational High Shine).
This is lipstick advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Semantic oddity
This headline of advertisement contains semantic oddity by using metaphor. It uses metaphor to compare the quality of the product with shine. It implies that if the customers use the product, their lips will be shiny and look sumptuous.
The purpose of using metaphor in this headline of advertisement is to achieve attention value. It is used to create curiosity in order to attract the customers’ attention.
2. Unfamiliar vocabulary
This headline of advertisement uses unfamiliar vocabulary “sumptuous.”
The word “sumptuous” appeared in English in the 15th century, derives via Middle English from the Latin noun "sumptus," meaning "expense." The word sumptuous is seldom used. It has same meaning with “luxurious”. However, the
word “luxurious” is more often used.
Unfamiliar word is used to achieve attention value. It is used to create curiosity in order to attract the customers’ attention.
3. Simple
such as “see”, “the”, “side”, “of”, “high”, and “shine”. This headline of
advertisement only has eight syllables. It also uses verb “see” which is often used in advertisement.
The simple sentence, monosyllabic words and verb “see” which are used
in this headline of advertisement make it readable. They are used to attract attention as Leech said that verb “see” can act as an appeal for the customer to give attention to the advertisement.
4. Alliteration
This headline of advertisement uses alliteration. It can be seen from the repetition of the beginning sound at the word “see”, “sumptuous”, “side”, and
“shine”. The letter S is found in these four words, so these words have same
sound at the beginning.
In this headline of advertisement, alliteration is used to create a favorable impression on readers in order to make it easy to remember. Therefore, by using alliteration, this advertisement can be classified as memorable.
5. Imperative sentence
Imperative sentence aims to provoke the customer to buy the product. So, the usage of imperative sentence indicates that this advertisement can achieve selling power.
6. Abundant use
This headline of advertisement uses the words “sumptuous”, “high” and
“shine” to show the prestige of the product that the product has high and good
quality to create the customers’ desire. It implies that the product can make the
lips shiny and sumptuous. It satisfies the customers’ need to look beautiful and
glamour.
By exaggerating the quality of the product, it provokes the customers to take action of purchasing the product. It indicates that this advertisement can achieve selling power.
Data 3: Flawless. Spotless. Pearl Perfect Fairness. (Loreal White Pefect).
This is whitening cream advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Unorthodoxy of syntax
Unorthodoxy of syntax is found in this headline of advertisement. It can be seen from the use of minor sentence. This headline of advertisement uses minor sentence or disjunctive elements: “Flawless”, “Spotless”, and “Pearl perfect
fairness”. Each of these is separated from the preceding sentences by a full stop
becomes flawless, spotless and looks like a pearl. Subject and verb which are required by grammatical construction are omitted in this headline advertisement. The purpose is to cut up the sentence into more information units in order to emphasizes the message contained in this advertisement, more information units means more emphasized messages.
Minor sentence is used to make this advertisement more effective and attractive. Therefore, by using minor sentence, this advertisement can achieve attention value.
2. Simple
This headline of advertisement is simple because there are just five words in it. This headline of advertisement also uses minor sentence which separates sentence into several fragments. Minor sentence make it short and simple because it shows only the important messages.
Fewer words and minor sentence are used to make this advertisement easy to read and take less time for the customers to finish reading. Because this advertisement is simple, it can be categorized as readable.
3. Alliteration
This headline of advertisement uses alliteration. Alliteration is the use of words that begin with the same sound in order to make a special communicative effect. Alliteration in this headline of advertisement can be seen from the word “flawless” and the word “fairness”. The /f/ sound is repeated. It also can be seen from the word “pearl” and “perfect”. These words have same sound in the
Alliteration is used to attack the audience’s ears and minds rhythmically. It is also used to evoke a wonderful impression of the product on readers’ mind. It aims to achieve memorability.
4. Rhyme
This headline of advertisement uses rhyme. It can be seen from the words “flawless”, “spotless” and “fairness”. These words have the same sound at the end
of the word. Rhyme is used to render this advertisement rhythmical and memorable. Therefore, by using rhyme this advertisement can achieve memorability.
5. Abundant use
This headline of advertisement uses the words “flawless”, “spotless”, and
“pearl perfect fairness” to show the advantages of the advertised product. It
exaggerates the quality of the product by claiming that the product can make skin flawless, spotless and looks like a pearl. It aims to provoke the customers to take action of purchasing the advertised product.
By exaggerating the quality of the product using the words “flawless”,
“spotless”, and “pearl perfect fairness” this advertisement can achieve selling
power.
Data 4: Have you ever been bitten? (Revlon just bitten lipstain+balm)
This is lipstick advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
This headline of advertisement contains semantic oddity because it uses metaphor. It compares the wild kiss to the bite. It implies that by using the product, the lips will look voluptuous and it create desire to kiss the lips passionately. This headline of advertisement uses the word “bitten” because it is
easier to get closer to costumers through sexual desire.
