Language Style of Advertisements
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e-Journal of Linguistics
Available online at https://ojs.unud.ac.id/index.php/eol/index
Vol. 17, No. 1, January 2023, pages: 62--68
Print ISSN: 2541-5514 Online ISSN: 2442-7586
https://doi.org/10.24843/e-jl.2023.v17.i01.p08
Language Style of Advertisements
1Ni Wayan Wida Yustiari, 2I Made Rajeg, 3Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi 1[email protected], 2[email protected], 3[email protected] 1, 2, 3 English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University Denpasar, Bali
Article info
Received Date: 15 June 2022
Accepted Date: 1 July 2022
Published Date: 31 January 2023
Keywords:*
Language style, advertisement, magazine
Abstract*
The article aims to find the type of language style and the meanings implied in the advertisement. The data were taken from advertisements in Now! Bali magazine was published from May 2018 to June 2018. They were analyzed using the descriptive qualitative method and the theory type of language style (W. D. Wells, 2009), and the theory of meaning (Keraf, 2006). The result shows that there are seven types of language styles applied in them including similes, personification, metonymy, alliteration, assonance, ellipsis, and hyperbole. In terms of meaning, denotative and connotative meanings are implied.
One of a magazine that provides advertisements is Now! Bali magazine. Some advertisements support all industries that provide things for the island, including hotels, adventure, food and beverage, retail, events, etc(Speirs, et all; 2018). Therefore, tourists will be persuaded to choose the best destination when traveling to Bali.
The different language styles used in the advertisement might result in more engaging advertisements. A sentence delivered a more attractive idea than employing ordinary words in terms of language style (Tarigan, 2009). Advertisements in Now! Bali magazine used a language style that is very attractive and eye-catching picture. It is persuasive and compact to attract customers to use the product or services that are being provided. Moreover, Keraf (1991) claims that linguistic contexts such as word choice, tone, sentence structure, and direct and indirect meaning can be used to analyze language style. Therefore, this topic is very interesting to know the types of language styles used in this advertisement and the meaning expressed in the advertisement of Now! Bali magazine.
There have been studied some previous studies. One of them is done by Putri and Arman (2019). They analyzed the language styles of English advertisements in the magazine. They claimed that the language styles found in their studies were simile, personification style, metaphor, alliteration, assonance, and hyperbole. The other study is Analysis of Language Style in The New York Times Advertisements” by Rahmawati (2019). She analyzed the types and used of language style in the New York Times. The result, it found three types of language style included hard sell, soft sell, and straightforward style.
Based on the previous phenomena, this study focuses to identify the type of language styles and analyze their meanings as they are used in Now! Bali magazine advertisement.
The research method employed in this study is divided into the following sections such as data source; method and technique of collecting data; method and technique of analyzing data; and method and technique of presenting analysis.
The source of data for the study is advertisements in one of the hospitality magazines called “Now! Bali”. This magazine is a monthly magazine (2018). The magazine that will be used as a data source is a magazine published from May 2018 until June 2018. There are 20 advertisements from Now! Bali magazine was chosen randomly for data adequacy. Several types of language styles are found in advertisements of Now! Bali magazine therefore can be used as a data source.
The method used to collect the data was observed through the script of the advertisement in Now! Bali magazine. Then, the technique of collecting data was note-taking. The data were analyzed by using the descriptive qualitative method. According to Sidiq and Choiri (2019), qualitative research is the research that produces findings that cannot be achieved by using statistical procedures or by quantitative means. The data was explained based on the theories applied in this study by taking the following steps:
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a. First, the data were categorized according to the type of language style based on Well’s (2009) theory.
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b. Second, the data was interpreted and then described from each category of language style of advertisement based on Wells (2009) theory.
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c. Third, explain how the meanings are expressed in the advertisement of Now! Bali magazine by Keraf (2006).
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d. Finally, the conclusion was made based on the research findings.
The data is presented in sentences. It used the theory language style of advertisement by Wells (2009) and Keraf (2006) to categorize and analyze the data. It is used to answer the research problem of the study, there is the type of language style is used in Now! Bali magazine and the meaning expressed in it.
