| Avril ANDREWS |
| I.N.T. d’Evry avril.andrews@int-evry.fr |
RECENT TRENDS IN ADVERTISING |
| The discourse of advertising
encompasses the interaction of the text with sound, image and the audience. Just as the
elements which make up an advertisement cannot be isolated, neither can advertising be
separated from other forms of communication. Advertisements are often linked
intertextually to other advertisements and to other genres. Advertising not only reflects
society but aims to change our habits and behaviour. As society changes so do the
conventions used in the discourse of advertising. The discourse is constantly being
adapted to the audience. The post-modern consumer, living in the information age,
deconstructs advertising messages and advertisers are aware of this phenomenon. How the
consumer interprets the message depends on the discourse community to which he or she
belongs or to which he or she aspires. Neither the discourse of advertising nor the
identity of the consumer are fixed entities; both are modified by life-style choices. Advertising is said to reflect the beliefs, myths, rituals and values of the culture in which it is created. Current advertising reflects the post-modern values of fragmentation and globalisation. The fragmentation of society results in the emergence of new communities defined by their shared interests. The advent of cable and satellite television has opened up possibilities of broadcasting to these interest groups via theme channels but also to a global audience. Advertising on both theme channels and pan-European channels target audiences where a shared identity is presumed. But it would seem that the individual varies his or her behaviour according to the desires of the moment. For this reason, some recent advertisements no longer represent the individual. The audience is repositioned as appreciative of humour and capable of decoding messages. Advertisements are no longer solely concerned with verifiable facts, nor with persuading the supposedly gullible masses that a particular product will transform them. The objective is to entertain rather than to inform. Many recent campaigns distance themselves from the product. Indeed some advertisements do not even mention the product but provide a fantastic scenario for the brand. Brand image is given priority over the product. The advertiser constantly seeks to renew the sophisticated consumer's interest. In order to do this, advertisements not only change their features to create an element of surprise but also reverse certain features. Many features, once established as typical of advertisements, are liable to be replaced by their opposites or abandoned altogether thus defeating expectation and arresting attention. This paper will focus on the interaction of language and image in advertising and will explore the relationships between the reader and advertising and between advertising and popular culture. Examples of recent print and television advertisement will be used. |