Language & Style Final Paper

Reflective Tag:

This essay is a must-include for my final portfolio. This assignment comes from the Language & Style course taught by Major Iddings. I didn’t know it at the time, but this SFL course capture my interest, and would combine with my marketing internship to end up being the inspiration for my capstone project. In this assignment I show the abilities of evaluating source to make effective arguments, using rhetorical strategies in an academic setting, and understanding the ways which cultural influences the interpretation of a text. The cultural influences for this assignment were the ways in which gender differences change language choices for marketers.

Benjamin Outland

ERH-304W

Major Iddings

December 13th, 2017

Analyzing written advertisements using Systemic Functional Linguistics

Respectfully Submitted by: Cadet Benjamin Outland

Section 1: Introduction to Analysis

There is no doubt that clever marketing and well-crafted advertisements can increase sales. How can advertisers use language and systemic functional linguistics to create juicy ad-blurbs that push their products off the shelves? Shampoo and body wash corporations in conjunction with marketing firms use short texts located on the back of their products with the goal of enticing consumers to purchase or repurchase their goods. These brief blurbs are well worded advertisements written by technical writers that describe how and why their product will do its job better than competitors. Looking at seven different product description paragraphs from the back of shampoo and body wash bottles, this essay will showcase how writers use systemic functional linguistic principles such as genre and register identification, as well as textual, interpersonal, and experiential meanings to create texts that convince readers to buy their products and instruct buyers how to use them. First, the genre and register of the texts will be explained, then an analysis of the textual, interpersonal, and experiential meanings will be conducted to show how the advertisements entice and instruct readers.

Section 2: Explanation of the Genre and Register of the Text

The shampoo and body wash texts are constructed in the genre format of an exposition and procedure hybrid. According to Dr. Mary Macken-Horakin’s article “A Systemic Functional Approach to Teaching in Secondary School Science,” an exposition is a genre with the social purpose of  “argue[ing] for a particular point of view on an issue. An exposition gives reasons to support a thesis and elaborates these using evidence” (Macken-Horakin 22). Though we would not think of it on first sight, the shampoo and body wash ad-blurbs all provide elaborate thesis statements, and then provide detailed evidence to support their statements. The thesis statements of each ad-blurb usually argue that this particular product is the best choice for you, or that the product will do its job to perfection, i.e “Our new Total Miracle 7-in-1 Conditioner is the real deal for moisturizing your mane.” Just like any other exposition, after stating their point of view that this product is the best around, the text follows the social structure of an exposition and provides evidence to backup the thesis: “A humectant that moisturizes skin and helps retain skin’s natural oils.” The social purpose of this genre is to argue for a viewpoint, and the shampoo texts follow this pattern to a T. These texts are not pure expostions. The genre is a hybrid of an exposition and a procedure, and Macken-Horakin describes a procedure as: “Instruct[ing] on how to do something through a sequence of steps.” After first establishing persuasion, writers add instruction which fulfills the requirements of this genre hybrid: “Squeeze gel, lather, cleanse body, and rinse.” These lines of instruction are found at the end of the ads, after the persuasive writing. Each shampoo and body wash text is organized in this structure of thesis, evidence, and instruction.

In order to conduct the analysis on textual meanings, it is important to first identify the register of the text, which is composed of the field, mode and tenor. What the text is about, or the field of the text, is shampoo and/or body wash. This is because ad-blurbs aim to describe the superior qualities of their corresponding products. The texts need not stray away from discussing the product. The mode of the text, or how the text was produced and where it is found, is on the back of products. Customers probably would not read product descriptions online for shampoos– when choosing to buy a product, the buyers will likely read a few different bottles in store before deciding on a product that they identify with most. This makes it appropriate for the texts to be placed conveniently on the back of the shampoo or body wash bottles. The tenor of the text is associated with the writers perceived relationship with the reader. The tenor for this text is a close and equal relationship between reader and writer. The advertisers do not want to seem condescending to the buyers, and they want the texts to seem like a recommendation from a friend. Therefore most texts use a causal tone and word choice paired with simple diction: “Thank goodness your body cleans itself, or we would have had to make a hair and body and bones and guts and muscles wash.” Humor and lighthearted tones are used to make the reader feel comfortable with purchasing the product. However, writers can change the tenor to make advertisements more effective depending on their target audience. Some advertisers use a tactic which uses chemistry jargon or makes it appear as if the product was created in a lab by scientists and engineers such as: “Hydrate shampoo and conditioner line for color-treated hair uses Advanced Hydrating Micro-Emulsion Technology to quench hair,” or phrases such as “technology,” “carefully extract,” and “specially engineered.” Having readers believe a scientist created the product gives it a high derived ethos which enhances its credibility. Using this tactic to make readers think that the product is specially made by scientists and experts changes the tenor from close to further removed, and from equal to an unequal relationship between a layman and a technical expert, rather than a peer.