It was found some data which are appropriate to the types of language style in the advertisement that was purposed by Wells. The 10 types of language styles in advertisements such as simile, metaphor, personification, metonymy, alliteration, assonance, ellipsis, euphemism, prolepsis, and hyperbole. The data are presented as follows:
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- Simile
(3-1) PLAY LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING IN BALI’S COOLEST NEW
DESTINATION
This sentence in (3-1) contains a simile language style. a simile is a direct comparison between two things with different realities. As....if, as......as, as like, as though, and so on are common phrases. The word like is one of the characteristics of similes that means similar. Based on the definition above, the reason why this expression is classified as a simile is that it compares the situation when playing is usually seen by many people and playing situations without being seen by people. It compares verbs and verbs.
(3-2) Let the delightful aromas and the sizzle of meats invite your taste buds to enjoy a selection of beef, chicken, or seafood that is grilled bbq-style.
Personification is the language style applied in this advertisement. Personification is the process of describing non-living objects as though they are alive and acting like humans. The word “invite” as a verb in data (3-2) is personified. In this case, the food is used as a substitute for human beings which can be invited to the taste buds of the guest.
(3-3) PAY WITH TCASH
AND GET CASHBACK 20%*
Based on Wells (2009), metonymy means replacing the name of something with the name of something that has the same character or substitution to convey what is truly meant. Based on the definition, TCASH in the data (3-3) is an electronic money service that functions like a bank account that is flexible and without interest. That way, TCASH is an electronic transaction tool that is widely used in this modern era.
Based on Wells, alliteration is a language style in which the same consonant sound is repeated after each other. According to the definition, alliteration can be found in the advertisement of FINNS BEACH CLUB, the sentence in the data (3-4) has a repetition of the same B consonant sound. It is repetition in adjectives and nouns.
(3-5) GREAT FOOD. GREAT FUN. GREAT PARTY
The language style used in the advertisement of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Bali is alliteration. Wells (2009) in his theory said that alliteration is a pattern of words that start with the same letter or have a similar sound. It can be found in the headline of the advertisement GREAT FOOD. GREAT FUN. GREAT PARTY. The word GREAT is an adjective, Food
65 is a noun, and Fun is a verb. That sentence has a repetition of the same G and F consonant that follows each other.
(3-6) RUN EAT FUN IN ONE GO
Assonance can be found in this advertisement. it can be found in the sentence “RUN EAT FUN IN ONE GO” which has a repetition of the U sound in the world run and fun. As the definition before, assonance is the repeating of the same vowel sound that follows each other.
Ellipsis in Now! Bali magazine advertisement can be found in the “KARMA BEACH BALI” advertisement. The language style used in the data (3-7) shows one of the characteristics of the ellipsis, that there are three dots at the end of the sentence that is used to show a trail off into silence This is also reinforced by the definition of the ellipsis by Wells (2009), Ellipsis is a language style in which a part of a sentence is omitted so that the reader may easily fill in the blanks or understand the meaning of the phrase.
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(3-8) Ayodya Resort Bali, A Kingdom of Hospitality
According to Wells (2009), Hyperbole is a language style that exaggerates a character's or an object's size with the intent of highlighting, intensifying, etc. This language style can be found in the advertisement “Ayodya Resort Bali”. The word Kingdom is a noun that implies extravagant and obvious exaggeration.
The following sub-chapter will discuss the meaning of the language style conveyed in the Now! Bali magazine. Each data will be analyzed using the theory from Keraf (2006) to determine what meaning is contained in the advertisement, either denotative meaning, connotative meaning, or in one data it can contain two meanings. The following will be explained further.
(3-9) PAY WITH TCASH
AND GET CASHBACK 20%*
The fourth advertisement is from Bluebird. The advertisement shows TCASH from Telkomsel in collaboration with Bluebird. Readers who want to use taxi services from Bluebird can now pay using TCASH as electronic money which is currently more widely used because it is practical, safe, and has many other advantages. The data (3-9) contains denotative meaning. It shows a sentence promoting TCASH. T-Cash is an electronic money service from Telkomsel that has been released since 2010. It attracts customers by giving cashback up to 20% with terms and conditions apply. Therefore, the data in (3-9) is included in the denotative meaning.
(3-10) Bali's Best Beach Club
The FINNS BEACH CLUB advertisement shows a club in Bali by offers beautiful beach views. The data (3-10) contained in this advertisement is a denotative meaning. The word best means the most excellent type or quality (Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary., 2009). Consequently, this advertisement has real meaning to promote to the readers of the advertisement that this club is the most excellent in Bali. Then, the repetition of the same consonant sound makes the advertisement more aesthetic.
