Advertising: curse or blessing?

             The European comparative advertising is more restrictive, its code forbids many of the US expresses, particularly the denigration of a competitor’s products. The manufacturer can highlight only those qualities which are scientifically verifiable, and comparisons based simply on taste are not welcomed. That is why much of it is related to car advertising. But you are more likely to see a knocking copy in press than to see it on TV because they do not want to put other advertisers off using TV as a medium.

             There is one advertising technique that in not based on propaganda. It is “Textual”. This technique is based on pure information; it is free from any emotional words. Most businessmen give their preference to this kind of advertising technique.

            So I have learned that much information of the advertising you read is propaganda. Do not get the impression, however, that all advertising that uses propaganda is bad and deceitful. Most of the propaganda used in advertising is not intended to deceive you, and advertising provides a valuable service in that it brings your attention many products that you need or want. It is important that you recognize propaganda in advertising and do not let it delude or mislead you. You should be able to withstand its impact, and then decide for yourself whether or not you wish to be influenced by it.      

3.2. Advertising slogans

              The advertising slogan (the firm motto) is a short remembered phrase which transfers the basic idea of an advertising campaign in the bright, figurative form. The slogan helps to allocate firm among its competitors and gives integrity of a series of publicity. The good slogan supports reputation of the company and reflects its specificity. The important rhetorical characteristics of a slogan are the brevity, rhythmic and phonetic repetition, contrast, language game and effect of the latent dialogue. The slogan is the important component of a corporate style, advertising and PR-politicians.

The advertising slogan should be formulated on the basis of the communicative message and a reflection of positioning of a brand.

The primary goals of an advertising slogan - to involve and keep attention of an audience, to intrigue and interest, induce people to certain actions, to help to remember the mark, to tell to the consumer about advantage of a product or to allocate its unique noncommercial feature.

             The exact understanding of sphere of application of a slogan and its basic types helps to "reach" the consumer. So, for example, the informative slogan is directed on informing the consumer about a certain product, its main difference or advantage before the goods of competitors.

             Image slogan is directed to the recognition of the trade mark, to giving to a product defined image characteristics and accentuation of attention of an audience on non-material features of a brand.

             There are some criteria, which raise productivity of an advertising slogan.

• Firstly, the slogan should cooperate accurately with a graphic image;
• Secondly, should be short enough (as, for example, on a high-speed line there are only a few seconds for reading).
• Thirdly, should be clear for audience;
• Finally, the advertising slogan can have double sense, involving the consumer in creative game (here it is important to notice, that both senses should have attractive character for audience).
• From the point of view of syntax it is more preferable to use simple designs than the difficult ones.

             Creation of a good slogan demands big skill, intuition, a creative enlightenment. Nevertheless, it is possible to formulate some principles of construction of successful slogans. These principles concern the substantial, information party of a slogan or concern rhetoric - how this information is presented.

             The information which is pawned in a slogan should be subjectively significant for consumers and reflect specificity of firm. Phrases, applicable in any situation and approaching for many firms (type "we will be together"), in advertising are a little suitable.

             It can be slogans in which the high purposes of work of firms are declared: "We bring good during a life" (General Еlectric); "we Will change a life to the best" (Philips); "the Future finds a reality" (Goldstar); "It is necessary to live playing" (Moulinex); "We have learnt all world to feast" (Ren Xerox); "Quality to which you can trust" (Procter&Gamble); "it is possible to rely On us" (Bosch); "Electrolux. Sweden. It is made with mind’’

             And, at last, one more variant of the decision are slogans in which the affinity of firm to the consumer is underlined, work for it, presence of contact to it: "Simply we work for you" (Television channel "2х2"); "We are necessary to each family" (Siemens);

             The listed principles of construction of a slogan urged to help to find to advertisement makers a bright, well remembered phrase which will help to support reputation of firm and it is favourable to position it among firms-competitors.

 

 

4. Particular qualities of Ads

4.1. Influence of Ads on Russian people

            Now I would like to have a talk about Russian advertising. It is an exiting subject of discussion as in Russia advertising is a comperatively resent phenomenon. And what is the attitude of Russian people towards advertising?

             I think many Russians find advertising offensive, as many Westerners do. But Westerners feel much more experienced as far as advertising is concerned because they have had decades to get used to modern advertising.

             Under the totalitarian regime the very word “ADVERTISING” was like a curse word. The only legitimate advertiser was the one-party system. Now the system has lost its monopoly but “advertising” is a bigger curse than ever.