Section 3: Analysis of the Text Using Systemic Functional Linguistic Properties

The textual meanings of the product descriptions help the texts appeal to consumers. The thematic development of the texts each involve a catchy macro-theme, followed by explicit hyper-themes and convincing evidence-based theme-rheme clauses. Each macro-theme gives a product title: “Irish Spring Signature Body Wash For Men,” “Dove Men+Care Fresh & Clean Fortifying 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner,” “American Crew Classic Body Wash.” Each macro-theme unapologetically states what the product is, and provides a unique and eye-catching characteristic to set the product apart. The macro-themes contain word choices such as signature, fortifying, and classic. Words like this give the reader the impression that the product is special and unique compared to others. These well-crafted marco themes subconsciously begin to enthral consumers before the text even begins.

Carefully written hyper-themes and theme-rheme clauses work in a similar and efficient way as the macro-themes. They begin by explaining what the product is, while adding an incentive to buy: “This refreshing body wash has the classic American Crew fragrance both men and women love.” This hyper-theme describes the product as a “refreshing body wash,” then adds the incentive of a “fragrance that both men and women love.” These hyper-themes are also organized appropriately by being placed at the beginning of each ad. This ensure that the readers will know what is going to be described with subsequent clauses. Themes and rhemes such as “Triple-action formula cleans body, shampoos hair, conditions hair” or “Provides a deep refreshing clean” provide a reason why the product does its job well, such as a triple-action formula, or the ability to provide a deep refreshing clean. They are also focused and to the point, each clause sticks to strictly presenting evidence for the superiority of the product: “A suitable combination of surfactants to cleanse the skin.” These focused themes ensure that there are no meaningless clauses, as readers do not want to spend a long time reading an advertisement. The focus of the themes in the procedural aspect of the texts keeps the instruction brief and to the point, as not to take away from the persuasive themes. These incentivizing hyper-themes and evidence-based individual themes help make the product seem like a good choice to buy.

On a textual meaning level, looking at the theme content also show us how the text flows in a way which allows for persuasion. The first word of almost every theme contain words such as “clean, made, stronger, provides, essential, natural, and hydration,” to name a few. Just by observing the first word of each clause, it already becomes apparent that the purpose of the texts are to convince a reader that this shampoo or body wash is healthy and rejuvenating. The theme content is not bogged down by people or information, it sticks to the thesis by using verbs that are related to the product. If you compared these themes to a non-persuasive text, you would see a vast difference. A text with the social purpose of providing information would have themes that were noun based. The “Germany Attacks Great Britain” text is composed of themes like: “Winston Churchill, A speech, Hitler, His plan, Two secret weapons,” etc. These nouns are important to give information, but they are not conducive to persuasion. The theme content in the shampoo and body wash texts contain adjectives and verbs which tell readers that the product will make them feel good, an essential component for effective persuasion.

The interpersonal and attitudinal meanings of the texts also align with the social purpose of exhortation and instruction. The text is full to the brim with appreciations such as: “Irish Spring products have been committed to keeping men feeling fresh, clean and confident,” “This moisturizing blend will leave your skin looking clean and healthy,” “Essential antioxidants necessary to improve the texture, firmness, and feel of the skin,” and “This conditioner is serum infused to detangle hair revealing a healthy, fabulous shine.” These appreciations are appropriate in this kind of text, as the texts  describe a shampoo or body wash, so having a lot of positive and explicit evaluations of things is necessary to show why the ingredients and formulas work well. On the contrary to appreciations, the text contains few judgements. This makes sense, as the ad-blurbs are focused on describing the product, and evaluations of people are not needed to persuade and describe shampoo or body wash. However, there are still a few judgements such as “the man who is looking to soften up a little.” Though the judgements are few, the ones present allow to persuasion by describing what the product can help you with. The text contains a moderate amount of affects, mostly focused on how the experience of using the product can make you feel good: “with an energizing and refreshing effect,” “fragrance both men and women love,” or “watch as the miracle unfolds.” These affects are ideal for persuasion as they give readers the sense that using the product will make them feel alert, masculine, refreshed, rejuvenated, and the like. The imperative clauses in the texts, which provide instruction, are void of appreciation, affects, or judgements. This works well because a procedure strictly tells you what to do without outside information. Interestingly, the conditioner targeted toward females contains affects which evoke emotions in the procedural sentences such as: “the miracle, radiate, and massage.” This advertising technique could be used to appeal to the supposedly more emotional female sex. Overall, the moods and attitudes in the text are carefully thought out and written in an expository format, further convincing readers to buy the product.