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(3-11) PLAY LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING IN BALI’S COOLEST NEW DESTINATION
The data (3-11) has an implied meaning, the guest who comes to visit this place gets the freedom to enjoy the atmosphere of that place without nobody can disturb the guest because the advertisement offers a private resort. In addition, the meaning contained in this advertisement is to promote a place for the guest who needs a private resort and calming atmosphere.
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(3-12) Let the delightful aromas and the sizzle of meats invite your taste buds to enjoy a selection of beef, chicken or seafood that grilled with bbq-style.
The data in (3-12) contains connotative meaning. It can be found in the word invite which means interesting or appetizing meaning. The advertisement offers food in the form of a selection of beef, chicken, or seafood that is grilled BBQ-style. The restaurant likens the aroma produced by the food to be able to attract the attention of visitors to enjoy the food offered by the restaurant. Therefore, in the context of the data, it means inviting someone to enjoy a selection of beef, chicken, or seafood that is grilled BBQ-style through the aroma produced by the dish. In this case, the aromas and the sizzle of meat are used as a substitute for human beings which can be invited to the taste buds of the guest.
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(3-13) RUN EAT FUN IN ONE GO
The connotative meaning is contained in the data (3-13). The participants who will take part in the competition are not doing activities such as running, eating, and having fun at the same time. However, the data (3-13) means that the participants who take part in these activities get three benefits such as eating, running competitions, and having fun in one event. As Keraf (2006) said apart from connotative meaning, this occurs when a speaker tries to convey a feeling, such as agree, disagree, like, or dislike, to a listener or someone who has chosen the same word to express how they feel. The advertisement only uses different sentences but has implied meanings to attract the reader's attention. This advertisement also wants to invite readers to participate in enlivening the event that wants to organize by using language style in the advertisement of BALI KILO RUN 2018.
Data in (3-14) implied connotative meaning because it is very unlikely that a destination or place is waiting. The sentence is used to attract the interest of the reader in the advertisement to come to the destination soon. The new destination is also still a secret, so it uses the three dots to make the reader curious. Besides that, the three dots at the end of the sentence have the meaning to show a trail off into silence.
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(3-15) Ayodya Resort Bali, A Kingdom of Hospitality
In the context of the sentence, the word Kingdom has a connotative meaning. It means center. In today's era, of course, the era of the kingdom has become extinct in Indonesia. The word is used to attract the reader's attention that Ayodya Resort Bali is the center of hospitality in Bali. The hotel offers luxurious services like being in a kingdom.
This research was conducted based on suggestions from previous studies entitled “Language Style of English Commercial Advertisement on Television” by Muthmainnah (2016) with the same topic but different in the object. Based on the point of view in the study of the object of research, the types and meanings of language styles were proposed in this
research. Alliteration is the most common type of language style found in advertisements in Now! Bali magazine. The repetition of consonant sounds makes the brand sink into the audience’s mind and also makes the advertisement or marketing offer work. The rhythm and melody provided by the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of syllables are one of the best ways to create big, predictable results. Therefore, some of the advertisements used alliteration as a slogan for their product because easy to remember and attracts the reader. In terms of meanings, connotative meaning is the dominant meaning contained in the advertisement of Now! Bali magazine. Connotative meaning is an imaginative or emotional suggestion related to the words that make the advertisement more eye-catching and easier to convey to the reader.
According to the discussion in the previous chapter, it can be concluded that the seven of ten types of language styles can be found in advertisements in Now! Bali magazine. It consists of simile, personification, metonymy, alliteration, assonance, ellipsis, and hyperbole.
Out of 20 data used, ten data implied both denotative and connotative meaning, meanwhile, ten data express denotative meaning only. A word that contains a denotative meaning can be found by searching for its primary meaning in a dictionary, however connotative meaning cannot be found in every word and must be understood in a context related to the advertisement.
The author would like to thank for all parties who facilitated this research and for at English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University which has supported the research.
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Biography of Author
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Ni Wayan Wida Yustiari is a student of English Department at Udayana University. She was born in Tabanan, on 13 May 2000. She currently is completing her undergraduate thesis in the Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. E-mail: [email protected] | ||
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Prof. Dr. I Made Rajeg, M.Hum. is an Associate Professor in linguistics at the English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. His research interests include figurative languages, corpus linguistics, lexical semantics, and discourse. E-mail: [email protected] | ||
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Putu Ayu Asty Senja Pratiwi, S.S., M.Hum., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Udayana University. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Udayana University, and gained her Master’s degree from Linguistics Department at Udayana University. In 2021, she finished her Postgraduate at Yamaguchi University, Japan. E-mail: [email protected] |
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