             Nowadays many people hate ads.  Some people say that most American commercials should be banned on Russian television not because they are American but because they are immoral. I think that the major reason of the disapproval of advertising is not that it is immoral or offensive, but because the majority of advertisements are aimed at Russia’s rich people.  Many ads show Rolls-Roys, downtown Mansions, lavish casino’s and cruises. I can say that all civilized societies try to avoid creating social abysses between people. I think that the mass advertising of deluxe goods in a country where most people are poor and getting poorer is extremely dangerous. All in all, advertising can be very harmful because it greatly influenced our mind.

             But not only advertising has an influence on our ideas and notions but also the language of the advertising influences the language of society in general – especially the language of schoolchildren.

             If you visit any Russian school these days, you are likely to overhear the phrase “Ne tormozi! Snikersni!” and many others. These words come not from Pushkin fairy-tale but from an ad, advertising “Snickers”.

             Many Western ad slogans are translated from English into awkward semi-literature or illiterate Russian. For example, Smirnoff vodka’s “taste the difference” is good English but its Russian version “pochustvujte raznitsu”, which means something more like “feel the distinction” – barely makes any sense. On the other hand, Pepsi-Cola’s “Novoe pocoleniye vybiraet Pepsi” (literally, “A new generation chooses Pepsi”) is an example of literary, effective translation.

            In my opinion, in general the effect of advertising has lowered the general level of the language. Ungrammatical advertisements are not just offensive but less effective at selling products.

            Very often poor translations cause confusion. For example, “conditioner” in Russian means “air conditioner” never “hair conditioner”. “Vidal Sassoon’s ad for its “shampoo and hair conditioner in the same bottle”?” has given rise to innumerable jokes – especially since “vidal” in Russian is the past tense of the word to “see”.

             Another survey showed Russians prefer the label “Pepsi” printed in the Western rather than the Cyrillic alphabet. Pepsi executives recently admitted they had a marketing problem in their battle with Coca-Cola because Pepsi was perceived as too much of Russian product.

             Russians seem to get more ads of all kinds whether we want them or not. Advertising specialists predict that advertising in Russia will develop quickly, at the same time it will absorb more technological forms such as special effects from the west. But Russians have traditionally believed that sympathy, integrity and sincerity are distinctive features of our national character, so it is in our hands not to hurl into extremes, including the extreme of blind imitation of the West.

            

 

 

 

Conclusion

            So is ad a blessing or a curse for a modern Russian man? Having overthought all the material, I have come to conclusion that ads obviously have both good and bad points (look into the table on page № 20).

             Besides, I must say, that today’s advertising level is not so bad. And some of the commercials nowadays make a stress on good features of a man’s nature. For example, Juice “Dobryi” or “Moya semya”. They make as think about eternal values, such as friendship, love, cooperation.

             Fortunately, the system of advertising is improving all the time, and any problems, which still exist, can be solved. Whether we like it or not, ADVERTISING is here to stay and we have to learn to make the best possible use of it. I think, advertising can be BLESSING for a man, if it follow certain rules of honest advertising, which I want to present.

Rules of honest advertising:

- Advertising should be connected with laws;

- Advertising should be coordinated with good rules, authentic and truthful;

- Advertising should be made with the feeling of responsibility and not to contradict high moral principles;

- Advertising has no right to abuse trust of the consumer and to search of benefit in using inexperience of a customer or a lack of knowledge;

-  Without a serious reason advertising should not play on a feeling of fear;

-  Advertising should not contain anything leading to philosophy of violence;

- Advertising should not abuse scientific terms; they must be used in such a way so that not to give false impression about scientific;

- Advertising should not contain the certificate and the recommendation if they not real or are based on own experience of the publisher;

- Advertising has no right to discredit other firms or goods;

- Advertising should not use any private names, firms or signs belonging to other businessmen, the organizations or institutes;

- Advertising should not use trustfulness of the child or insufficient experience of youth;

- The advertising intended for children and youth, should not contain anything that could lead to physical traumas or harmful influence on children.

       I hope that the influence of  the West and other extremes will be overcome and Russian advertising will be nourished with Russians art and Russian culture, the power and depth of which give us hopes for a better future, in spite of the depressing character of so many ads inflicted on us today. I hope, that commercials of the future will be creative and informative and will bring only joy and benefit both to the consumer and to the advertiser.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Literature

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