These attitudinal meanings that are presented in the text create the mood, which is well set for a persuasive text. The mood in these shampoo and body wash texts is one of rejuvenation, cleaning, purging the body of dirt and grease, and confidence. The affects establish the mood by telling the readers that the product will make them feel more masculine and confident, and given the way the attitudinal meanings establish mood, readers will be apt to believe them. Judgements shape the mood by making the text seem like it is about you and your routine in the shower. Words such as “relieves, moisturizes, improve, reveal, fabulous, and enhance,” among others, ensure that readers will be confident in choosing the products that these texts describe. Just as with the affects, judgements and apprecations, the procedural sentences for the male ads do not contain mood, as they only aim to instruct. On the other hand, the female ad does create mood in the procedural step, which makes the process of using the conditioner seem like a rejuvenating and emotion evoking experience that you should look forward to.

Continuing with analysing the interpersonal meanings, the text also organizes subjects in  a way which creates persuasive declarative, interrogative, and imperative sentences. Given that the genre is an exposition-procedure hybrid, writers need a way to give instruction. This instruction comes in the form of imperative sentences. The imperative sentences are located at the end of the texts, after the advertising has been accomplished. Since people already know how to use shampoo and body wash, this ensures that the writers can first do the more important job of persuading consumers to buy before telling readers how to use the product. Sentences at the end of the text such as: “Generously lather on hair and body,” or “Lather a dollop in your palms and massage into ends” allow for instruction to occur after persuasion has been established. Declarative sentences form the basis of each text, as they allow for writers to state the reasons why the product is useful: “Same great formula, now with 100% PCR packaging,” or “Moisturizes and relieves dry skin.” These declarative sentences make the persuasive language that is required in the exposition part of the genre. A few scattered interrogative statements such as “Do miracles exist?” are an advertising technique that adds flair to the texts. All together the subjects, which tell whether the sentences are imperative, declarative, or interrogative combine to satisfy the genre requirements of persuasion and instruction.

Lastly, the experiential meanings of the text also are formatted in a persuasive manner. The text contains few participants. The only notable participants found in the text are “men, you, and your.” This strategy of limited participants works well in an expository text, as the advertisers want to focus on you and how the product can satisfy your needs. Aside from indicatives like “is, are, and have,” process’ in the text mainly focus on shampoo and body wash implicated verbs such as “clean, wash, lather, and rinse.”  These process’ simply add support in describing what the product is capable of doing and why it is the best at doing it. They move the text along and lead readers to the most important part of shampoo and body wash texts: the circumstances. The circumstances in the text are many. They offer additional information which describes the product such as: “Triple-action formula, suitable combination, subtle, clean masculine scent, carefully extract, and best-selling concentrated formula.” Circumstances tell us the “why” of the process. This is important in these ads, as we can get a process like “will leave” followed by a circumstances like: “your skin looking clean and healthy.” This “why” explains that the product will help you feel clean and healthy. It makes sense that there are a lot of circumstances, as these circumstances allow the writers to add additional information to clauses that are chock-full of image creating adjectives. Adjectives contain the meat of these texts, as they can create imagery which convinces readers that the product is exceptional. As for the imperative clauses, the writers stick to explicit material clauses, which satisfy the goal of instructing.

Section 4: Conclusion — How the Text Means What it Means

Ad-blurbs such as the ones on the back of these shampoo and body wash bottles are everywhere. We see them everyday but never take the time to analyze how the language within them creates meaning. The meanings of this text and all others are crafted to fit the writers motives– in the case of the shampoo and body wash texts, the motive is to persuade via description while providing instruction on how to use the product. Since people already know how to use shampoo and body wash, instruction is given briefly after the persuasive aspect of the texts. After analyzing the texts using principles of systemic functional linguistics, one can see how the advertisements that constitute the texts are so persuasive. The textual meanings show that the macro-themes contain eye catching keywords, which at their best can help sell the product on spot, and at their worst intrigue a potential buyer to keep reading. Likewise, the hyper-themes describe what will be stated by the individual clauses while adding incentives to buy. The interpersonal meanings offer believable appreciations for the ingredients and formulas of the product. They also provide readers with judgements which give buyers a sense that the product is tailored towards them as an individual. Affects make buyers feel like the product will make them happy, cleansed, and refreshed. The experiential meanings contain high amounts of circumstances which create imagery to make the product sound lavish and useful. All of these systemic functional linguistics aspects come together to create an expository text that achieves its social purpose: moving products off the shelf.

Realizing the astounding power that linguistics and rhetoric can have on us as humans is an important aspect of this systemic functional linguistics analysis. The way capitalist firms with employed technical writers are able to use language to make their products enthralling is imperative to recognize. They use advertising techniques such as changing the tenor to appeal to a target audience, or subtly using affects that may appeal more to a certain sex. Knowing that corporations are motivated by consumerism lets us think on our own about what is behind the rhetoric of advertisements, and decide based on fact rather than manipulation whether or not to buy a product.

 

Word Count: 2923