Metaphor is used in this headline of advertisement to create picturesque image which raise curiosity of the customer. It is used in order to attract the customers’ attention and interest.
2. Simple
This headline of advertisement uses simple interrogative sentence. It just consists of five words. Three of these words are monosyllabic such as “have”, “you” and “been” and the others are dissyllabic such as “ever” and “bitten”., so
there are just only four syllables in this headline of advertisement.
By using simple sentence and simple words, this advertisement can be classified as readable. They are used to attract the customers’ attention to read this
advertisement.
3. Personal style, an intimate interactive addressing of the audience, and conversational mode
This headline of advertisement uses personal style because it contains an intimacy and interactivity between the advertisement and the customers by using interrogative sentence and second pronoun “you”. The usage of pronoun “you”
Interrogative sentence used to ask something to someone is important to create closeness between advertisement and customers. The advertisement uses a question to arouse the curiosity of the customers and entice them to read on.
By using pronoun “you” and interrogative sentence, this advertisement can
be classified as readable. They are used in this advertisement to attract the customers’ attention to read this advertisement.
4. Abundant use
This headline of advertisement exaggerates the quality of the product using the word “bitten”. It implies that the product can make the lips voluptuous
and create desire to kiss the lips passionately. The word “bitten” is associated with rough or wild. This advertisement chooses the word bitten than kissed because it shows passionate feel that is caused by the use of the product.
By exaggerating the quality of the product, it indicates this advertisement has selling power. It aims to provoke the customers to take action of getting information and purchasing the product.
Data 5: Be fabulash! (Revlon fabulash mascara)
This is mascara advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Neologism
This headline of advertisement uses the new word “fabulash.” The word
“fabulash” is the atypical word form or coinage which means a word or phrase
created by the advertiser. “Fabulash” is new word which is formed from the word
“fabulous” and “lash”. There are many methods to create new words, such as
compounding, derivation, acronym, clipping, blending, etc. In this advertisement, the method which is used to create the word “fabulash” is blending. The word
“fabulous” and “lash” blend into one. This advertisement implies that the product
can make lashes look fabulous. This new word is created to arouse customers’
attention and interest to this advertisement and the advertised product. 2. Simple
This headline of advertisement is very simple and short. It uses simple imperative sentence. It just consists of two words. It uses monosyllabic verb “be”
and new word “fabulash”. This advertisement just contains four syllables.
By using short sentence and simple words, this advertisement can be classified as readable. It is used to attract the customers’ attention to read this
advertisement. 3. Abundant use
This headline of advertisement uses the word “fabulash” which is blending from the word “fabulous” and “lash” to exaggerate the quality of the product. This
advertisement implies that the product can make the lash fabulous.
The word “fabulous” has positive meaning which can show the special quality of this product in order to create the customers’ desire of having the
The exaggeration of the quality of the product aims to influence the customers to take action of purchasing the product. So, by exaggerating the quality of the product, it indicates this advertisement can achieve selling power.
4. Imperative Sentence
This headline of advertisement uses imperative sentence. It is used to persuade the customers to have fabulous lashes using the product. It means that imperative sentence aims to encourage the customers to take action of purchasing the product. It indicates this advertisement can achieve selling power.
Data 6: Lips that shine with killer color. (New Revlon colorburst lipgloss).
This is lipgloss advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Simple
This headline of advertisement is simple. There are only 6 words in this headline of advertisement. Four of these words are monosyllabic such as “lips”,
“that”, “shine” and “with” and the others are dissyllabic such as “killer” and
“color”. This advertisement just contains eight syllables.
By using these simple words, this advertisement is classified as readable. It aims to attract the customers’ attention to read this advertisement.
2. Rhyme
This headline of advertisement uses rhyme. It can be seen from the words “killer” (kilər) and “color” (kΛlər). These words have the same sound at the initial
impressive and memorable. Therefore, by using rhyme this advertisement can be classified as memorable.
3. Hyperbole
This headline of advertisement uses hyperbole to exaggerate the quality of lipgloss color. It can be seen from the word “killer”. It associates the color of lipstick to the killer. It is exaggerated if the color is related to the killer. This advertisement implies that the product has conspicuous and bright color which can make lips shiny. It uses the word “killer” to show special quality of the product.
Hyperbole is used in this advertisement to provoke the customers to purchase the product. By using hyperbole, it indicates this advertisement can achieve selling power.
