Language In Advertising: The Importance Of Language

Communication is key. Everything that exists is communicating with the world, be it by written, verbal, or nonverbal communication. A blue shirt may communicate a person’s professionalism, a room with white walls may communicate cleanliness and openness. Everything is sending a message to the world. Advertisers use a cocktail of communication types to create a language that is unique to their purpose: to persuade people to buy what is being sold, convince buyers that a certain brand is more worthy of money and to worm a logo or a design or a jingle into the buyer’s subconscious. Advertisers use their language to create awareness of their brand and conjure brand loyalty; this is successful due to the the carefully calculated use of images,

Language has a powerful influence over people and behavior. The subtle differences between words sharing similar meaning is important to keep in mind while understanding the importance of connotation. Words that hold a more specific meaning are more likely to spark emotion within the consumer. Connotation is often dictated by the target audience of an advertisement. Picking words that specific groups of people will connect strongly to help builds trust and remembrance of the brand. Language in advertising is most often dramatically positive and enthusiastic. This helps emphasize the uniqueness of one product over the others. Language in advertising also serves as a marketing tool. Unconventionally, the use of a foreign language in an advertisement is more effective than the local language when marketing luxury goods. Code-switched ads (advertisements containing two or more languages) has become a common tactic in countries such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan. Advertising works below the level of conscious awareness. Ads are designed to have a lasting effect despite surface-level consumer “immunity”. The claim of the ad is the most simple and direct way to persuade. There are two rules of advertising claims: the rule of parity (the use of words such as “better” and “best”, when in reality, “best”

This affects the way advertisements are structured and presented. Images have become the centerpiece for all affective ads. To advertisers, eyeballs equal success. Advertisements want something that draws the eyes of the consumers and keeps them on the ad until the message is received. One of the biggest, and most obvious, eye-catching techniques is the use of color. Bright and bold colors will increase the likelihood of an advertisement being read or clicked on, in the case of modern society. Colors have powerful associations that can change the mood of the audience. For example, blue is a color businesses usually adapt into their logos because it is professional and productive without being invasive. However, blue can also be used in advertisements to express feelings of cleanliness and serenity. The incorporation of different colors into advertisements has the potential to grab consumer attention more immediately than a slogan. “Colors can catch consumer attention more easily because of the multiple associations consumers have with specific colors” (“How does color affect advertising?”, Lister). This is one of the main factors of success against “human immunity” of advertising. It’s rarely the argument or the call to action that