COMEDY IN ADVERTIZING SLOGAN

Пучко Н.А.¹, Лазарев В.А. ²

¹Студент,

²Доктор филологических наук,

Южный Федеральный Университет

КОМИЧЕСКОЕ В РЕКЛАМНОМ СЛОГАНЕ

Аннотация

В статье рассмотрено – применение языкового комизма в текстах рекламных слоганов для более эффективного влияния на аудиторию и привлечения покупателей.

Ключевые слова: языковой комизм, реклама, слоган.

Puchko N.A.¹, Lazarev V.A. ²

¹Student,

²Doctor of Philology,

Southern Federal University

COMEDY IN ADVERTIZING SLOGAN

Abstract

The article considers application of comic language in advertising slogans for more effective influence and attraction of customers.

Keywords: comic language, advertising, slogan.

Some companies consider incentive slogans as not effective for direct impact on the consumers. The most effective method of influencing is the application of comedy in the advertizing message, as it influences attractive function of an advertizing positively [1].

The comic effect in the advertizing is based on the principle of alogism, i.e. the combination of incongruous notions. Such language standard deviation intrigues the reader, arouses an interest and makes him think at the level of associations:

1. As for an example, there is a combination of the phenomena that can't exist in one context:

"Fresh Squeezed Glaciers"

This mineral water company slogan is based on the contradiction: it is absolutely clear that the glacier can't be squeezed out. However the buyer instantly makes an association with a fruit or a citrus, for example with a lemon, as it can be often met with the word "freshly squeezed". In this case freshness and quality of the product are meant. The reader understands comedy and realizes an intended exaggeration, but it doesn't push him away, on the contrary it draws his attention.

2. Application of mixed concepts along with the application of antithesis:

"If you want to impress someone, with put him on your Black List"

 The well-known whisky trademark equates two concepts in its slogan: the black list (the list of people unwanted), and the black list (a black label of the whisky bottle, released by this company). Another one point of this slogan: the verb "to impress" (to surprise) has generally positive character, but in that case the concepts "surprise" and "blacklist" can’t be combined since they are opposite by their nature. As a result the comic effect emerges drawing customer’s attention [3].

3. Application of allusion along with metaphor

"Have you met life today?"

The allusion of this slogan is based on the phrase "met life", a separately written name of insurance company "Metlife" (the full name "Metropolitan Life"). If a reader knows the type of service rendered by this organization, it is possible for him to understand the context in which the word "life" is used. Though there is nothing comic in Metlife’s service the company treats it humorously.

4. Application of literary utterances in an everyday-life context or in combination with everyday-life words:

"Does She … or doesn’t She" (in the context of Shakespearean saying "to be or not to be")

This slogan belongs to the cosmetic company "Clairol". As we can see, in this slogan the famous Shakespeare's utterance "To be or not to be" was redone. The use of a personal pronoun "she" means the company’s focus on female audience.

5. There are also popular expressions proverbs and set expressions can be found in some slogans:

"Melts in your mouth, not in your hands"

"To melt in one’s mouth" – the famous English phraseological unit is used to describe a pleasant taste of food. In a slogan of the M&M's company this utterance has continuation which doesn't change its value, and only makes a reference to one of properties of chocolate: melting of chocolate at warm temperature. The company emphasizes that the quality of its goods, unlike of other similar products’, won't reduce in such conditions, i.e. this product is unique. Therefore, in this example we can observe argument of exclusiveness application [2].

6. Intended spelling deviations can also present in advertizing slogans. Probably it is the most unusual but at the same time the most effective way of drawing attention of the consumers. When a person reads a slogan with spelling deviations he tries subconsciously to correct it, to solve the riddle and to understand the idea of the message. This time is enough for the information to be lodged in the customer’s memory:

"Wii would like to play"

"Wotalotigot!" "

The first slogan belongs to the organization "Nintendo" that deals with game consoles. "Wii" is the name of one of its products and is also a homophone of a personal pronoun "we".

In the second case we can observe joined-up writing of all words of the sentence. It must be mentioned that this sentence is rhymed – identical sounds in the words "what", "lot", "got", that’s why it can be pronounced easily and quickly[4].

References

1. Bukireva T.A. Aspekty jazykovoj igry: Anomal'nost' i paradoksal'nost' jazykovoj lichnosti. - Krasnojarsk, 2000. – P. 145.
2. Lamben Zh.Zh. Strategicheskij marketing. – M., 1996.
3. Pirogova Ju. K. Rechevoe vozdejstvie i igrovye priemy v reklame. - M., 2000. – P. 270.
4. Rogozhin M.Ju. Teorija i praktika reklamnoj dejatel'nosti. - M. 2010.