Data 7: Can your body wash nourish this deeply? (Dove NutriumMoisture)
This is body wash advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Personal style, an intimate interactive addressing of the audience, and conversational mode
This headline of advertisement uses personal style. It uses interrogative sentence and pronoun “you” to create closeness and shorten distance between the
By using question “can your body wash nourish this deeply”, it makes the
customers doubt about the other product that they use because this advertisement implies that no other products which nourish skin more than Dove.
By using interrogative sentence and pronoun “you”, this advertisement can
be classified as readable. They are used to deliver message to the customers easily.
2. Abundant use
This headline of advertisement compares the product to the other product by asking the customers “can your body wash nourish this deeply?” It implies that
Dove body wash is better than the other product because this product can nourish skin deep down while the other product cannot nourish more than Dove. This advertisement claims that the product can nourish skin deeply while the other product cannot do what it does because the other body wash are made with moisturizing ingredient that just sits on the top of skin. This advertisement shows that this product can give the customers skin care they need.
By exaggerating the quality of the product using comparison to claims that the product is better than the others, it aims to persuade the customers to purchase the product. Therefore, this advertisement can achieve selling power.
Data 8: Younger looking skin in 7 days (Pond’s Age Miracle)
1. Unorthodoxy of syntax
Unorthodoxy of syntax is found in this headline of advertisement. It can be seen from the use of block language. It does not comprise any punctuation marks and it is also verbless which contains a short message and consists of a noun phrase. A given noun phrase which contains such compound adjective actually can be transformed into a clause or sentence where the head of given noun phrase becomes a subject. The possible sentence pattern is the one with subject – verb – complement (SVC) structure, as in younger-looking skin. Younger-looking skin: skin which looks younger / skin looks younger.
Block language and compound in this headline of advertisement are used to make it more effective. It aims to achieve attention value.
2. Simple
This headline of advertisement is simple. It just uses noun phrase + prepositional phrase. It also just consists of six words. Three of these words are monosyllabic and the others are dissyllabic words. So, it contains nine syllables. Because this advertisement is simple, it can be classified as readable.
3. Hyperbole
By using hyperbole to exaggerate the quality of the product that the product can make the customers skin looks younger in 7 days, this advertisement hits the need of consumers. For every woman, even girl tries her best keep long-lasting young. By claiming that the customers can get younger-looking skin using the product, this advertisement provokes the customers who are aged women to buy the product. Therefore, hyperbole is used in this advertisement to achieve selling power.
Data 9: Let your confidence shine, not your skin. (Nivea men face wash)
This is face wash advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Semantic oddity
There is semantic oddity in this headline of advertisement because it uses pun. In this headline of advertisement, the word “shine” is used as a pun with
double meanings: one means “bright”, “light” or “luminous”, the other refers to “oily skin”. So this sentence has meaning: let your confidence shine (bright, light,
luminous), but don’t let your skin shine (oily).
Pun which is a play on words makes this advertisement attractive because of its ambiguity. Therefore, by using pun, this advertisement can achieve attention value.
2. Simple.
“shine”, “not”, and “skin.” It just has nine syllables. Based on these reasons, it can
be classified as readable.
3. Personal style and an intimate interactive addressing of the audience This headline of advertisement uses personal style. It uses pronoun “you”
to make the customers and the product closer. Pronoun “you” in this advertisement is used to closely link the advertisement and the customer in order to make the customer easy to receive the message delivered. By using pronoun you, it can be classified as readable.
4. Imperative sentence
This headline of advertisement uses imperative sentence. As we all know, imperative sentence is mentioned to command someone. This headline of advertisement uses imperative sentence to ask the customers to make their confidence shine by having clean face and oil-free using the product. It implies that the product can reduce shine and remove excess oil on their face and it make the customers get confidence because they have clean face without shine after using the product. It shows the special quality of the product to create the customers desire of using the product
Data 10: Sing your songs with more volume (Nivea Volume lipgloss)
This is lipstick advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Semantic oddity
There is semantic oddity in this headline of advertisement because it uses pun. As we all know, the definitions or descriptions about pun always have a noun phrase a play on words because puns rest on a superficial or accidental similarity: two words sound the same, or one word that happens to have two separate meanings. In this headline of advertisement, there is pun which means a word have two different senses: one in its common use, the other representing the brand name or the name of company. “Volume” is used as a pun. It has double
meanings: one is a sound; the other means the brand name of the product. So this sentence has two meanings: Sing your song with more volume (more loudly) and Sing your song with more volume (Nivea volume).
Pun is used in this headline of advertisement because it has two meaning to make the customers curious. Therefore, by using pun, this advertisement can achieve attention value.
2. Simple
This headline of advertisement uses simple imperative sentence which just contains monosyllabic verb “sing”, one object “your song” and complement “with
more volume”. There are just six words in this advertisement and most of them
are monosyllabic such as “sing”, “your”, “song”, “with” and “more”. This advertisement just has seven syllables. By using simple imperative sentence and simple words, this advertisement can be classified as readable.
3. Personal style and an intimate interactive addressing of the audience This headline of advertisement uses personal style. It uses pronoun “you”
to render the customers and the product closer. Pronoun “you” in this advertisement is used to closely link the advertisement and the customer in order to make the customer receive the message easily. By using pronoun you, it can be classified as readable.
4. Imperative sentence
This headline of advertisement uses imperative sentence. Imperative sentences have a meaning of calling and commanding. It is used in this headline of advertisement to ask the customers to sing the song with more volume. “Volume” refers to the name of the product and the sound. It means that this
self-confidence. It shows that the product has special quality to create the customers desire of having the product.
By using imperative sentence and showing special quality of the product, it aims to persuade the customers to take action of purchasing the product. Therefore, this advertisement can achieve selling power.
Data 11: Let your lips do the talking. (Nivea Lipgloss)
This is lipgloss advertisement. The characteristics of language and the goals in this headline of advertisement are:
1. Semantic oddity
There is semantic oddity in this headline of advertisement. It can be seen from the use of personification. As we all know, personification represents an animal or inanimate object as having human attributes such as attributes of form, character, feelings, behavior, and so on. In this advertisement, lips are personified. Lips are represented or thought of as a human being. They seem to be human beings who can do talking.
Personification is used in this headline of advertisement to make an abstraction more real to the reader by defining or explaining the concept in terms of everyday human action. It aims to attract the customers’ attention.
2. Simple
3. Personal style and an intimate interactive addressing of the audience This headline of advertisement uses personal style. It uses pronoun “you”
39 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
5.1. Conclusion
Advertisement is the easy way for companies to promote their product to customers. Advertisers may have various forms and strategies to stimulate the sale of products, but language plays the most important role because it is the communication tool for delivering messages to customers. Therefore, it is important to study and analyze the language characteristics of English advertisement to fulfill the goals of language to create successful advertisements.
The language characteristics of English advertisements and their goals have been discussed in the previous chapter. From the data analysis, it can be concluded that the characteristics used in these cosmetics and skincare products advertisements are unorthodoxies of syntax including neologism, minor sentence and block language, semantic oddities such as metaphor, pun, and personification, simple, personal, colloquial style, phonological devices of rhyme and alliteration, an interactive addressing of the audience and a conversational mode including the use of second personal pronoun and interrogative sentence, abundant use, superlatives, hyperboles, imperatives.
fulfill the three goals, and 3 advertisements which fulfill the two goals. The language characteristic mostly used in these advertisements is simple.
5.2. Suggestions
41 an Attention-Seeking Device”.
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Crystal, David. (1995) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Advertising”.
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Foreign Language Education Press.
Ogilvy, D. 1983. Ogilvy on Advertising. London: Pan Books.
O’ Guinn, T., et al. 1998. Advertising. Dalian: Dongbei University of Finance and
Economics Press.
Tanaka, K. 1994. Advertising Language: A Pragmatic Aapproach to Advertisements in Britain and Japan.New York: Routledge.
Todd,L.(2000).AnIntroductionToLinguistics.Harlow.UK:Longman.
Vestergaard, T. and Kim Schrøder. 1982. The Language of Advertising. Oxford: Blackwell.
Xia, Lei. 2003. “Language Characteristics of English Advertising”.
50
CURRICULUM VITAE
1. Student`s profile
a. Name : LanitaErmawati
b. Place and date of birth : Tangerang, June 20th 1989
c. Address : Jl. Kasuari 9 No.69 CikarangBaru, Bekasi, Indonesia
d. Phone :085720626563
e. Sex : Female
f. Citizenship : Indonesia
g. Religion : Islam
2. Educational background a. Formal education
No Year Institution
1 1994-1995 TK Islam Al-Amanah
2 1995-2001 SDN MekarMukti 06
3 2001-2004 SMP YAPINK
b. Informal education
No Year Name of Education Certification
! 2008 Mentoring Agama JurusanSastraInggris Certified
2 2009
Copywriting as a Creative Thinking Seminar and Workshop
Certified
3 2010
Copywriting and Consumer Behavior Seminar
Certified
4 2011 Seminar Feminist, Feminine and Text Certified
5 2011
Copywriting Linguistics on Media Seminar and Workshop
Certified
6 2011
Public Speaking Seminar “Building
Confidence in Delivering Public Speech” Certified
7 2011
Seminar of “The Messages in Language
Expression of Priangan Traditional Ceremony”
Certified
8 2012
Seminar and Workshop Semiotic : Literature Media
Certified
9 2012
Seminar “KreatifMenulis, Rejekitak Akan
10 2012 Seminar Fun with Office 2010 Certified
11 2012 Seminar Web Design & Database Certified
